Australian model and TV presenter Erin McNaught gave birth to her second son, Ennio Stanley, just one month ago, but the experience has been marred by a debilitating battle with mastitis, which left her in agony and required an emergency doctor’s visit last week.
Now on the mend, McNaught has written a candid Instagram post urging mothers of newborns to be aware of the risks – and warning signs – of the inflammatory breast condition, Essential Baby reports.
“My mastitis returned with a vengeance over the weekend,” McNaught begins. “I had no idea 1) how painful it can actually get and 2) how serious it can be!”
After experiencing typical flu symptoms – McNaught says she was “really achy all over, super fatigued and had a splitting headache” – the 35-year-old pushed on, convincing herself she was just a run-down new mum.
But by the Saturday, she could barely stand. “I was going downhill, fast,” she writes. “I had to get an emergency call-out doctor round to the house at 8pm who prescribed a strong antibiotic that had to be taken straightaway. If I’d left it even until the next morning, I most likely would have been hospitalised and an IV antibiotic given for 24 hours.”
“Imagine being in hospital with a new born baby, hooked up to an IV, simply because you ignored your symptoms and tried to push through,” she adds, along with a plea to all new mums: “Please, get yourself checked out! It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
McNaught’s mastitis is now under control. If you’re experiencing any difficulties breastfeeding, counselling is available 24/7 on the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s national breastfeeding helpline: 1800 686 268.
