Any tips on unblocking a firmly blocked duct? Damned thing might as well be stopped up with superglue?

[NineTailors]

It's been more than 24 hours now, and still I have a hard, lumpen wedge across the top of my right side.

So far I have tried:

• liberal application of baby to breast
• hand-expressing
• hand-pumping
• vigorous (OW) massage
• hot shower
• hot water bottle applied for two hours this morning... but nothing

I went to the docs this morning, and have been given antibiotics in case it turns into mastitis, as the offending boob is now hot and red and my pulse is slightly raised.

Any and all ideas gratefully received! I had a blocked duct three months ago, and with the baby's help managed to shift it within hours. But this time, I can't seem to shift the blockage.

I've had to take the day off work, and am about to head down the supermarket to pick me up a cabbage...

sit in a hot bath with a warm flannel over your breast and read a book,keep giving it a massage, it should shift.

I haven't tried that! Will give it a go - thanks.

Lots of diclofenac has helped me in the past. If the surrounding breast tissue swells up, I think that it can keep the duct blocked, so reducing the swelling is important.

I'm told acupuncture can clear a blocked duct very quickly.

I know you've tried getting the baby to feed but have you tried it so their chin is nearest to the blockage?

Not sure if that makes sense but they drain the bit immediately under the chin better. If that means they need to be upside down try it lying down, if you can.

Good luck

If you can, lie your baby on the bed, feed by leaning over the baby, gently massaging the blockage as you do so.

Also gently massaging with a wide tooth comb in the shower, from outer edge towards nipple.

Both sound odd but helped me. Agree with hot bath and flannel and anti inflammatories.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I've just come out of a hot bath... no luck, but I'll try again later.

I still have loads of diclofenac (thank you, stitches!) so I'll try that next.

Am also working out how to manoeuvre baby, bed and boob to conform to all of the above.

Thanks again - and wish me luck.

good luck, just keep trying it will go.

I had a really stubborn blocked duct a few months ago, I did all of the things you've already tried, over and over. Also tried the combing the area with a hair comb, mentioned on here, it seemed to help.

Defintiely getting babys bottom lip over the blocked area helped though. It did make for a fun position lying in bed but worth a go.

Good luck

Try cold instead of heat, but not icy cold. (if you hurt your knee, you'd ice it to reduce inflammation, rather than heat). Keep in the back of your mind sometimes lumps can take ages to go, but if you start feeling "flooey" or in any way unwell go straight back to your gp (do not even collect £200 hehe) in case you need different antibiotics.

Well, thanks everyone for all your great tips. I heart Mumsnet!

And guess what... I finally managed to shift the damned thing this evening. It involved a very hot bath, diclofenac, a compress followed by a cabbage leaf and crouching on all fours on the bed above a baby, who kept kneeing me in the face while he fed... but it worked! I'm so relieved.

The redness is still there so I'll keep taking the antibiotics just in case, but hopefully I'm shot of this one now. Phew!

I was just about to second what birds said as I had several bouts of mastitis.

I can feel your relief

I once sterilised a needle to get rid of a blockage. Hard to believe the pain of the blockage was so bad that I would countenance a needle anywhere near my nipple.