Think I've got a blocked duct - what do I do?

[MIstletAOU]

Just sitting here feeding ds and he won't feed from the right side, even though it is full of milk. And lo and behold when I try I can only squeeze a drop out by pressing on the top - the side and the bottom are rock solid but I can't budge anything . It's very uncomfortable but not hot.

I don't have an expressing thingy and have never expressed before, and never had a blocked duct before! Vaguely think I should stand under the shower and squeeze it - is that right? Anything else I should be doing?

hot flannels , gentle massage and if you can do it , feed in the bath. I did when had bi lateral problems.

see if you can mssage milk out of yourself , neading at all angles. I was made to do it at surgery into a bucket when mine wad bad. If youve caught it early you may not have much problem unblocking it.

Warm bath will help too

www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html useful link

There are some really good archived threads on this, which helped me. Take ibuprofen, and hot flannels applied just before feeding. Try gently massaging before and if possible during feeding (using your fingers a bit like a comb from the outside of the breast in towards the nipple). Also, if you can tell roughly where the blockage is, point ds's chin towards that area when feeding. Varying your feeding position can help too, in fact my HV, who was also an NCT breastfeeding counsellor advised trying kind of dangling the boob into dd's mouth whilst on all fours over her to feed (I think working on the theory that gravity would help ).

Good luck - using a combination of the above, I successfully cleared a blockage which was starting to get red and hot (ie: heading for mastitis), my GP was most impressed. All down to advice from MN.

If you can persevere with ds and get him to take it and work at it that would be the quickest and most effective way however - I was never able to hand express effectively even using the hot flannels etc - in the end ds had to sort it out.

Thanks for the advice - just been in the shower and I've managed to get it moving at least. Hopefully ds might shift the rest!

Weird positions definately help. You might manage to fool your DS into feeding from the "bad" side. Alternatively, try feeding him when he's very sleepy, even asleep.

If you get him to have a good feed on that side, it may well fix the problem. Chin at the lump, as mandymac says.

Do you have a wide-toothed comb? Works better than fingers at combing IME - the pressure's more even or something. Careful you don't drag it on the skin though - do it under a warm shower.

Hope you're feeling better soon. Can you trick DS into taking the right side by using the rugby ball hold?

Or lying down?

Just tried that hunker - managed to fool him for a minute or two but there are no flies on him

I've prodded my poor boob so much now that it is really painful! Could I put massage oil/olive oil on it, do you think, so that the skin doesn't drag?

Right, back to your duct.

Little blighters these non-feeding on one side babies aren't they?! DS did this for a bit, I seem to recall.

Would imagine it wouldn't hurt to use some kind of oil to massage - probably olive rather than a perfumed one, but I'd wash it off after I'd massaged.

Don't make the skin sore dragging it - will be counterproductive. Can you take some ibuprofen? (I mean you can take it while bfeeding, but do you have any to take?).

Unfortunately no ibuprofen in the house. Will get some tomorrow I think as a precaution. No comb either.

Weirdest thing is, it's his preferred side that is blocked (huh?) - can't work out why that is at all!

I'm kind of running my fingers along the blocked area and up to the nipple .... is that right? Bloody agony.

Yes, that's right - just even pressure towards your nipple.

Thanks hun

I'll go back to admiring your ds now (whilst gingerly tending to my sore boob)

Really hope it's feeling much better in the morning. Ibuprofen will help. Take some paracetamol if you have some (heck, take blinking Calpol if it gets too sore!). And if you get a flu-like feeling, get to the doc asap x x x

Really? Am I ok taking paracetamol whilst bfing?

Yes paracetamol is fine while breastfeeding

Yes, totally fine - it's OK in pregnancy and while bfeeding.

Thankyou for the advice all - I think I've cleared it!!! (well ds has anyway)

I'm very fortunate that our local hospital has a breastfeeding counsellor, and even more fortunate that she lives about quarter of a mile away - spoke to her on the phone in the morning and saw her this afternoon at the kids' carol concert (her son goes to the same school as my dds). She gave me loads of good advice (much of it what I was told on here!)

I think that maybe my bra is too small - perhaps I had better hoick myself over to Inverness and get properly measured in M&S. The b/f counsellor thought that it could be pressing on my ducts and I think she may be right.

Brilliant! Well done! Yes, get a decent bra too - makes a huge difference.

Oh, miaou, I'm glad it's sorted, you don't need this on your plate right now!