blocked milk duct - would that be reason for baby to be unsettled

[Hazeyjane]

i think i've got a blocked milk duct, big lump in left breast, whole breast is agony, never feels like i've 'emptied' it, really hurts to feed from it.

the thing is ds has been really unsettled for the last couple of days, not sleeping inbetween feeds, and grizzling at the breast - could this be because of the blockage, or is it just because he is 4 weeks old!

It's difficult to know. DD behaved like that at the breast during growth spurts, getting cross, arms flailing and punching, pushing the boob away but then rooting and crying to be put back on. I think it's hypothetically possible that this messing about and inadequate latching could be responsible for a blocked milk duct. I had monthly blocked ducts when I ovulated too so something to do with hormones obviously.

Have you tried all of the methods to unblock? Are you feeling well? No fever or flu-like symptoms?

With blocked ducts I found that none of the combing, flannels, expressing etc worked and the only way I could clear it was by feeding as much as possible. I had monthly blocked ducts for around 18 months and only twice did it turn into mastitis.

Thankyou, I have got a really sore throat and am a bit achey, but thought it was just due to being overtired. I haven't got a temperature.

He does seem to want to feed pretty much all the time, so maybe he is going through a growth spurt.

Poor you, I had this a lot with dc2 but she was a bit older. I never got mastitis but you do need to keep an eye on it and call your gp if you get a temperature. I found rubbing the lump while she was feeding helped.

Poor you! It could be the blocked duct that makes your DS grizzly, as he would be getting milk less fast/easily than otherwise- it certainly went that way whenever I had blocked ducts (practically daily for 6 weeks).

For what's worth, the thing that I found worked best was:
1.apply a very warm wet flannel on the hard area, cover it with clingfilm and then add a hot water bottle over the top,for about 20/20 minutes before a feed;

1. start every feed from the affected side;
2. massage the lump towards the areola while feeding (or, even better, get someone to do this for you);
3. try different positions (rugby hold worked well for me);
4. feed often;
5. try expressing (with a refreshed hot flannel) after each feed, to try and get rid of the lump.

And persevere- I found it usually took 24 hours for the lump to diminish and 36/48 to get rid of it completely.

[http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Blocked%20Ducts%20&%20Mastitis.asp This website] has brilliant info. Good luck!

Sorry, not v good with links.
Is this better?

Thankyou for the link, it is a fantastic website.

I fed and fed last night, and expressed when ds fell asleep to try and shift the lumps. It has helped, but now for some reason my nipples are agony, I don't know if my desperation to get rid of the blocked ducts led me to be lazy with my latch, or if it is because the weather has got quite cold here (I have nipple vasospasm), I am walking around the house with a wheat bag shoved down my bra wearing gloves and cardies like an old lady!

I don't know how much longer I can stand this tbh, I just feel ill, and my dds have watched so much scoobydoo that they have started to call each other daphne and velma. I couldn't stop myself crying when I was feeding ds this morning, and they asked why ds was hurting me - I felt like I was letting everyone down.

I have phoned a bfc and lalecheleague but got no answer, and the HV isn't around until tomorrow morning.

I don't know if this helps or not, but for me, it's only been when DS has fed overnight that my blocked ducts have cleared. I'm not sure why this is, or if it's because I'm very sleepy and therefore relaxed. I've tried hand expressing, expressing in the bath, feeding only from the affected side etc, but it's only by the next morning it seems to have cleared.

Actually, I have no idea what use this info might be. Sorry, we've been up since 0515 when DH got up for work so DS did as well. Judgement has gone out of the window.