Blocked duct advice

[crossjoss]

I am 28 pregnant weeks with DC2. I've got a 23 month old daughter who was EBF with no problems until she was 14 months. I started producing milk again when I was 26 weeks pregnant - not leaking, just that I can express a bit of milk. I have developed a tender white bump on my nipple that the GP says is a blocked duct. Has anyone got any experience of this? GP just said to wait and see if it settles on it's own which it hasn't so far. I just wondered if anyone else has had this and what they did about it. I know if I was feeding I'd need to feed like mad from that side to unblock it but because I am not I am a bit stuck. Thanks for any advice.

Yes, I have had this twice. It's called a 'bleb' or milk blister and I think it happens when a piece of skin grows over a duct. The usual advice is to bf as much as possible, but in your case this isn't an option so I would pierce it if I were you. I did this the second time - pierced and squeezed and the backed-up milk squirted out. You are not really supposed to do this yourself, but as long as you use a sterile needle and keep the nipple clean, I don't think you should have a problem. Whatever you do, do not leave it and expect it to go away by itself, it could turn into mastitis. For more expert advice you could phone La Leche League or there is info on Kellymom

[http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html]