How I heal mastitis quickly and naturally

The dreaded mastitis. I remember my first time. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like shit; chills, headache, aches, I couldn’t sleep at all. I assumed I’d somehow caught the flu. I laid awake in misery all night. It only continued the next day. But I hadn’t been around anyone sick, hadn’t been to any crowded places where I could’ve picked it up, I hadn’t even felt any symptoms until the middle of the night. It didn’t make sense.

Then I had a lightbulb moment. An intuitive whisper.

What if this is mastitis?

I googled the symptoms: chills, fever, fatigue, flu-like symptoms.

Yup. But what I didn’t have was a swollen, red, and painful breast. I’d noticed a very minor clogged duct right before going to sleep, but it was barely swollen, easily ignored.

No fair! I had hours, mere hours before a minor clogged duct turned into full-blown mastitis.

I felt AWFUL. Miserable. Dizzy, achy, freezing then burning up. I could barely get out of bed, and the thought of momming all day seemed daunting.

I looked up how to heal mastitis, everything I saw said to get antibiotics ASAP. But I didn’t want to take antibiotics. Then, I looked deeper. I found an article explaining that some people were far more likely to get mastitis than others. Those who

1. Had a c-section

2. Tested positive for strep-B

Check check. Why did these things contribute to mastitis likelihood?? One word: antibiotics.

When you get a c-section, you have to get antibiotics before-hand. When you test positive for strep B, you have to get antibiotics every four hours you’re in labor. So I got at least 3-4 doses while I was in the hospital.

Before that, it had been years since I’d taken antibiotics. I’d never take them unless it was super necessary. Why? Because they destroy your gut microbiome. And it turns out, your breasts have their own microbiome, and when that microbiome has the bomb of antibiotics thrown into it (or four bombs) it severely throws off the delicate balance. Normally, this wouldn’t matter so much, but when your body is working overtime to produce milk from your blood, this microbiome balance is vital. Antibiotics unfortunately destroy the good along with the bad, completely throwing off this balance.

I was bummed when I tested positive for strep B for this exact reason, and it sucked to be reminded, by feeling like shit, that all of the antibiotics had seriously impacted my body.

So, naturally, I wanted nothing to do with anymore antibiotics. Especially when mastitis can be a recurring thing (more and more antibiotics?! No thanks).

Instead, I did what I usually do. I researched natural alternatives to heal myself with.

I already knew garlic as a powerful natural medicine; antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, etc. So I got some garlic supplements to take, and tried to throw extra garlic into my food wherever possible. I tried eating a clove raw, but found out the hard way some stomachs (like mine) are not too keen on raw garlic.

I also made myself a pot of tea with lots of honey in it, another natural medicine.

I started to feel better. But unfortunately I’d waited too long. I’d had mastitis for almost two full days before realizing what it was and doing anything about it. I was still fighting it off a week later. But during this time, I decided it was as good a time as any to make a natural remedy I’d seen online. I’d been wanting to try it, but I guess I’d never had the proper motivation.

Nature’s antibiotic: fermented honey garlic.

Simple, if time consuming. You just peel a bunch of garlic cloves, drop them in a mason jar and cover them with raw honey. Then, let them ferment. Flip the jar every so often, and open it here and there to let it breathe. You can take it immediately (which I did), but it takes a week or so to ferment and reach its full potency. You’ll see the bubbles forming, notice the honey reaching a thinner consistency, and a more garlicky flavor. I love the taste, I’d eat a spoonful a couple of times a day (better than any cough syrup on the market), and even use it on sandwiches too.

A couple of weeks later (after overcoming the infection), I started to feel freezing, chilled to the bone, in the middle of the night. And I couldn’t sleep. I laid in bed and thought “Shit! This is what the beginning of mastitis felt like last time!”

So I dragged my ass out of bed and went straight for the honey garlic I’d made.

I still felt a little sick in the morning, but nowhere near the last time. I started taking my natural remedies throughout the day to help my body fight it off before it became full-blown.

Instead of lasting a week and a half like the first time, I was over it in two days. AND it never reached the level of misery it had the first time.

This has happened once or twice more since (feeling symptoms, taking natural medicine, overcoming it quickly), so now I know exactly what to do when I start to feel the chills. When I take these remedies right at the first signs, it never turns into full-blown mastitis. So, here are my natural remedies to fight off mastitis:

1. Honey garlic. It’s a great idea to make some now to have later. It’s amazing for fighting off other infections too. Even if you make it and start taking it the same day, it will still help. To fight off an infection, I’d take a spoonful every few hours or whenever you remember.

2. More garlic. Garlic supplements will do if you don’t like the taste. Just keep taking it until you feel back to 100%. Don’t stop taking it when you start feeling some relief, you want to make sure the infection is wiped out. Same as the honey garlic, take it every few hours.

3. Sunflower lecithin. This is a necessary supplement for any breastfeeding Mama fo keep on hand. It’s used for clogged ducts, which lead to mastitis. So if you can clear the clogged duct before it turns into mastitis, that’s the move. But if you have mastitis, take this until the duct is no longer clogged/swollen. I’ve heard that it’s not the best for your gut/microbiome so don’t overdo it, but this one is a must.

4. Probiotics. I started taking probiotics every day to rebuild my microbiome. This way my body can eventually come back into balance and naturally fight off these infections (or at least become less prone to them). It’s also a great idea to eat kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, drink kombucha, all the probiotics you can get.

5. Listen to your body. Once I learned the early signs and symptoms of mastitis and what it felt like in my body, I made sure to pay attention and listen the moment I started to feel them. Because it comes on so quickly, being in tune with your body is so important in preventing it from going nuclear. The earlier you catch it and start taking these natural remedies, the easier it will be for your body to fight it off.

6. Prioritize your self-care. Now here’s where I’ll focus less on your body, and more on your mental and emotional health (which does significantly impact your physical). I have a life-changing book recommendation, it’s called Heal Your Body A-Z by Louise L. Hay. It contains an index of “the mental causes for physical illness and the way to overcome them.” For mastitis and other breast problems, it lists the cause as “a refusal to nourish the self.” This resonated for me at the time as I imagine it can for many new mothers. I was so focused on feeding and protecting my son that I could easily forget or put aside my needs. I have found when I listen to and acknowledge the wisdom in this book, addressing thought patterns that contribute to recurring physical ailments, I no longer struggle with them.

   
   

It makes sense to me that when we forget or push aside our needs, or get run down, tired, stressed, and don’t give ourselves enough rest. we get sick! Our bodies force us to rest and take care of ourselves when we don’t listen to them. We have to prioritize our wellness in order to best prioritize our family’s. You can’t give from an empty cup.

Since learning this lesson, and slowly but surely improving my self-care, I’ve had zero brushes with mastitis (knock on wood). After 3-4 instances one after another, I was worried it would be a regular thing! I still have my fermented honey garlic just in case, and maybe after taking probiotics daily for months my microbiome has recovered, but I think prioritizing self-care definitely plays a major role. All that to say, please take care of yourselves Mamas!

Well that’s my take on mastitis and natural healing! I hope it can help you if you have struggled or are yet to struggle with mastitis, or that it inspires you to follow your gut, listen to your body, and look towards natural remedies. Sometimes they can be more effective and less harmful when used correctly!

I am not a doctor or medical professional. I’m just sharing my personal beliefs and experiences!

Mastitis was one of the worst ailments I’d had in a long time, it felt like a terrible flu that came on as quick as a cold sore! If you are a Mama who has struggled with mastitis, or you know any lovely Mamas or Mamas to be, please share this to help them!