Strange looking bm!

[Perplexed]

Backstory is that I suspect having plugged ducts in my right breast as it hurts to nurse and the areola feels very lumpy (not one lump but many). Warm shower, applying heat, massage all make the lumps go away but nursing still hurts on that side.

Anyway, I use nipple shields (we are slowly but surely weaning off of them right now but this is a story for another time). At the end of a feed earlier today as I removed the shield I noticed that there was bm inside it and it was long and thick like a string. What could this be? I pumped that side whenever it hurt too much to nurse but bm never looked thick like that. Is it okay that lo fed from that side?

 

[sheldonsmommy]

Yes it is the infected milk coming out of the duct. It's actually encouraged to feed from that side to coax out the milk from the plugged duct. If it got any worse, you could have ended up with mastitis. No fun.

Try to empty the breast fully after each feed to prevent milk from staying in the duct for too long and having the opportunity to get infected. Also keep your shields nice and clean.

Hope your feedings get easier soon!

 

[Rachel_C]

I wouldn't say it's a sign of infection, I'd say it's more likely to be thickened milk where it's been trapped for a while. That it's coming out is a good sign and it's fine to feed LO as usual as long as LO doesn't mind. Definitely keep feeding though and try to 'empty' the breast as much as possible. KellyMom has some good tips - https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/mastitis/

 

[Perplexed]

Thanks ladies.

How do I know that the breast has been emptied?

Now that I have a better understanding of plugged ducts, I realized there are plugs in both breasts.

The left breast has what seems like one. Feeding from it doesn't hurt at all and can at times just be mildly uncomfortable at first. Right breast...completely plugged if that's possible. It feels like there are lumps all around the nipple and nursing is horrible pain! It is a little better after applying heat and massaging though. Not pain-free like the other one though

I guess there isn't much to do except move forward and nurse whenever possible...hope the plugs don't get any worse.

 

[sheldonsmommy]

It's never really emptied, as milk is constantly being produced, but it's when the milk stream slows to a trickle or stops and feels deflated compared to before pumping. If nursing I just assume I'm empty when my son pulls off the breast and doesn't stay on. He usually only nurses one side at a time so once a day or so I will pump one side while he nurses from the other.

Some tricks I read about include nursing with the baby's chin pointed towards the affected duct (this can take some ingenuity), or nursing on all fours while baby is lying below you, and you dangle your breast in baby's mouth. Gravity is going to help pull the milk out. I never tried this one lol.

Do you wear an under wire bra? That caused mine I think. I had to go out and get a wire free nursing bra. Yuck.

Do you think the pain in your left breast is let down instead of a blocked duct? I get waves of let down pain every couple weeks as milk adjusts to baby's needs.

Eta- if you are feeling any flu-like symptoms and a red spot over the painful area then it may have progressed to mastitis. Keep your eyes open so you can catch it early should it come to that.

 

[Perplexed]

My bras aren't under wired but maybe a tad bit tight as I haven't gotten re-measured since having baby oops :S

Probably what's happening to the left breast is just letdown but it does look like a long stringlike lump in the areola sometimes. Nothing at all like the hard lumps in the right side though.

Will keep an eye on things and see what happens. Been able to nurse as normal using the problem side today...hope it won't continue to be painful.

 

[sheldonsmommy]

Boobs get a little lumpy sometimes with all the extra blood and milk in there.

Hope you can manage to clear it!