Lump in Breast - Broken Arrow,OK

Hi A.,
I've nursed all 4 of my kids the last 2 being twins. I had clogged milk ducts several times and here is what worked for me the best. In between nursings glob on Lansinoh...use a lot and just use a breast pad so you don't get it all over your bra. Then at the next nursing you can do all those things other people have mentioned...warm moist heat, massage, positioning your baby. After nursing I would go ahead and pump to make sure you have all the milk out. For me using the lansinoh softened the milk plug and allowed it to finally dissolve and let all that backed up milk come out. Usually after a day or so of using a lot of lansinoh this would resolve. Before I did this I would almost always get mastitis and have to go on antibiotics. By the way, only use heat right before you nurse. If you use it all the time you just increase the inflammation. Cool compresses in between may be more soothing and help with swelling. I hope this works for you. It's worth a try. If you think you already have mastitis have your doc call in a prescription for you, too. Let us know what happens!
B.

Cabbage leaves are supposed to help relieve the pain of mastisis, but if it sounds like you have a pretty bad infection. I would go to the doc for some meds.

Hey A., not being an alarmist myself, i'm thinking i would at least call me dr. It would ease your mind if nothing else. Good Luck, R.

Please go to your OB/GYN to have this investigated ASAP. Get a second opinion. My very best friend in the world had the same thing happen when her daughter was 3 months old. She was told it was a blocked milk duct. It turned out to be breast cancer. She is now seven years cancer-free but not everyone is that fortunate - if you call chemotherapy, surgery and radiation lucky.

I had the same problem while nursing and had to take a diaper, wet it, microwave it and wrap it around my breast. The warm WET heat helped. I do not think it is time to worry since it came up so suddenly and it so large, but I am not a doctor and if it does not do away, see your OBGYN.

I'm no expert by any means, but in my experience with nursing my 3 boys I never had a clogged milk duct; however, I'm 2 semesters away from graduating from college as a registered nurse. That being said, I can tell you that any time you experience something abnormal going on with your body, you need to contact your doctor--in this case, your OB/GYN. I know that clogged milk ducts are common, however as large as you are describing, you need to talk to your doctor as this may lead to an infection. You know your body better than anyone, so implementing those treatments was a great first step; but since those measures were unsuccessful, it would be a great idea to let your doctor know what's going on so the swelling doesn't get worse. Hope this was helpful...take care.

H. R.

Sometimes the breast swells around the plug. Here are some techniques to try:

Go on all 4s and nurse him from above. Say, on your bed or on a carpet. If possible, have his jaw aimed at the swollen area; the jaw is where the hardest suction comes from.

Make sure to apply moist heat, especially before nursing.

Massage AS you're nursing. I realize this is difficult. Just try the best you can.

It is actually possible that the clogged milk has passed, and all that remains now is the painful swelling! It will be hard, because it's swollen.

Even if it hasn't resolved yet, keep at it. Keep moist heat on it for about 20 minutes at a time. Putting a hot wet hand towel in a diaper or cloth diaper cover and holding it inside your bra is handy :)

Good luck.
L.

I got plugged milk ducts a lot towards the end of nursing my daughter when her nursing was becoming irregular and I was pumping a good bit while at work, but not so much on the weekends. The up and down in milk demand caused them. Since your lil one is 9mos and probably exploring food, I'm guessing his nursing demand is going up and down, which can cause them to happen.
To me, the best way to get rid of them was to let my daughter get a little hungry, then nurse her on the breast with the lump first with the chin over the lump and then try to massage the lump simultaneously. It really is kinda tricky to manuever, but it seemed to do the trick. Sometimes I would place her facing a certain direction on the bed and then lean over her.
As others have said, if it becomes red and starts to heat up or if you start running a fever, it's gotten infected and you need an antibiotic from your dr.

This sounds like mastitis to me. You may want to go see your doctor and get antibiotics. Whenever I had a clogged milk duct, it went away in a day or two.

It may be an infection and may require antibiotics - talk to your OB NOW. You don't want to let it go so long that it interferes with your ability to continue bf

If the lump is accompanied by a fever, body aches, red streaking, then you have mastitis and need antibiotics. If it is just the lump it probably is a clogged duct. Try nursing your baby on that breast from a different angle, that has worked in unlodging clogs from mine. If you normally do the cradle hold switch it up and make him face the other direction while nursing off it. It can be uncomfortable but try to do it anyways. If that still doesn't help after a couple of days see your dr. I have had mastitis several times and every time I get it I have a large lump in my breast where the infection is. good luck

Have you ever had Mastitis? It sounds like that. I also nursed and had it with one of my sons. It is painful and I went to my Ob/GYN and he suggested hot compresses and he gave me a round of antibotics, because Mastitis is a infection in the milk ducts. I would call your doctor and tell them what symptoms you have and maybe they could call you in a prescription. It is quite painful and I think it took about a week to feel normal again even with nursing regularly. Good luck!

