5 answers

Plugged Duct Stress and Dehydration?

I just came home after being at my mothers for Christmas with a knot under my armpit and I was told that it was a plugged milk duct. Anyway it has gone down I was just wondering if it was because I carried my LO almost constantly in and out of an Ergo for pretty much the whole duration of my visit. In addition to being stranded in airports for hours on end with little to drink. The reason I carried my LO was that whenever anyone would come near her she would cry and scream for me. Just wondering if anyone else has had similar experience?

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I highly doubt the Ergo cause the plugged duct but it sure could have been the stress (on your and the babies part) and dehydration. Did you maybe not nurse as often because you were in public or in uncomfortable places? Did you little one nurse as effectively as usual or was she constantly being distracted by other things?? Now that you are home just rest, make sure you are drinking plenty of water and allow your daughter to nurse on that side often (though don't neglect the other side or you risk creating a plug there as well).

Stress and dehydration are probably the biggest factors in that. I may be a plugged milk duct, but you have a lymph node (part of your immune system that fights diseases) located there, so that may be swollen if you may be fighting off some infection. Still, the best thing for you to do, for either a potential infection or a plugged duct, is to rest, drink lots of water, and try to reduce stress (which is easier now that you're not traveling and the holidays are over).

I did with my son (I used an Ergo too - LOVE IT) but that wasn't what caused my plugged duct - not sure what did but it went away with some serious nursing on his part.

You're home now - drink and rest!! If you can :-)

It may have been because you were nursing in a similar, if not same, position most of the time she was in the sling. One thing (besides staying hydrated and breastfeeding on demand and often) that really helps lessen chances of clogged ducts is changing positions during nursing. This enables different areas of the breast to be emptied.

If you still aren't feeling back to normal... get hydrated, take some Motrin (Ibuprofen), take a warm shower then lay down for a nap with baby and nurse on your side.

There was probably stress and her eating habits may have changed a bit, plus yours changed. I have never heard of a duct developing from carrying a baby, and definitely not from an Ergo, or I would have a constant plugged duct! Love that thing. I'm also wondering if all her screaming could have made you have a let down, but it wasn't time for her to eat? Just throwing things out there. Just make sure that she feeds for awhile with her chin pointing at the plug until it is totally gone for sure.

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