Breastfeeding woes: a family physician’s approach

Abstract

A 26-year-old lactating mother of a six-week-old baby attended your clinic with a three-day history of fever and a painful lump over the right breast. She had been feeding her baby every 2–3 hours via direct latching. On examination, her temperature was 38.5°C. There was a 1-cm tender breast lump at the 9 o’clock position, 2 cm away from the areola. The patient suspected that she was having an infection of the right breast and wondered if she should continue to breastfeed her baby. She was concerned whether medications were needed for her illness and if the illness and treatment would affect the quantity and quality of her breast milk.