AboutSally Wendkos Olds Expertise What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good
for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s
related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to
overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF
BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200
articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible
advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition.
I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009.
I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials
I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
Question i have a tender spot under my left nipple and it looks inflamed and is very painful to the touch to include the under side of the nipple. unfortunately it also is my most producing. it also hurts whenever my nipple is stimulated and is making my body achy almost throbbing. i don't have a fever but im sweating more. its so painful to feed my 6 week old. i've just been pumping the last two days because its not as painful and i go back to work this week. could this be an infection?
Answer Dear Sarah,
First, congratulations for giving your baby the best start in life by breastfeeding. I'm sorry to hear about the problem you're having now. It does sound like an infection, so I'm attaching an excerpt from my book (see below). I hope it's helpful -- and that you feel better soon.
Good luck!
Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D.
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Breast Infection (Mastitis)
When breast infections occur, they usually show up between two and six weeks after birth, but they may appear earlier or much later. A breast infection may be a complication of a clogged duct or the result of an infection carried from the baby to the mother or picked up elsewhere. The risk of infection is increased by broken skin on the nipple. Symptoms tend to appear suddenly and may include some of the following: headache, an intense localized pain, a lump that may or may not feel sore, engorgement with the breast hot and tender to the touch, redness, fever, a cracked nipple that looks infected, red streaks on the breast, the appearance of blood or pus in your milk, and a generally sick, achy, flulike feeling. If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away.
Mothers with breast infections used to be told to stop nursing immediately. We now know that breast infections clear up more quickly and with fewer complications when the mother continues to nurse, and nurses frequently, from the affected breast since breast milk itself confers immunity to various organisms. There’s no danger of the baby’s becoming ill from nursing at an infected breast; he probably harbors the same germs in his mouth and nose that may have caused the breast problem. Occasionally a baby may not nurse well at an infected breast because the milk tastes salty. If this happens, nurse from the uninfected breast and pump and discard the milk from the infected one.
Treat a breast infection right away. With treatment, the fever should drop within thirty-six to forty-eight hours, and the soreness and hardness will go away soon afterward. The usual treatment for mastitis is an antibiotic for ten to fourteen days, plus other measures, like those below. This will be safe to take while you continue to nurse. The antibiotic should be taken for its full course, even if your symptoms have gone away before then.
• Go to bed and stay there as much as you can. If you can’t stay in bed, rest as much as possible.
• Apply moist heat to the infected breast with one or more of the following: moist-heating pad, hot water bottle, hot wet towel, soaking in a basin of warm water, warm shower, or warm bath. Nurse soon after application of heat.
• Nurse frequently, as often as every two hours around the clock. This will keep your milk flowing, will avoid engorgement, and will drain the infected area of the breast. Be sure your baby is well positioned, and change positions so your baby is not always putting pressure at the same spot on your breast.
• Offer the sore breast first at each nursing so that it can be drained more completely.
• Be sure your bra is not too tight. Try one in the next larger size. Or try going without one, at least while you’re nursing. Also check other items that may be putting too much pressure on your breasts, like a baby carrier or a shoulder bag.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Don’t wean suddenly if you can help it, since this can contribute to an abscess, a serious and painful infection that may require surgery.
• If you suffer repeatedly from breast infection, see your doctor, especially if a lump is not reduced in size after three days of treatment, if the mastitis keeps reappearing at the same place on your breast, and/or if you have dimpling on the breast. Breast cancer is extremely rare in lactating women, but it does occasionally occur and you must have it ruled out.
• If you have been checked out for repeated breast infection and been reassured that it is not caused by a malignancy, check for other factors that may be causing the mastitis—allowing your breasts to become too full, not alternating them, improperly positioning your baby, not washing your hands well enough before nursing, using an unclean breast pump, or not getting enough rest. Change what you can and seek medical help at the first sign of infection.
