Prevention

To get your breast-feeding relationship with your infant off to its best start — and to avoid complications such as mastitis — consider meeting with a lactation consultant. A lactation consultant can give you tips and provide invaluable advice for proper breast-feeding techniques.

Minimize your chances of getting mastitis by following these tips:

• Fully drain the milk from your breasts while breast-feeding.
• Allow your baby to completely empty one breast before switching to the other breast during feeding.
• Change the position you use to breast-feed from one feeding to the next.
• Make sure your baby latches on properly during feedings.
• If you smoke, ask your doctor about smoking cessation.