Blocked duct - do I have to feed more frequently at night??

[mumofthreeboysS]

For the first time last night I expressed and my DH fed my ds and be slept through till 4am- for the first time in weeks I had a great nights sleep- bliss! But I woke with a sore hot red patch on my boob and have read that it is probably a blocked duct- the solution? To feed more frequently. How unfair! (Sob!) so I'm worried that if I don't feed more frequently it'll get worse and could turn into mastitis but don't want to start feeding every 2 hours at night- ds doesn't even need to feed that frequently!

Any advice appreciated!

Oh I am so sorry - I was very prone to this all through breastfeeding, and it is screamingly painful. I really sympathise.

I tried everything I could and always got it moving in the end without mastitis - although the longest was nearly two days which was a killer.

Have a nice hot bath with Epsom Salts.

Keep very firmly massaging the breast tissue where the blockage is - A LOT. Just lie there and massage and massage and massage. My DH did it for me sometimes, when I was too sore to do it to myself.

Almost unbearably hot flannels on the breast, then more massage.

Get the baby to feed upside down from the normal way. I tried all different positions, including on all fours over her, rugby ball and with her over my shoulder drinking upside down.

Try hand expressing - that cleared it for me one time.

Massage with your hand making a C shape.

Breastpumping.

Kneading using your knuckles.

Castor oil compress.

Electric toothbrush on the area - not the brush part, just some part of it that vibrates.

Hope this helps.

Sorry, just realised I didn't answer your question properly! I didn't wake DD up to feed in the night. I just did everything I could in the day and then fed her if she woke in the night as normal.

Loads of sympathy from me too. I also suffered with this every-time my two changed their feeding patterns. I was advised to take Ibuprofen as soon as I felt the first red hot twinges, which reduces and internal swelling of ducts, so allows the milk to flow more freely, then to feed and express like mad (during the day) from that side particularly, though making sure that the other side is well used, too, so that it doesn't start to block.

Ibuprofen is, I was advised, safe to use during breast feeding, but not if you might be in the early months of pregnancy as there was a slight risk of early miscarriage.

Best of luck