How to unclogged a milk duct while breastfeeding?

Hi A.,

I am breastfeeding twins. I have had two plugged ducts on the same side and I have been nursing for three months. What worked for me was very warm showers and massaging the area during your shower. Heating pads also help and pumping and nursing as much as you can. I wasn't able to put chin to duct just because I'm nursing two and it is a little hard to manage, but I have heard that really helps. Motrin was a lifesaver as well. I took a dose before bedtime after a warm shower and a pumping and woke up both mornings and the situation had worked itself out. I agree with other statements though that you shouldn't let it go too long. If you start to feel flu-ish definitely call your doctor.

1 mom found this helpful

breastfeed as much as u can on the affected breast. you can also put on cabbage leaves and change them when they wilt gdd luck and call a lactation consultant for more info. you can call abington memorial hospital and talk to the breastfeeding department to link you to one.

I experienced the same thing before too. You are doing everything that I know of to treat it. I wouldn't let it go too long though. If what you're trying does not resolve this shortly, I would contact your doctor or lactation consultant.

The one other thing that I remember is to have the baby nurse so that their nose is angled toward the lump. I think the baby is a more efficient nurser and I think the angle will help empty that particular duct.

If my memory serves me wrong someone say so...it has been a few years.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

Hi A.!
Sorry to hear you're experiencing a plugged duct -- it is very uncomfortable, painful, and just plain annoying!
It looks like you have received a lot of great advice from a lot of other mamas! There was just one thing I thought of that I didn't see -- put cold cabbage leaves on your breast in the area where you feel it is plugged.
Just put the cold cabbage in your bra. Very cold!!! -- but it works! The cabbage is supposed to draw any infection (plugged duct or turning into mastitis) out of the breast.
Massaging with oil in a hot shower also worked for me... I saw that a lot of women mentioned this, as well.
Rest up, and I hope it clears up soon!
S. :)

Ugh, Plugged ducts can be sooo painful. You are doing all the right things to get the little bugger to unplug. In addition start feeding your baby on the plugged side each feeding, even though it might not be the side your supposed to start with. The suction of your hungry baby is more vigorous and will help to suck out the plug. Also place a hot wet wash cloth on the affected area right before feeding. My plugged ducts usually last about 24 hours or so. If you start to get feverish rest assured you have mastitis. Your ob should call you in an antibiotic and you'll be just fine.

A.,
I'm sorry this is happening to you, plugged ducts can be very frustrating and painful. It sounds like you are doing the right things and have already gotten a lot of good suggestions. When I was nursing my kids I was a little prone for plugged ducts and have a few more things to add, all of which I learned at La Leche League meetings.

The first is that plugged ducts are often an early warning sign that you are not getting enough rest and taking good enough care of yourself. I think this probably could be said about any mother with two small children, and is probably the hardest thing to fix, but it is something to keep in mind. When I was still nursing I shamelessly used plugged ducts as an excuse to ask for a little help so I could rest. If there was anyway I could arrange it I spent part of a day in bed with the baby, just taking care of the two of us, that usually worked really well for me to clear things up quickly. When I had two little ones that changed to really just doing the absolute bare minimum required to keep us all safe and healthy for that day or even that afternoon. The few times I got mastitis, both with my first child I was of no real use to anyone because it was like having a very bad case of the flu. When I had two little ones depending on me I was more prone to plugged ducts and really scared of getting that sick again. I really think taking that time to rest and take care of myself really saved us all a lot of suffering.

Another suggestion that sounds really weird, but worked really well, was to nurse on all fours with my breasts hanging over the baby or in another position where gravity was really working in my favor. This was very strange and not something I would have ever done at any other time, but sometimes it offered very quick relief. When I had to pump at work leaning over would usually get things flowing much faster, so I suspect it worked the same way with the baby attached. You could try it either way.

One last thing is nurse on the breast with the problem first and often. Your baby is far more effective at removing milk from your breast than any machine!

Good luck and I hope you are feeling better soon.
K. L.

Hi! I've been there, and my best advice, along with all the other good things you are trying, is to take LONG hot showers. Everyone mentions the shower thing, but for me, if I stayed in the shower a long time with my sore breast under the stream, all the time massaging the breast, it was the only thing that really did the trick. And I don't just mean massaging, but actually squeezing the breast to get the milk out. Keep massaging and squeezing out the milk for as long as it takes, and eventually that lump will be gone. I always hated wasting all that milk that would disappear down the shower drain, but it would replenish itself in a hurry!

Best wishes!

Hi A., I'm no expert having only nursed one of my three..but I too had a plugged duct and it is painful! My dr told me to put hot, moist compresses (hot wet washcloth) on it for a couple of days before/after I nursed and it did clear up. FYI when I got old enough to do the mamogram thing I had a shadow (and still do) in that exact spot! So remember where it is and if you have a shadow there and they want to take a closer look (a cone in xray) don't panic! Best wishes.

Your baby is an awesome unplugger. My lactation consultant told me to use the football hold, and it helped right away! Also, she said use nursing positions you don't normally use to keep things stirred up. Angling chin and nose toward lump can also help. For me, the football hold unblocked a plug I had fro 4 painful days. Good luck!

Hello. I know this sound strange but put a cabbage leave in your bra when you are not nursing. I didn't believe it either but had several bouts of clogged ducts and figured, it couldn't hurt and boy, did it help. Leave it in there until it wilts and put another one. It is so totally worth the $1 or 2 you spend on the cabbage. Good luck! -N. J

I got a few plugged ducts both times I was breastfeeding my girls. What worked for me was soaking the breast in very warm water and then inspecting the nipple for a plug. They seem to be more visible after soaking. Look very closely for a white spec the size of a pin point. It is very tiny. If you can find this and remove it gently with your very clean finger, you'll open the duct. I'm not aware of anyone else who has been able to do this other than me, but it works like a charm. Each time after I removed the white plug my breast started to shoot milk - it was instant relief.
I did speak with my obgyn about it and she recommended all of the things the people here have posted. It is very uncomfortable, so good luck. Don't let it go too long. If it gets red and warm, and you feel flu-like, call your doc.

The one thing that always helped me was starting my son out on the breast with the plugged duct and also, try to position your son's chin near the plugged duct. This tends to massage the area and help unblock it more quickly. Good Luck!

sounds like you are doing all the right things. I have had mastitis on 4 occasions. All similar sitations, never any red streaking. Once double.
It is good to check with your dr. as there comes a point that an infection can be very worrisome.

If you can, could you try to contact a local LaLacheLeague Leader and see if there is a leader who can help better advise you so you know if or when to contact your dr. and be safe.

I hope you feel better quickly.

What worked for me was positioning my baby's chin on the lump while nursing. It was a VERY strange angle for him, but I was in bed and he was well supported with pillows and my arms but IT WORKED QUICKLY!!!! I moved him around a little to get it just right.
I have also used the hot shower while massaging and it worked one time but with more tenderness aftreward than with the nursing trick.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Hi A.,

Massage your breasts as he nurses.

Contact your local la leche league representative

www.llli.org

Hope this helps. D.

I pumped for 5 months for my son and got plugged ducts all the time. I used a long tube sock filled with oatmeal or rice and microwaved it to make it hot/warm. This helped a little. Then, I finally found Lecithin. It is a capsule of oil that I took daily. I think it basically makes your milk easier to flow (less sticky). It worked like a charm. If you google Lecithin plugged ducts you'll find lots of info out there. I had to get it at a Vitamin shop. Hope this helps.

I had this problem when I had my son. I was told to soak my breast in hot water (you can do that in the tub) Also, my grand mother told me to use tea bags. It helped me. I hope it helps.

L.