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Infant feeding

Blocked duct

6 replies

RedZuleika · 11/02/2006 18:50

Ok - I have one. Had this at the beginning, but not for a while now. Am four months into breastfeeding. I noticed it last night and it hasn't got any better. I've tried:

  • feeding the baby on that side, in all manner of positions
  • soaking the offending mammary in the bath and feeding the baby straight after
  • those gel packs from Boots and feeding straight after
  • expressing
  • putting olive oil on the breast and combing it (my dear husband found me at this and thought I'd lost the plot entirely)

    Have gone bra-less today, so there's no pressure on it anywhere.

    Is there anything else I can try??? There are no obvious blisters or anything at the nipple.

    Is a blockage ever likely to resolve on its own, or is it just going to fester its way to mastitis...??

    Thanks in anticipation. If you told me to whip up a pancake and apply it while hanging from the lightshade, I'd probably give it a go at this juncture.
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CarolinaMoon · 11/02/2006 19:10

no suggestions, but every sympathy.

If you've been ok so far with bfing (so presumably the latch etc is ok), it may well resolve itself in the next day or so. I had a blocked ducts a couple of weeks ago when I cut down feeding ds (15mo) and they cleared up ok. Have you tried smoothing etc during a feed?

can't help sniggering a little at the thought of being found combing your bosoms

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motherinferior · 11/02/2006 19:13

Oh, sweetie, I have so been there. Do a search on MN: there is lots of good advice. I did find combing, feeding like mad, etc, got the milk through. I also think it's one of those situations where antibiotics are warranted if it turns into mastitis, and if it's not better tomorrow I would badger an emergency doc.

Best of luck. It is vile - I think the worst bit for me was feeling that yet again a bit of my body had gone banananananas on me, at a point where I really wasn't expecting it.

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Highlander · 11/02/2006 19:16

I had this, but it was when my milk came in. I was told to:

Put on ice packs for 30 mins after feeding.

Just before feeding, wrap warm cloths around the breasts and express off a tiny bit ( no more than 5 mins)

Take the max allowable dose of Ibuprofen for 3 days.

It worked

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Racers · 11/02/2006 20:34

Poor you

Lots of good advice here. What worked for me was some serious hand massaging during feed, working towards the nipple. Painful/uncomfortable but it cleared several blocked ducts for me.

Hope it clears up soon.

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Mimixx · 12/02/2006 10:31

Same as Racers. I positioned baby's chin towards where the lump was (the lump was close to the armpit, a bit 'north' if you know what I mean, so my boy was in a very funny position!!) and massaged very hard towards the nipple, with my thum. It took me about two hours of hard work to unblock it, with massage, hot/cold compresses, feeding, etc. It was very painful but finally it unblocked (there was so much milk stuck in there that my boy almost chocked!). Don't try expressing with a pump, it really didn't work for me and it irritated my nipple big time.
Let us know how you get on

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RedZuleika · 12/02/2006 16:49

Thanks for the posts. After nearly two days, it's started to get better. Have been using compresses of all kinds, bathing and have done more combing (I had found this technique from the Mumsnet archive, so I hope someone wasn't having a laugh: my husband is starting to look at me sideways). I've been feeding in peculiar positions and the wee girl was starting to have a hissy fit about it. I think it started to clear in the small hours of the morning (sudden searing pain up into the breast) and this morning I noticed lumps in the dribbled milk on my daughter's chin during feeding. (Reminds me of an episode of 'All Creatures Great and Small' where they diagnose a cow with 'a case of the masticks' by flakes in the milk...). There's still some hardness in the region, but nothing like yesterday where I could feel my breast expanding towards my armpit; the pain in the breast has diminished. Now I just need to work on the excruciating pain in my nipple...

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