Painful breast, not the nipple the actual breast.

[NoTeaForMe]

Today my right breast is quite painful in one patch. Not the nipple but the actual breast. It feels quite a sharp pain and ha come on really suddenly. Any idea what it is or what I can do? My daughter is virtually 5 months old.

Thanks

Are you breast feeding? If so then it is probably a blocked milk duct or mastitis

I am breastfeeding. I don't have any flu like symptoms. Just the pain in the one breast. It's really quite painful though!

What should I do?

Try taking ibuprofen, massaging the sore area as much as you can bear and keep offering that side to baby to get you breast as empty as possible. A hot shower or bath massaging the sore area can also help. If it is still sore tomorrow or if you start to feel unwell or get a temp then you will probably need to go to the GP for antibiotics.
If it does turn out to be mastitis then taking probiotic tablets (not the drinks) has been proven to reduce/prevent repeat attacks so may well be worth a try.
Hopefully if you have caught it early it may well clear with the above tips. Good luck

Some people also swear by feeding the baby so that their chin points towards to sore area to help then drain it.
Personally that one didn't seem to make any difference for me but might also be worth a shot.
Current advice if you had had any problems is to try to ensure that you feed in more than one position each day to try to ensure all ducts are stimulated.
It can be unbelievably sore i Know, but it can also pass quite quickly if you are lucky and get in there early.

I had mastitis with my first baby (on the other side) when she was tiny. Breast feeding was going horribly and I didn't notice the extra pain in my breast. Just suddenly felt awful. Went to the dr and half my breast was red hot and inflamed. I felt so ill. I really can't feel like thy again. This baby won't take a bottle and I have a toddler!

Is it definitely that?!

Thanks

Hopefully it is just a blocked duct and the massaging and extra feeding will get it moving again so it doesn't develop into anything more. It really is a pain, but apparently some people can just be prone to it sadly so it is just a case of being alert to the warning signs and taking action.
If it is still sore tomorrow though I would go get it checked just to be sure.

There is some information on Kellymom about blocked ducts and mastitis . That page also has lots of suggestions of things to try to clear a blocked duct. It's definitely possible to have a blocked duct and it not become mastitis - I hope it clears quickly.

Definitely sounds like a blocked duct. Best thing you can do is to keep feeding, no matter how sore it gets. Apply some heat / warm shower on the sore patch and gently massage.

If you start to feel achy or unwell get some anti biotics, get a 2 week course to be sure of it not coming back. And keep feeding.

Mastitis is grim, hope you manage to clear it before it gets to that stage.

Thanks all, in feeding regularly on that side. Does it matter about not using the other side as much?!

You could create the same problem on the other side by draining the blocked one solely for the next few feeds so express from the good side. I've had blocked ducts and as long as you go in early, massage the hell out of the sore part and keep it as empty of milk as poss you might get away with it turning into mastitis.

In the short term, no not at all. Usually just offering the sore side first so that it takes the main emptying, and then then offer the other side, returning to the sore side afterwards if you might get a few more sucks from it.
If you don't find it is getting emptied then expressing or pumping some off before the feed can help- before is better than afterwards as baby will empty it more thoroughly then any other method could.

How is it feeling?