blocked milk duct - not getting enough milk/formula top up?!

[stinkypingu]

ive had a blocked milk duct for nearly a week now which after a week of trying to sort out at home i finally went to the doctor yesterday and was prescribed a weeks course of antibiotics. although ive still being feeding off that breast, my breast never feels full and my 4 weeks old seems frustrated when latched on and im wondering if my milk is drying up. my other breast is fine but even after 30 mins of so on that breast my son never seems full. i offer both breasts at each feed. however, since ive had the blocked milk duct ive noticed my son roots constantly and is going less then an hour between feeds. when he's not feeding he's quite often crying and rooting to the point where he becomes quite frantic until he's offered my breast again. on the night he is offered a formula top up and often has near on 4oz after his breast feed. he's been putting on weight nicely and whilst at first it seemed his rooting was just a comfort thing now im worried he's genuinely hungry? should i offer a formula top up more regularly whilst im treating the blocked milk duct? advice much appreciated!

DON'T OFFER A FORMULA TOP-UP!!!

It's a growth spurt and you are doing exactly the right thing. Just feed, feed, feed. Feed him whenever he wants it, and cut down and then out the night-time top up too. Possibly your supply has begun to diminish because of that feed.

FInd a comfy spot in the shade, a good book and a jug of lemonade and just feed your lovely little boy. If he does need more, your supply will increase to meet his demand in a few days, but it WON'T if you give top-ups. For lots of women top-ups are the start of the end of breastfeeding.

Have you tried feeding him with his head in different positions? Ie if you usually use the cradle hold have you tried using the rugby ball hold, or even feeding with him lying on the bed and you leaning over him?

I know that sounds mad, but I had loads of problems with blocked ducts which were always caused by pressure on the area stopping the milk flowing properly. Usually a too-tight bra strap or something like that, but sometimes when ds's positioning was a bit off.

Your ds's sucking will be v helpful for clearing the blockage, but sometimes you need to try a different position to get it cleared effectively.

I don't think the blockage would likely be enough to lower the amount of milk he's getting on its own. Top ups will unfortunately most likely lower your supply eventually, but it's hard when your baby doesn't seem settled I do realise that. I chose to feed through it because ds was gaining weight well and was clearly getting enough milk but that was my choice and another choice might suit you better.

Do you have access to a BF counsellor? She could come round and offer you tips on positioning. suzi offers some great tips to unplug the duct so try those. Just feed, feed and feed. Have you tried massaging the tough spot under warm water? Check your bra for fit, or go bra less (or just a crop top) if you can.

It sounds like there are other things going on as well as the blocked duct so try not to panic. He's probably having a growth spurt, you might have a dominant breast (very common) and your supply is probably regulating to the needs of your baby such that your breasts may not feel as full as they did in the first few weeks.

thanks for the advice everyone!! :-) im def going to try different positions as i do always feed using the same one. it was actually my midwife that told me to top up using formula as she could see i was pretty exhausted and thought my son was using me as a dummy, but it does seem to go against the grain of what other people have said so i'll try him without. where would i be able to access a BF counsellor, is this done through local sure start centres as i feel that would be really useful?

I had a blocked duct that kept recurring from about 4 to 8 weeks
I tried to unblock it so many times in the bath but couldnt do it
one day I had a really hot shower and just held the head on the area of the blocked duct and massaged my breast with a body brush.
I would also massage the area of the blocked duct during feeds too.

my dd would writhe and cry when feeding from that breast too, but it did pass

Oh and my dd's growth spurts have all been a bit earlier than 6 weeks/12 weeks etc so it could be early growth spurt ( although I sometimes feel that dd is constantly having a growth spurt by feeding every 2 hrs!!- I know this is normal!!)
you can call La Leche league or the nct breast feeding helpline for advice
or if you google surestart in your local area, there should be breastfeeding clinics on during the week.

Can I slap your midwife?! Most new parents are exhausted. Actually, your baby isn't using you as a dummy, a dummy is a replacement for a nipple. It's perfectly normal and right for a baby to comfort suck. BF isn't just about nutrition, it's an emotional thing as well. It will increase your milk supply, too. Topping up with formula at this stage can cause all manner of problems with your supply and you are more likely to get blocked ducts if you don't feed on demand.

Your child development book should have numbers of counsellors. Your midwife should have provided you with these!