Six Neat Things

Epocrates online is the place to get information on drugs your doctor may prescribe. It is a free web-based drug and formulary reference guide with patient education materials and additional tools. Clinicians currently have immediate access to the information needed to make prescribing decisions – such as drug dosing, drug interactions and health plan coverage.

While the website/program is designed for doctors, it’s also a great resource for consumers to find out more about their medications, including side effects, contra-indications and more. There are pill pictures to help patients correctly identify their prescribed medications. Here’s a link to the Augmentin page to get you started.

I was and am sick.

Dr. Sears on Mastitis

A breastfeeding mother who thinks she has the flu probably has mastitis. Mothers with mastitis will sometimes experience these flu-like symptoms, even before they get a fever or notice breast tenderness.

Recurrent mastitis may also mean that mother’s immune system is generally run down, because of fatigue and stress. Mastitis is a sign that you need to take a closer look at your lifestyle and breastfeeding relationship and make some adjustments.

It may be interesting to note that my breast is *not* visibly lumpy or red. It has at most, a faint pinkishness over the affected area. This is referred to as hidden mastitis. The problem with that is the woman may not realize that she does indeed have mastitis, as I did not, despite feeling run-down for quite awhile. I pump exclusively for my daughter because she will not nurse, and therefore I chronically have abrasions on the nipples, which is a really great set-up for getting mastitis. Also, since a pump is not as effective as a babe at emptying the breast, I am at more risk of plugged ducts, which is also a set-up for mastitis.

So there ya go. More than you ever wanted to know about boobs. Pretty neat disgusting, huh?

FTR, Dr. Sears is a great place to start research on anything pregnancy/parenting related. The info there is the most balanced I’ve seen anywhere.