Breastfeeding - Pluged Duct Tips?

Hi R.: Sounds like a clogged duct! My lactation consultant says you should position baby's chin toward the area that is causing pain. Babies suck with the strongest force, hopefully drawing out the "clog". Also, when I have problems, I take Niacin, which helps to thin your milk. Hope you feel better soon!

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Hi. The best things you can do for plugged ducts are hot compresses, massaging the area, even while the baby nurses (I know it hurts!) and nursing frequently. Get plenty of rest, too. If you start to get chilled and feverish, it may have moved into an infection, so be aware of that, too! Good luck.

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I don't really have any new advice other than what was given, but Oh, do I feel your pain. Just be careful as the one mom said and if you feel achy and/or feverish GO TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. I got mastitis once and you think you're in pain now... OMGoodness....don't let it get that far... Good luck.

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Great tips already. My only other suggestion would be double check his latch. With new teeth he may not be opening wide enough and getting a correct suction all the way around. Keep up with the heat and massage. I really like the marking the area with the sharpie idea.

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DO NOT USE CABBAGE LEAVES!! It will make you dry up!

NURSE that baby - a LOT! Put his chin toward the lump and 'massage' the milk toward his mouth. Nurse him on that side first when he is hungry and make sure he empties that breast before switching sides. Try taking a hot shower right before nursing to loosen it up a bit.

If it is mastasis (sp?), the area will be warm or hot, red, inflamed, and very painful.

Blessings to you, R.!

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This sounds bizarre,but when I had a clogged duct, I layed the baby on the floor, leaned over her and nursed while massaging the lump. After one or two times it was gone.

I would recommend doing this when no one else is home,it looks funny :) :)

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I would suggest massaging the area while you express milk, preferrably with an electric pump. I have had this happen plenty of times after going too long in between feedings, I always use my pump (medela pump in style) for a little longer than a normal feeding would last and that has always taken care of the problem right away.

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You are doing the right things. Massage helps as well, and you may need to express some milk by hand and/or pump from that duct if you can. Warm washcloths or shower may help open it. See your doctor if you notice red lines, or if you develop a fever. Good luck!

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Hi R.,

You are doing everything that I know is recommended for a clogged duct. I would get a wash cloth or shower water as hot as I could and then really need to massage aggressively...it can hurt, but it helps. Usually a couple days of that and you should be okay. Also the added nursing and pumping after the heat and massage can help too. Hope this helps :)

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All good responses, but I had a tidbit to add. In addition to warm compresses, nursing and massaging, my midwife recommended I take a garlic supplement while trying to get rid of a plugged duct with baby #2.

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When I used to get plugged ducts, I would drink tons of water, use warm compresses, nurse as much as possible and massage the spot that is plugged while I was nursing and then once my daughter was finished nursing (even if I felt empty) I'd pump out the rest and continue to massage. Not sure if this is happening to you, but sometimes when I would be nursing, I'd loose where the plugged duct was and would be unsure of the place to massage, so I just took a sharpie marker and marked the spot! :) Usually I could get the lump out within a feeding or two. Hope it works for you! I know that hurts!

Take care,
H.

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Nurse, nurse, nurse, massage, then nurse some more. Nurse on that side first every time. Your baby is the best way to draw out the clog. I know how painful these things are. I'm sitting at my desk right now with one and used to get them often with my first baby. Nursing is really the quickest way to get rid of them. Pumping will help when you don't have your baby around, but nursing works best. I would massage before you nurse each time to help try to get the milk flowing. Also, try to nurse using a different hold than you normally use. Sometimes just changing the baby's position allows for the baby to massage your brest while he nurses and this can draw out the clog. Good luck. These things are painful! If the pain gets too bad, try taking something (tylenol or something) to help.

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Pump, nurse, massage and repeat until the plug is released. Otherwise, it will become painful. Good luck!

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R.,
I feel your pain! I went through this with my first and tried many remedies. I found that soaking in a warm tub worked best for me. I'd fill the jacuzzi tub as high as I could and sit with a washcloth covering the area. I also used warm heat - put a warm washcloth in a plastic bag and place the heating pad on top. If you could do that right before nursing it might even help more. Also, try massaging the area before nursing - it's a little painful but might help move or dissolve the clotted area. Good luck to you and hope you're feeling better soon.

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I have breastfed my three children for acombined five years, only had that problem once and was told to put a cabbage leaf in my bra and it would draw out the obstruction, it did... grain of sand. good luck

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If your breast continues to hurt & you suddenly feel like you have the flu (chills, body aches), call your doctor right away b/c it is probably a breast infection--the longer you wait, the worse it gets, but it's very treatable. Good luck, I hope it goes away & is not an infection!

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i actually came down with mastitis a couple weeks ago and it was awful. i had a large marble sized lump right off the edge of my areola and i got this giant red ring around it. omg it hurt! i work part time with a wellness company and just out of sheer desperation i decided to try an ear ache recipe they have that i had used before on the mastitis and it helped a TON. just take some tea tree oil, put a couple drop onto some damp paper towels in the bottom of a coffee cup, the microwave it for 20 seconds. lean your breast into the cup and just sit. the steam and oil will help. i cant give any scientific reason why, but it helped me! i dont know if you are into the natural side of things at all, but if you are, go to http://www.PerfectWorkForMoms.com to get some info on how we work. I only work with them part-time, but i love it because of all the natural recipes and things that they have like that!

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Nurse, nurse, nurse! Best way to get 'Unplugged'. I also suggest a nice warm shower (little bit on the hot side) to help with loosen things up. You've got a lot of great advice so far. Good luck...time for me to nurse my lil munchkin!

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Hot showers/compresses and massaging the area really helped me...definitely keep up with the nursing!!!

put a cabbage leaf in your bra

It's been awhile since I breastfed or had breastfeeding issues, but I wanted to share a tip for what did when I needed heat on my breast. I used hot tap water from the faucet and filled one of my sons disposable diapers, (which can surprisingly hold a lot of water without leaking) and it cupped right around my breast perfectly. To me it worked much better than a heating pad.