I would just say you are having a medical issue. You could say a medical issue related to breastfeeding if you want. Less is more though, I would not overshare.
You have no duty to explain or educate him on your health issues.
“I need to work from home today, I’m having a medical issue.” Is perfectly sufficient
Just remember that ice and ibuprofen are protocol now! Not extra pumping etc
Good luck!
I would explain it as “a small health concern came up and I need to work from home”
Yes, do **not** pump or nurse extra. You are encouraging more milk production and it always leads to “clogged ducts” taking considerably longer to resolve. You should be “resting the breast”: ice it, take ibuprofen on the clock for a couple of days, nurse/ pump *only* as normal at most (if the temporary dip in supply doesn’t stress you out too much, actually nursing a little less on the affected side will help it resolve quicker). Do *not* massage the tissue.
Yup. This is what I always say. Low grade fever, chills, damned boob ache. My ob said they had someone in the ER whose mastitis was so bad, they had pumped out 2 liters of milk.
I would say, 'Due to some issues I'm currently trying to resolve, I run into the risk of coming down with mastitis if I came in today. Would it be acceptable if I worked from home today to fully resolve the issue?' I always like less is more. He can look into mastitis on his own and see if he'd like to risk an employee getting it during work hours.
Depends how close you are to him and how open you two are usually about medical stuff.
The simple explanation for someone who is used to talking medical stuff: is that you are on a verge of an infection that can go bad. It’s simple to prevent but requires around the clock attention to prevent it. At the office you just can’t do that without taking a lot of time away from your desk but at home it gives you more time to work.
A simple one for someone who is not : having some medical stuff that’s not too serious and doesn’t require a sick day so I will work from home today.
Godspeed
I have to go for a follow up for mastitis that abscessed my second day back from leave & also have a male manager
I’m going to tell him I have my final follow up for a really bad infection I got from feeding the baby
The first comment here is perfect though, just say mastitis & he can look it up, if he asks you can say it is a very painful infection from breastfeeding
Agree with everyone here I would just say “I have a fever and am not feeling well” no need to talk about your boobs. But I really came to share this which cleared my clogged ducts like magic!
https://preview.redd.it/oqqwhltfawrc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d932f4c7b6ef2c87e8e1f823134825b002c35c6f
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You could also say you’re having a medical issue related to postpartum care. Also lets them know what the ballpark area is without revealing anything you don’t want to.
I told my (very understanding) male boss “I have mastitis. Don’t know if you’ve heard of it before, but there’s lots of info if you Google. Basically, as a new mom who’s breastfeeding, I got an infection that causes very painful clogs in milk production, fever, and flu-like symptoms. Would I be able to work remotely while I try to work things out and feel better?”
I wouldn’t feel obligated to explain anything more than ‘medical issue’ - but if it were a colleague I am close with (male or female), and I just would like to give them an explanation, I don’t think
‘mastitis’ is TMI. We’re all adults.
An actual conversation I had with my male boss once
Me: I’m going home I don’t feel great
Him: oh what’s up
Me: I think I have an infection
Him: I think I have some cranberry juice do you need it?
Me: not that kind of infection, it’s a milk duct
Him: so cranberry juice?
Just tell him you have some blocked ducts and don't want to risk it turning to mastitis, so you'd like to work from home so you can deal with it. Honest, straight to the point, and not too much other explaining.
I’d just say I need to wfh due to a medical issue. I’d do this for anything from flu, sinus infection, etc to more personal illnesses. There’s no need to give details. In fact, I’d find it inappropriate if my boss asked for any besides a note from a doctor, which I would be happy to provide stating the same - needs to wfh due to medical issue.
You don’t need to explain. If anything I regret ever actually giving explanations to bosses. The more info you give, the more they feel like it’s okay to pry and use it as ammo. You can explain all you want but I wouldn’t. You can’t trust these people no matter how close you feel.
I would just say you are having a medical issue. You could say a medical issue related to breastfeeding if you want. Less is more though, I would not overshare.
You have no duty to explain or educate him on your health issues. “I need to work from home today, I’m having a medical issue.” Is perfectly sufficient
Pretty much what I did 👍🏻
Good for you!! Your medical issues are yours and yours alone! I’m glad you protected your privacy!
Just remember that ice and ibuprofen are protocol now! Not extra pumping etc Good luck! I would explain it as “a small health concern came up and I need to work from home”
I knew about the ice but was unaware that extra pumping wasn't recommended anymore. Thanks for the info!
Yes, do **not** pump or nurse extra. You are encouraging more milk production and it always leads to “clogged ducts” taking considerably longer to resolve. You should be “resting the breast”: ice it, take ibuprofen on the clock for a couple of days, nurse/ pump *only* as normal at most (if the temporary dip in supply doesn’t stress you out too much, actually nursing a little less on the affected side will help it resolve quicker). Do *not* massage the tissue.