Still assuming it is just a clogged milk duct, you should contact your doctor so it doesn't turn into mastitis. I had a smaller lump in my left breast shortly after I started breastfeeding my first son, and massaging it while he was nursing was the best thing I could do for it. I would put a warm compress on it, and once he got good and started nursing, I would massage it downward, toward my nipple, after about 2 days it was gone. Good Luck, and if you don't go into the doc, I would at least call and see if they can give you any advice over the phone.

Hi A.,
Sounds like a clogged duct to me. It can get infected if it doesn't get worked out quickly though, so keep working on it. If you start getting a fever or feeling sick, you may want to call your doctor.

Here's some things to try: While in the shower, use a comb on your breast and comb down towards the nipple. When you nurse on that side, try using a different nursing postion like the football hold. Sometimes giving the baby a different position to suck will help work out the clog.

I hope it goes soon. I have had many clogged ducts and they are not fun, but so far I have not had to take antibiotics for them. If for some reason it does not go away, then you should talk to your doctor probably.

Ouch! You may need to call your doctor. I had something very similar while breastfeeding. It turned out to be an infection and made me very ill. I felt like I had the flu times 2!!

Good Luck! Hope everything gets better soon!

Dear A.,
I read what you put what happened. I'm glad it wasn't anything serious.

How are you and family doing?

T.

A.,

Check this out:
http://www.familyherbalremedies.com/mastitis_treatment.html

"Raw cabbage leaves are a great mastitis treatment. They can be placed directly on the infected area of the breast, also to help draw out the heat and infection.

The cabbage leaves will become warm and wilted and should then be changed out. This cure is especially effective just after a duct is clogged and before the infection sets in.

If my breasts start to feel sore or I notice any redness I immediately slip a cabbage leaf in my bra, and change it out several times during the day.

This amazingly simple mastitis treatment unclogs the duct quickly and doesn’t allow the infection to set in."

I soooo wish I'd know about this sooner!

Please let us know what works for you!

Blessings,
A.

Your milk duct is clogged. Just soak it with warm water and rub it. Now, if it is hot to the touch and you have a fever. It's mastitis, in that cast you will need to get meds and take them. Good luck with this.

I had this happen a few months ago and wasn't even nursing. It was awful. I was on antibiotics and the doc actually punctured it to get some of the fluid out of there to let it heal faster. I felt better by the time I got home from her office, although it was a couple of weeks before the lump was completely gone.

Nursing is probably painful for you right now, but as long as you can handle it, keep nursing -- it won't hurt the baby and will keep you from getting another one.

Oh, OW! I've had that big of a plugged duct twice. Once it turned into mastitis, which is NOT FUN. If you get a fever, start feeling sort of flu-y, body aches, general ick, go to the Dr! You'll need antibiotics at that point.

Even with mastitis, you can keep nursing, although it's not always comfortable (believe me, though, the milk going out is WAY less painful than the milk staying in! LOL)

Trying to aim your son's chin for the lump is the BEST thing you could do. I have had to lay down on the couch and flip legs over my shoulder a few times in my baby nursings. My husband thought it was the funniest thing ever. I thought the relief was WONDERFUL! ;)

Good luck with it. Those are so painful!!!

go to your doctor ASAP it could be a clogged milk duct but it could be something else I found a lump on my breast and I waited to long now my breast is gone don't wait be safe go to your doctor good luck

I would consult your doctor. It sounds like mastitis to me. You should look it up on the internet and see if that seems to fits your symptoms.

You could possibly have a breast infection since the hot showers and hot compresses are not working. I think I would call my doctor and let him/her know about it.

I would suggest to call your OB/GYN asap, it could be mastitis - and you may need antibiotics to clear it up. Is it warm to the touch? You can also try nursing your son in a different position - but I would def call the doc. Good luck.

It might be mastitis, which can initially be caused by a clogged duct, cracked skin, or thrush, and must be treated by antibiotics. If you feel feverish or have muscle aches, contact your doctor right away to get on antibiotics. I got mastitis at 2 months with my second son, and was treated for thrush and the infection simultaneously, and continued nursing throughout. My breast was hard and painful in a wedge stretching from the nipple outwards, but hot water and massaging the breast, as well as the antibiotic resolved the issue within a week. :)

Hi, A.! Ouch...not fun at all. So sorry you're having to deal with it. You're doing all the right stuff to help a clogged duct. I would recommend a couple more things to try. First, try soaking the breast in a bowl with warm water mixed with epsom salts immediately before nursing. I would also strongly recommend that you bring a manual breast pump into the shower with you. Massage in the shower and try the breast pump in the shower. These things have helped me before on several occasions.

Is the sore area red and/or warm to the touch? If you don't get it cleared soon I would make a visit to your OB/GYN and see if there's anything else to help so that it doesn't turn into mastitis. Or, if it already has (definitely a possibility since it is so sore), he/she can help you with that, too.

Good luck!
~L.~

I am not trying to scare you...but the same thing happened to my sister in law. Even her doctor (at first) contributed it to a clogged duct. It turns out she had breast cancer (she is a survivor). Please don't ignore it, go to your doctor as soon as possible. God bless you. oops, just read the post about the baby bite...very interesting.