massive painful blocked duct - help!

[welshfirsttimemummy]

I have a blocked duct that I only noticed about 7pm this evening as it started to feel hard and painful. It is on my right side and stretched from one side of the breast to the other! I have tried a hot flannel, hand massaging, hand expressing, expressing with a pump, feeding my DS on that side, nothing has worked! It is so uncomfortable I don't know what to do :(

how do I get rid of it?!

This breast is quite quick at filling up so I know that in a couple of hours its going to be ready to explode! And I'm so worried about getting mastitis.

Can anyone help??

Feed DS on your good breast for a bit to get your milk flowing, then change him to the painful side. Do a bit of breastfeeding-twister so his chin is by the blocked part (this can mean some rather odd positions).

Could also try expressing in the shower? I've also been told to use ice once when I was REALLY bad. Something about the swelling blocking the milk from coming out so double whammy. The ice reduced the swelling which made it possible to relieve the blockage.

Good luck!

Sorry, also while feeding (in the odd position) do breast compression or massage the milk out - both need to be done in time with baby sucking so you rub/massage/squeeze gently in the direction of your nipple as your baby sucks, and stop when he swallows or rests.

Thank you. I will give it a go!

Poor you. My sympathies. But you spotted it in time. Keep doing everything you're doing and you will shift it. I read once that keeping a nappy with hot water on the breast is more effective than a hot flannel as it keeps its heat longer. Also use gravity: after all the heat, do what is called "dangle feeding" (or pumping). Ask your man for help as he might have stronger hands than you. You must be getting worried now but keep going: you can do it. Good luck x

No I don't have a temperature and its not hotter, I do have a white spot on my nipple which I assume is blocking the milk coming out. How do I get rid of that?

Ok, going to try putting my breast in hot/warm water and getting rid of the bleb.

bread poultice might help, bit of bread, hot water over the top, place on breast hot as you can stand leave till it goes cold. massage. repeat.

So I soaked my breast in warmish hot water, picked at the white thing and it seemed to open. Now some clearish yellow fluid is slowly (really slowly) leaking out. I am trying to hand massage/express but nothing is really happening. Still feels really hard :(

I recently had one of these - was very uncomfortable to say the least! Now that the blister is broken, & therefore what had been dealing the duct, is broken you just need to keep trying to empty the breast with all the above suggestions. Another tip I was given was to use a wide tooth comb & comb towards the nipple, preferably after applying heat.

Its gone!! Yey!! After a good feed from DS its not hard anyymore! Woo! Thanks for everyones help MNetters :)

Pleased for you! Was hoping it would go!

Yay - well done! I put ibuprofen gel on sore boob afterwards, too - perfectly safe while bf and more effective than taking tablets, I found.