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According to Jenny Buck, La Leche League leader, “It is also common with older babies if there is a sudden increase in the length of time between feeds, such as if a baby starts sleeping longer through the night or their mother goes back to work and can’t pump frequently enough.”

What can I do?

If your breasts are engorged but not infected (i.e. you have swollen, painful and lumpy breasts but no fever, fu-like symptoms or pus and blood in your milk), then the below home remedies are very effective. If you do have signs of an infection – “especially if your symptoms have not improved after 24 hours and/or you have a fever over 38.4C/101F,” according to Jenny – call a doctor immediately because you might need antibiotics. Mastitis left untreated can lead to a breast abscess that requires antibiotics and surgery.

Some mothers are well and truly ready to throw the towel in now. After all, big, swollen, lumpy dairy pillows are not quite what we signed up for when we decided to give our babies the good stuff. But now’s not the time to give up breastfeeding. Empty the infected breast out as much as possible to clear the infection, be it through nursing, expressing or both.

Jenny explains, “Continuing to breastfeed during mastitis is not only safe and good for your baby, but the best cure for you. Weaning when you have mastitis will make the condition worse and risk an abscess developing, which would require surgery, so it’s important that your affected breast is well drained. Take your baby to bed with you if you are feeling feverish and/or exhausted.”

She continues, “If your baby is having trouble latching on to the affected side due to engorgement, it may help

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