The Great Birth Rebellion · Dr Melanie Jackson

Episode 192 - Mel's mastitis protocol

·50 min·5 clips

The first step in treating mastitis is to stop everything and rest, because profound exhaustion is a primary trigger.

Mel starts with what she has seen over and over. Mastitis, for her, is not an abstract topic pulled from a guideline. It is something she has dealt with across the first six postpartum weeks, through years of continuity care. She says many midwives are not closely involved once mastitis shows up outside the early hospital window, which is part of why her protocol sounds so practical and a little blunt. She names the background plainly: 18 years in full continuity midwifery, plus naturopathic training that has shaped how she works. The episode does not pretend this is the official rulebook. Mel is pretty open that the protocol is a bit rogue, built from repeated use rather than polished into a formal guideline. First comes rest. If mastitis hits after too much doing, too little sleep, or that deep postpartum exhaustion, she reads it as the body saying it cannot keep going. But rest needs a setup. Before the sick parent goes to bed, Mel wants the family told that the next 24 to 48 hours are full time personal care. Older children, house tasks, and normal demands need to move to a partner or another support person where possible. Baby stays close. Everything else gets pushed away. Then she gets very plain about fluids: water or zero sugar electrolyte drinks, kept beside the bed. She warns against artificial colours, flavours, and sugars, and keeps the instruction simple. Sip slowly. Sip often. Do not make drinking another job. By the end, she knows some listeners may argue with parts of it, and points them to the resource folder to print, mark up, or reject as needed.

As heard by us

A plainspoken mastitis routine shaped by years of clinical practice.

Dr. Melanie Jackson treats mastitis as something to get ahead of, not just endure. Drawing on 18 years as a midwife and her naturopathic training, she lays out a practical routine: rest, sleep, tell family she is ill, line up care for older children, and keep fluids by the bed.

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Why you'd press play

A mastitis plan you can follow when your body already needs a pause.

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