clogged duct - help!!!

[vejables]

hi all,

i have a very sore clogged milk duct. help!!!! make it go away!!!

 

[Margerle]

keep feeding!

express. and gentle massages...

warm compresses...

warm showers...

If you feel like you're getting a fever, and have flu like symptoms, call doc... that's mastitis.

 

[JASMAK]

Yes...don't stop feeding. Almost hot washclothes, and hot bath/shower. Some people say cabbage leaves (I never tried it tho), and if you have a pump...pump. But, don't neglect your other breast, or it will fill up too! Also, pump just enough to ease the discomfort or your body will produce more. But, feed as much as you want. Good luck!

 

[vejables]

my muscles have been sore but other than that i feel ok, kinda tired... maybe i should take my temp...

 

[Mango]

Vejables first make sure it is not mastitis:


Plugged duct

• Milk supply and pumping output from the affected breast may decrease temporarily. This is normal and extra nursing/pumping generally get things back to normal within a short time. <LI class=small>Occasionally a mom may express "strings" or grains of thickened milk or fatty-looking milk.
• After a plugged duct or mastitis has resolved, it is common for the area to remain reddened or have a bruised feeling for a week or so afterwards.

Mastitis


Side effects may be the same as for a plugged duct, plus:

• Expressed milk may look lumpy, clumpy, "gelatin-like" or stringy. This milk is fine for baby, but some moms prefer to strain the "lumps" out. <LI class=small>Milk may take on a saltier taste due to increased sodium and chloride content - some babies may resist/refuse the breast due to this temporary change.
• Milk may occasionally contain mucus, pus or blood.

Here is some information from KellyMom.Com on releaving a clogged duct. Hope it helps!

General Nurse frequently & empty the breasts thoroughly.

Aim for nursing at least every 2 hrs. Keep the affected breast as empty as possible, but don’t neglect the other breast.

When unable to breastfeed, mom should express milk frequently and thoroughly (with a breast pump or by hand).


Before nursing Use heat & gentle massage before nursing

- Warm compress. Try using a disposable diaper: fill the diaper with hot water (try the temperature on your wrist first to avoid burns), squeeze the diaper out a bit, then put the inside of the diaper toward the breast. This will stay warm much longer than a wet cloth.

- Basin soak. Fill sink or bowl with hot water and submerge breast in water while massaging the plugged area toward the nipple. Some report better results when epsom salts are added to the water -- add a handful of epsom salts per 2 quarts (2 liters) of water. Rinse with fresh water before nursing, as baby may object to the taste.

- Hot Shower. It can be helpful to massage in the shower with a large-toothed comb. The comb should be drawn through a bar of soap until it is very soapy and then used to gently massage over the affected area in the direction of the nipple.
Loosen bra & any constrictive clothing to aid milk flow.

While nursing

-Nurse on the affected breast first; if it hurts too much to do this, switch to the affected breast directly after let-down.

-Ensure good positioning & latch. Use whatever positioning is most comfortable and/or allows the plugged area to be massaged.

Note: Advice to point baby's chin (or nose) toward the plugged area is not necessarily going to be helpful as it is based on the idea that the milk ducts take a nice, direct route to the nipple - recent research tells us that this is not true, and that a particular duct might begin in one area of the breast but can "wander" in many different directions before terminating in any area of the nipple.

-Use breast compressions.

Massage gently but firmly from the plugged area toward the nipple.

-Try nursing while leaning over baby (sometimes called "dangle feeding") so that gravity aids in dislodging the plug.


-After nursing Pump or hand express after nursing to aid milk drainage and speed healing.

-Use cold compresses between feedings for pain & inflammation.

 

[Samantha675]

I had a bit of mastitis before Bren was born. My MW had me do warm compresses of caster oil and comfy leaves. Crazy, but it really knocked it out.

I hope you are feeling better. If it is mastitis don't wait around, you gotta get on it, as it can me you very ill.

 

[Ragirl]

I had one duct that would plug every other week or so with my son. What worked for me was the warm compress, massaging the area, and even though the one article said that pointing the chin toward the area is not proven to work- it worked like magic for me. I could never get my duct to unplug unless I did point his chin toward the plug and nurse that way. Even if you don't point their chin toward the plug, I would recommend nursing in a variety of positions- just changing things up can loosen that plug. Also, I took pretty high doses of Vit. C (the only warning here is that it can cause runny stools for both you and baby, though I was fortunate that this did not happen). I would take 1000mg of Vit C a day in addition to drinking OJ, eating oranges, etc. Good luck...I know how painful those can be

 

[luckyme225]

Hope it's resolved!

 

[vejables]

the clog feels better, but is still inflamed. does this take a while to go away?

 

[Mango]

Vejables it should feel better after 4 days or so, any longer and you should talk to your GP I think.

 

[Elli21]

I used to get in a nice warm bath and dangle my nipples in the water...helped ease the discomfort..

 

[codiontour]

go braless when possible and no wirebras!!! i used cabbage and it helped so fast, as well as a vinegar compress the german doc gave me....

 

[vejables]

thanks ladies! i think its getting better. its not hard anymore but still kinda sore... i think it may be going away.

 

[Ragirl]

Vejables it should feel better after 4 days or so, any longer and you should talk to your GP I think.

I agree- mine usually resolved in 3-4 days. I might be a little sore for another day or 2 after that right around the area where the clog was- but it was so minor I didn't feel it unless I pressed on the area.

 

[Mango]

Vejables how you doin now?

 

[vejables]

seems fine... but my let down is still bothering me and baby... its TOO SLOW!!!!!