So I've been struggling and struggling to nurse my twin boys. It's hellish I tell you! Who has time for it and how is it possible!?
Well, I am making some progress. Boys boys will nurse once or twice a day, not a full meal's worth but certainly more than none, which is better than nothing. I'm still expressing milk. Still pumping, although I don't know what the point is since I don't get anything. Stimulation I suppose.
Now I have a new problem though. Apart from having little time to spend on skin to skin cuddles and nursing in and fussy teethers, I have a sour boob. Yeah, you read that right, a sour boob. I do the unholy (to some) act of suckling myself in order to keep supply up and running at a nursable rate. Probably kind of gross and disturbing to most, but it works and I'm not living to please you or your idea of sanity (lol).
I did a little research and there are a couple reasons this could be. First of all, when you begin to loose your milk because of a lack of nursing, it can go a little sour as it disappears. Unfortunately if that is the reason it sucks (no pun intended) because I am trying to make the milk stay and be bountiful and I am going to extreme measures to do so. Anyways, it is one thing that can cause that sour, salty taste.
The other reason freaks me out. Mastasis, or an infection in the breast causing clogged ducts could lead to a build up of sodium in the breast, making it taste salty. Yick! This is bad because A) it's kinda gross that I've been giving my boys and taking myself (try not to puke about it, sheesh!) this infected boob juice which is disturbing and B) because I need to see a doctor about it soon.
Seeing a doctor is NOT COOL man! For a lot of reasons: I don't have health insurance, although my medicaid covers fertility and maybe I can see a doc at the health department, and because if I do see a doc and medicaide does not cover it I have to pay I dunno what for the appointment and for antibiotics. I don't have any damn money!! Third reason is that if I do take antibiotics it'll affect my birth control, which I don't feel like dealing with. And finally, how the hell do I make it to ANOTHER appointment out of the house.
Typically mastasis causes fever and so forth like any other infection, but I don't have one. Doesn't rule it out, some women can have a silent mastasis (I wonder if I'm spelling that right.). Oh joy! And then there is that hypochondriac freakoid in my head that assumes if I am infected it will enter my blood stream and head into my brain and I'll die. Not realistic, but it's crossed my mind.
Before I make the doctor call, I'll be sucking and pumping and expressing milk like crazy to improve the flow (more blech) and see if the taste returns to something a little less like butter. If not, I'll have to make the call.
How frustrating! I am finally making progress getting the boys back on the breast, and then THIS happens. When it's not one thing I swear it always feels like it's another.
Here are some links about the infection and so forth I found useful, just for referrance:
It's spelled mastisis by the way :P
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mastitis/DS00678
Tells me that I also should be in pain and sore and warm and red and I am not...
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html
talks about plugged ducts vs. mastisis, blech dudes, although I wonder if maybe this is why I am always so tired lately, aside from just being worn out. I've also been nauseated...
and yeah... g'night.
Hey Des, 1st of all, don't worry about justifying your own "handling" of the situation. lol I would be surprised if the majority of lactating women did not suckle themselves at least occasionally for one reason or another. It's a fast fix for a million nursing induced problems and damn it, it's my boob and milk! WTH, if I'm not able to put a nipple in my mouth or taste the milk...isn't it kinda strange to expect the wee ones to?! =P As for the sour taste..I had a bout of mastisis just a few weeks ago and have had numerous plugged ducts over time and I dare say, you'd know. Clogged ducts are sore and you can kinda feel the spot. Best cure I've found is tons of nursing on that side, warm compresses, and massage of the swollen area. And YES, it is WAY easier to attend to this YOURSELF! The milk definately tastes funny, I've always thought it was tangy or metallic though as opposed to "sour". Now the mastisis, oh boy, THAT sucked! It wasn't enough to go to the Dr. though, cause I caught it early. My breast was Sooo tender all over, red splotches and streaks...but it said that an infection would present a fever and I didn't have one yet. So I worked on that damn thing ALL day. I sucked every drop of milk out of it constantly, light massage, (only nursed Daniel on the other side cause he was just too painful)..The next day it was alot better and by the 2nd day, Viola..perfect boob! LOL I will say tho, that the milk tasted like stale beer!!! WTH?! If you have no pain, I don't know if you have either of these issues. If it is your supply dropping, I say just keep doing what your doing!! And ALOT more! Crap, If they aren't nursing you have too. If your supply is up, maybe they will get more interested. I went through almost 3 wks with him a few months ago where he refused my left breast completely, no good reason, so I just gave him the other and kept that one going myself. I would just tell you to drink LOTS of fluids and keep working on that side. Screw the pump, it's only good if you are trying to fill a bottle. You can stimulate WAY better yourself.
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