Mastitist and deciding to not BF

I went to ER and i have Mastitis, the pain was so terrible that it started radiating in my back and i couldnt left my right arm.  I had switched to nursing DD at night when i went bacxk to work(she is7 months now. So i was deciding not to BF any more but i wasnt sure when would be a good time, since i have mastitis and the medication that im on the ER dr told me to pump and dump for the next 10 days, so i figured this would be a good time to stop BF.  My question is does the  mastitis go away from the antibiotics or do i need to pump, I was hopn by me not pumping my supply would dry up and the mastitis would clear up from the antibiotics.  What should i be doing so they other breast dont get mastitis,  I have on 2 bras to keep boobs snug.  Any suggestions

[AnnieBrooke]

Mastitis is an infection.  It does seem like pumping and dumping would be better than just letting the milk sit in the ducts, since milk is a great medium for growing bacteria.  But you wouldn't have to pump as much as you would to feed a child.  I hope you get a better and more comprehensive answer than this from some other poster!  Also, try posting over in the breastfeeding forum on this site.  Good luck!

[waitingwithhope]

   Mastitis is really awful, I feel for you. It is very important to completely empty the breast and that is why pumping and dumping will work. It also works to clear out any clogs too and you can set the breast pump to a comfortable level. Mastitis usually starts as an obstruction to the milk flow and then when the milk has not been removed it goes onto being an infection or the formation of an abscess. It also can be germs that from the baby's mouth,nose or throat into a clogged milk duct. The key is to empty the breasts right now as much as possible, get as much bed rest as you can, make sure you are eating properly and get others to help you out too. After the infection dies down, then you can go back to slowly reducing your supply and stopping breastfeeding. Now would not be the time to stop cold turkey, it'll make your symptoms worse, but when you are over the infection, reduce your pumping and dumping and your breasts should heal up nicely. The other things too that have helped me is a warm compress or warm shower/bath before you pump, massaging the breasts and ibuprofen. You'll feel a ton better too when the antibiotics kick in- make sure you take them for the full course and if you don't feel better, make certain that the doc gives you another round.