Today is deliciously cool. The pouring rain, thunder, lightning, and even some hail woke us up early this morning. I relished in the cool air coming in our window and snuggled up close to Jared. Miriam slept peacefully on my other side. I also relished in the fact that my entire body wasn't aching. I didn't have a fever. My breast didn't feel on fire when I touched it. A much more pleasant awakening than I experienced two days ago.
Saturday morning I woke up in a feverish aching chill. My whole body hurt. I was cold and then hot. My right breast hurt when I nursed. I feared I had finally encountered something I'd heard nightmare stories about from friends but had never experienced myself in more than two years of breastfeeding--mastitis. I went into the bathroom and turned on the light to see if my breast was red. It wasn't. I took some ibuprofen and went back to bed. When I woke up I felt better but I knew it was just the ibuprofen at work. I was very tired though. I took a nap but woke up and showered for a lunch out with some friends that was already planned. When I got out of the shower I saw that my right breast was indeed red now. Sigh.
I made it through the lunch but pretty much collapsed soon after getting home. I put a warm compress on my breast. The medication had worn off and I was back to feeling feverish and aching. I slept on and off all afternoon. I could barely wake up to eat dinner. And only ate a few bites. I couldn't remember ever feeling so terrible. At 9 pm I took some more ibuprofen so that I could sleep restfully.
Sunday I woke up feeling much better. Jared's cousin who just got home from his mission was speaking in Church so Jared really wanted to go. We went and although not 100% I felt quite good. When we got home I rested and did more hot and cold compresses. Jared ran to the store and got some cabbage and garlic and tea. I swallowed as much raw garlic as I could handle, hung out with cabbage leaves and an ice pack on my breast, and drank echinacea tea. And of course nursing as much as possible. I'm doing more of the same today and resting as much as I can. I'm going to go take a hot shower now while the babies are sleeping.
Mastitis is not fun at all. I'm so grateful I haven't had to suffer from it before and that I seem to be healing rather quickly without antibiotics. (
kellymom.com has good info on non-antibiotic treatment) I really didn't want to have to take antibiotics because they make it much easier to get thrush which is a beast to get rid of. I guess this is just my body telling me to rest up a bit more. It's hard to remember that when there is always so much to be done. I don't think I always realize how draining it is to be nursing two little ones. They require a lot of me. Just ask my husband. There's not a whole lot left for him these days.
But doesn't this face make it all worth it?
