Mastitis

I have Mastitis.  It came on today, pretty suddenly.  I couldn't get myself going today.  Bertie and I slept late.  I didn't leave the house.  Most days we go for a walk, or to a shopping center, to walk around.  It didn't happen.

In the evening, I started feeling feverish.  My breasts started hurting.  Once Aaron came home I took a long, hot shower, and kept towels on them.  Then I fell asleep on the couch for 2 hours.  Aaron wore Bertie in the Mei Tai.  Then I tried to go to bed, which was around 9 or 930.  I felt very poorly, so I decided to call the Kaiser advice line, so I could get an appointment first thing in the morning.  I talked to a nurse, but she said she needed to transfer me to the OBGyn line, and there was a wait.  I waited a long time, but finally got on with a nurse.  It was well worth the wait, since she was able to call in a medication for me.  I didn't even need an appointment.  After I got off the phone, I laid in bed and sobbed and sobbed.  I just felt so awful.  My fever got up to 102.9.  I can't remember the last time I had a fever that high.
(I wrote the rest of this the next day)

Aaron went and got my pills and put the baby in the bed with me.  Baby slept.  I laid in bed freezing and crying.  I guess I'm bad at being sick.

He brought back my medicine, and some prescription strength Motrin.  The antibiotics are a little weird, because you need to take them without food.  You can eat 1 hour before or 2-3 hours after. So I have to schedule my meals a little bit.  (We moved Bertie into his bassinet).

A little after midnight my fever broke.  I stayed in bed for a while, sweating and sweating.  Eventually I got up.  I was still tired, but I couldn't sleep.  At some point Aaron brought the babe out to eat.  I think I went to bed around 4, and I just put him in bed with me.  Neither of us had the energy to fight with him.

I still have a fever today, but I've only been feeling the hot side, not the cold side, since I'm staying medicated.  Aaron took the day off work to help me out.  I slept a lot.  I nursed and pumped a lot.  (The right side has the blocked duct, and feels a lot fuller than it is.  One time Bertram didn't eat off it, so I pumped.  I barely got an ounce!)

Everyone keeps saying "Keep pumping!  Keep nursing!"  I don't plan on stopping.  Come hell or high water that baby will be breastfed til at least 6 months, and hopefully a year.

When I showered this evening, I saw the wedge shape on my breast, indicative of mastitis.  So I'm doing heat treatments, and pumping after each feeding.  There have been improvements, and hopefully they will continue.