My Journey with Recurrent Mastitis

Got time for a little story? Sit down.

I’ve had infectious mastitis requiring various antibiotics at least ten times. No, I’m not joking. Being a self-professed expert in breastfeeding, and having breastfed for a consecutive 47 months (no, that is not a typo), this was insanely frustrating.

I had seen a breastfeeding medicine specialist at the hospital twice, I had 4 milk cultures taken, and 2 breast ultrasounds, and it seemed no one could figure out why I kept getting mastitis. I was getting pretty good at knowing when it was coming on, but at least once a month for 9 straight months I was on antibiotics. If there’s anything out there about preventing clogs while breastfeeding, believe me I’ve read it or tried it.

I’ve got so many friends and family who have recently had babies or are expecting soon, and they are either currently breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. I wanted to compile a brief list of lessons I’ve learned along the way. I just celebrated my 3-year anniversary of CONSECUTIVE nursing: my sweet Claire weaned herself with some gentle coaching from me on New Year’s Eve. Together we chanted “new year, new you!” She had nursed for 33 months by that point. When she was 33 hours old, I wondered if I was going to make it to 6 weeks, let alone 6 months (my initial goal)…

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Thrush! Ah, that pesky devil. Thrush is also known as a yeast overgrowth on the nipples, or the baby’s mouth, in the ducts, or all of the above. This annoying breastfeeding problem can be uncomfortable but is easily solved. Read on for what worked for me, along with some recommendations I learned from my lactation consultants, breastfeeding support groups, and other nursing mothers.

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I had never heard of APNO, or All-Purpose Nipple Ointment before I started breastfeeding in 2015. It’s also called Newman’s APNO, Newman’s Nipple Ointment, or some variation of that. It’s named after Dr. Jack Newman, a breastfeeding advocate and specialist in Canada.

I struggled a lot with breastfeeding in the beginning, and since I was too ashamed to ask for help, I found myself searching online for help and answers to my questions. One of the things I came across was the magical elixir of unicorn blood that is Newman’s APNO, and it’s supreme healing powers for sore nipples.