Blocked ducts - help

[Allegrogirl]

I keep getting blocked ducts on the least favourite (smaller, slower let down) breast. Had it with my DD1 and and again with DD2 now 4 months. Usually clears with putting DD on breast first and rugby ball holding her.

A couple of days ago the other side of the same breast became lumpy and sore. DD is very reluctant to nurse on that side. Latching on is toe curlingly painful and she keeps pulling off.

So far I have tried:

hot shower
gel filled pads heated up
different positions
latching DD on when she's hungry and massaging breast while she feeds
hand express
manual pump express

This seems to be preventing the situation getting but the blockage isn't clearing. There is also a white spot on the nipple that no milk is coming out of.

Apart from buying an electronic pump (haven't bothered this time due to lack of success with borrowed pump last time), is there anything else I can try?

I'm new to this. 1st baby only 8w but when I had blocked ducts the breastfeeding counsellor advised lying on tummy in warm bath before massaging and expressing. Might be worth a try. Otherwise I'm sure someone else with more experience will be able to help.

Bumping as having the same problem -
DS shunning right boob and it's gone all lumpy and painful ... Ouch!

Hi
i wonder if yr bra maybe too tight?

I had problems like you with my 1st daughter i had constant mastitises and blocked ducts but problem stopped when she was 3 months. Then i had twins and only had mastitis when they were about 10 days old. My boobs did get sore sometimes when one of my twins would feed less but what always saved me is bf, massaging and hand expressing.

Your daughter probably doesnt want it because there is not much milk coming from it. Its blocked so please be careful if you leave it like that it can lead to abscess (hapened to my cousin in law). Go and see gp they might ask you to take antibiotics. If it really sore take some ibuprofen every 4 hours to releive pain and reduce inflamation. When expressing put some baby oil or olive oil on yr breast (it will make it easier) massage and then squeese yr breast moving towards yr nipple. You really need to make sure that yr ducts get unblocked. I had pass coming out of mine and i've been to hospital with it. My doctor told me that expressing was what i had to do. Also try and see bf councellor and see what they say.

I did a search of old threads and one suggested gently poking the white spot (the tip of the milk duct apparently) with a steralised needle. This was from the Dr Sears website. Well I did it rather nervously and my god it worked. Loads of milk came shooting out and the breast deflated before my eyes. There was no thick milk so no idea what caused the blockage.

Hooray for the internet. Same thing happened to my mum when I was 3 months old and she was told to give up bf and give me carnation milk. How sad.

Yikes! I've got a white bit on mine ... am I brave enough?!

CountBapula I was very gentle and it didn't hurt at all. Here's the link to the website that suggested it:

www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T022100.asp

Oh phew! DS has just saved the day and sucked it out. Thanks for the tip though - might need it in future if his shunning of my right boob continues!