Audrey Roloff has been open about dealing with mastitis multiple times while breastfeeding her three children, but the way she handled it is raising a few eyebrows. Recently, Audrey doled out her best mastitis advice on Instagram, and fans are calling her tips dangerous.
One of Audrey's followers asked her for tips on mastitis
Though her Instagram Q&A has since expired, The Sun reports that a fan wanted to know how Audrey got through mastitis, which she has been open about suffering from several times in the past.
Mastitis happens when breast tissue becomes inflamed in women who are nursing, often leading to an infection and symptoms like fever, redness, and swelling. It can be pretty painful.
Audrey shared her tips for surviving the illness
"I had it a lot with Bode and Ember, I think I've had it like 22 times total. With Radley, I only had it twice though," she said. "I learned how to manage it naturally really, really well, and never using the antibiotics … basically curing it within two days."
This was enough to cause a bit of concern, considering the fact that antibiotics are generally the treatment that doctors prescribe for mastitis.
Audrey relied on homeopathic methods
"The main things that I do are a homeopathic duo. I take Vitalica and Belladonna. They're two homeopathic medicines and then I ice after feeds, not too much like warmth," she said. "A lot of people say, 'Do warm showers and compress,' and all of that. But you're supposed to be really gentle and not too much warmth because warmth can actually bring in more milk, which is what you don't want."
She also advised against being "too aggressive" with massaging the breasts and warned about staying away from alcohol and sugar.
Fans were angry with her recommendations
As The Sun reported, people on Reddit weren't happy about Audrey's recommendations, and some believed that might even be why her infections were so chronic — she was never actually getting rid of the problem.
Others thought she might be confusing clogged ducts with mastitis.
"As someone who has had mastitis a few times her 'treatment' infuriates me. That was the sickest I’ve ever felt and it came on so quickly. I didn’t have time to prep homeopathic remedies nor could I have physically," one person wrote.
Consulting a doctor is always best
If you're experiencing symptoms of mastitis, it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor before taking the advice of anyone on Reddit … including those who claim to have dealt with the same diagnosis many times before themselves.
Stay healthy out there, mamas. Raising babies is hard enough.
