Does a mother who has mastitis need to discontinue or interrupt breastfeeding?
Weaning should not be recommended during mastitis and may predispose the mother to developing a breast abscess. The milk is not harmful to the infant; instruct the mother to continue nursing. If the mother can tolerate feeding on the affected breast first, this is preferable. However, if this is too painful, the mother may begin on the unaffected breast until symptoms subside. The affected breast must be drained at each feeding by nursing and/or pumping. The recommendations in this publication do not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate. This content is for informational purpose only.
