Do I have milk fever?

QUESTION: This is my second baby to breastfeed, and she does great - feeds every 1.5 to 2 hours and is a lusty, eager eater. I have run a fever of 99 to 100 since coming home. My doctor says this is milk fever. My breasts are not engorged or painful or hot. What is milk fever and when will it go away?

Dear Carolyn,

The term "milk fever" is an outdated term that I have not heard in years. I have actually only heard it uses by vets--never by "people doctors." In fact, I looked in all my books on lactation (both for health professionals and for moms), and that term is not in ANY of them. I did finally find it in one of my old copies of "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" (1980). It says that "milk fever" is another term for plugged ducts. That is confusing, though, because it is generally accepted that a fever does not accompany plugged ducts. If there is a fever, then it is mastitis (a breast infection.) Fever can accompany the onset of lactation (especially if the breasts get engorged), and I believe that is what your doctor is referring to.

It should not still be going on though. Are you feeling sick? If you had mastitis, you would be feeling REALLY bad--tired, achey, feverish, with a sore hot breast. Women with mastitis often tell me they feel like they've been hit by a truck. That certainly doesn't sound like what you are describing. If you are feeling OK otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. Many people's body temperatures consistently run a little below or above 98.6. It could even be due to a hormonal change. I know that, during the first 6 weeks or so I was breastfeeding, I felt even hotter than I had during pregnancy. I never took my temperature, though, to see if it was elevated. If, however, you are feeling bad, then you need to have your doctor do some further tests to determine what is going on.

Congratulations on your new baby, Allison! From the weight gain, it looks like you are doing fine.

Cher Sealy RN, BSN, IBCLC, LLLL

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