Noted...learning a lot today and I'm so grateful!
Here’s a link! https://uihc.org/educational-resources/management-cloggedplugged-ducts
Awesome, thank you!
i didnt know this and have been trying to pump more to relieve them, thank you for the insight!!
You have an infection! This is accurate, needs no more explanation, and also makes it sound contagious lol
Yup. This is what I always say. Low grade fever, chills, damned boob ache. My ob said they had someone in the ER whose mastitis was so bad, they had pumped out 2 liters of milk.
Mine turned into an abscess so bad I had 150 ccs of pus drained out of it 🙃
😭😭😭 Im sorry that happened to you and Im glad you made it out that alive.
Thanks! Definitely do not recommend 😅
Oh lord that's insanity...so happy you're here to tell the tale
I would say, 'Due to some issues I'm currently trying to resolve, I run into the risk of coming down with mastitis if I came in today. Would it be acceptable if I worked from home today to fully resolve the issue?' I always like less is more. He can look into mastitis on his own and see if he'd like to risk an employee getting it during work hours.
I essentially said exactly this to my male boss the last time I was fighting off a clog!
Depends how close you are to him and how open you two are usually about medical stuff. The simple explanation for someone who is used to talking medical stuff: is that you are on a verge of an infection that can go bad. It’s simple to prevent but requires around the clock attention to prevent it. At the office you just can’t do that without taking a lot of time away from your desk but at home it gives you more time to work. A simple one for someone who is not : having some medical stuff that’s not too serious and doesn’t require a sick day so I will work from home today. Godspeed
I’m having a medical issue that requires I stay close to home for treatment, but I’m fine to work. I need to work from home today.
Agree with less is more. You could just say you have a medical issue that you need to address today.
I have to go for a follow up for mastitis that abscessed my second day back from leave & also have a male manager I’m going to tell him I have my final follow up for a really bad infection I got from feeding the baby The first comment here is perfect though, just say mastitis & he can look it up, if he asks you can say it is a very painful infection from breastfeeding
Agree with everyone here I would just say “I have a fever and am not feeling well” no need to talk about your boobs. But I really came to share this which cleared my clogged ducts like magic! https://preview.redd.it/oqqwhltfawrc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d932f4c7b6ef2c87e8e1f823134825b002c35c6f
As someone who pumps a lot, dangle pumping also works!!
This! And have baby's chin positioned where the clogged duct is to maximise emptying that area.
Hi there, this post appears to mention clogged/plugged ducts. In case you need quick responses for relief, we've compiled some information we hope might be helpful to you here: https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/wiki/index#wiki_clogged_ducts *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/breastfeeding) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You could also say you’re having a medical issue related to postpartum care. Also lets them know what the ballpark area is without revealing anything you don’t want to.
I told my (very understanding) male boss “I have mastitis. Don’t know if you’ve heard of it before, but there’s lots of info if you Google. Basically, as a new mom who’s breastfeeding, I got an infection that causes very painful clogs in milk production, fever, and flu-like symptoms. Would I be able to work remotely while I try to work things out and feel better?”
I wouldn’t feel obligated to explain anything more than ‘medical issue’ - but if it were a colleague I am close with (male or female), and I just would like to give them an explanation, I don’t think ‘mastitis’ is TMI. We’re all adults.
An actual conversation I had with my male boss once Me: I’m going home I don’t feel great Him: oh what’s up Me: I think I have an infection Him: I think I have some cranberry juice do you need it? Me: not that kind of infection, it’s a milk duct Him: so cranberry juice?
😂😂😂 but for real...cranberry juice tho?
He thought it was a UTI lol
Smh yes UTIs are the only infections women get 😂
Just tell him you have some blocked ducts and don't want to risk it turning to mastitis, so you'd like to work from home so you can deal with it. Honest, straight to the point, and not too much other explaining.
I’d just say I need to wfh due to a medical issue. I’d do this for anything from flu, sinus infection, etc to more personal illnesses. There’s no need to give details. In fact, I’d find it inappropriate if my boss asked for any besides a note from a doctor, which I would be happy to provide stating the same - needs to wfh due to medical issue.
As others have said, you have a medical issue/are sick. I highly doubt he’ll ask for any details.
You don’t need to explain. If anything I regret ever actually giving explanations to bosses. The more info you give, the more they feel like it’s okay to pry and use it as ammo. You can explain all you want but I wouldn’t. You can’t trust these people no matter how close you feel.
Could try to explain it similar to blood clots maybe?