God Our Healer

B/feeding mums know the drill: engorgement = fever = mastitis.

For the past 2 days, my boobs have been rock hard, lumpy and excruciatingly painful. I was struggling with b/feeding Bub as she didn't latch on properly and bit my nipples. As a result, I had to put her on formula to give my nipples a chance to heal. In desperation, bought an Ameda hand pump from the midwife who visited 2 days ago, but couldn't figure out how to work the pump the right way and felt really discouraged when I didn't get much more than 10 ml out.

Yesterday, started feeling achey and woke up in the night with a 37.4 deg fever. Ransacked the medicine closet but found only Beth's Nurofen, which I didn't dare touch in case it passed into my breast milk. And I'd used up the last of the Panadol given by the hospital! As a stop-gap measure, I used a fever band, cold towels and good ol' cabbage leaves from the chiller.

At 4+ am, woke up to express milk using my newly acquired Ameda hand pump. Decided that the best way to resolve the engorgement and fever would be to try and unblock the blocked milk ducts that were causing the problem. As I did so, sitting in semi darkness at the dining table, I was inspired to do several things: as I pumped one boob, then the other, then switched back to the first, I also massaged the painful lumps, seeking out each one and working downwards in long firm strokes.

And I prayed. I asked God for His healing and asked that He would unblock the milk ducts so that Bub can get the benefit of my milk. Was reminded of what God said in Malachi about His storehouse of riches. Applying James Allen's as-a-man-thinketh philosophy, I pictured the ducts being unblocked and the milk flowing abundantly into the pump bottle. It was hard work focusing as I get distracted easily, and imagination has never been my strong point.

And as I did those things: Pump, Massage, Pray, Visualize, the milk started to flow more easily and the lumps started disappearing, so that the boobs became slightly softer and less painful.

I also decided that I would pump every 2 hours to keep the situation under control.

This morning, my mum arrived from Singapore to stay for 2 weeks. And what did she bring with her? A stash of Panadol for all kinds of ailments: flu, muscle and joint pain, fever. :) So I'm back in supply, and hope the fever goes away soon.

A midwife from the hospital came by today and I told her about the fever and engorgement and what I'd done to manage the situation. She commended me for doing all the right things. Felt really encouraged, especially when she exclaimed that Bub has put on 120g in the last 2 days and is almost back to her birth weight.

Today, I continued with the pump-every-2-hours regime and saw the milk flow increase to 40 ml! I can only say it was divine inspiration that enabled me to get my act together.

The God who designed babies to have the best from their mothers' milk is more than able to heal engorged boobs - Praise Him! :)