Mom life certainly has its ups and downs. Little People, Big World alum Audrey Roloff revealed her intense struggle with mastitis following the birth of her and Jeremy Roloff‘s three children.
“I’m feeling a lot better this morning. I’m just exhausted from fighting off the mastitis, but usually, I can fight it off within 24 hours and at least get my fever to break,” Audrey, 30, shared via her Instagram Stories on Monday, November 30.
“I have had mastitis now 20 times between all three kids,” the mom of three, who gave birth to her son Radley Knight on November 11, said. The TLC alums are also mom and dad to daughter Ember Jean, 4, and their son Bode James, 1.
According to WebMD, mastitis is defined as inflammation of the breast caused by an infection after bacteria enters the breast through the nipple via a cracked or sore nipple. It can also be caused by anemia, waiting too long in between breast-feeding sessions or failing to empty the breast completely of milk. Although it can happen at any time while a mother breastfeeds, it’s most likely to start between the first two or three weeks to six months. Mastitis affects one in 10 moms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Typically, antibiotics are required to treat mastitis.
Audrey has been candid about her health both while pregnant and postpartum.
Shortly after announcing Radley’s birth on Instagram, Audrey opened up about her “severe” postpartum symptoms.
“As most of you know, if you’ve been around here when Ember and Bode were born … my milk comes in in a [fury] and is like molasses … I’ve gotten severe engorgement with all three kids within 24 hours of them being born … and I’ve struggled with reoccurring mastitis postpartum,” she said on November 10. “I’m doing all my things to fight it off, but I appreciate your prayers too.”
“You could say I’m a professional at fighting [the] beast [that is mastitis] now,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories in February 2020.
In 2018, she discussed her health after giving birth to Ember as well.
“Since delivering Ember, I struggled with mastitis on and off. I was severely engorged. On top of that, Ember had a really severe tongue- tie that we had to get surgically fixed about two or three weeks after she was born. Before that, I was having a lot of blistering and bruising,” the former reality TV star said.
Keep scrolling to learn everything we know about Audrey’s battle with mastitis.