Blocked ducts - any advice?

[Kyliebump]

Baby is 3 days old today and my milk has come in -I seem to have several painful lumps towards my armpit, and am wondering if this is engorgement or blocked ducts? Does anyone have any advice or tips for treatment?

It maybe a bit of both I found It helped by lying in a hot bath and firmly stroke your hands from your armpit to your nipple It may only be short term relief but it made me feel better. I remember my midwife saying something about putting cabbage leaves in your bra although I cant remember what type of cabbage and also drinking red wine (in moderation!) Sounds bizzare but its supposed to work.

I am no expert but did experience a similar thing with my DS. I was advised to feed him in different positions, the traditional way, under the arm like a rugby ball, lying down, changing the position during the feed to make sure that all the ducts are being milked effectively. If you can manage gently massage the lumpy bits whilst feeding to try and encourage the milk to flow. It would be wise to try and get the milk flowing to avoid mastitis. You could also try a warm flannel or Savoy Cabbage leaves that have been kept in the fridge, just pop some in your bra, heaven! Anyway hope this helps, our resident midwives and b/feeding experts aren't about at the moment but I am sure they will have more advice.

Engorgement feels like what it sounds like, there is too much milk in your poor suffering breasts. Usually with engorgement the whole breast is hard and it immediately starts to get soft as you feed. Though sometimes if you are too engorged the baby has trouble feeding. In that case warm your breast with a hot damp towel or hot water bottle and try massaging out a little milk yourself first (careful it can squirt far). Blocked ducts usually are just a large lump inside the breast that is often reddish on the skin surface. As suggested by the others a warm bath and massaging your breast at the lump while feeding usually gets rid of it within a feed or two. And change feeding positions too while feeding it helps prevent them. You do want to get rid of the blocked ducts quickly, as they can turn into mastitis which hurts even more (if you can imagine that). Don't worry, your breasts will settle down in a few weeks and it will stop being painful and actually be enjoyable....ps i never tried the cabbage leaves, but it seemed to be a lot of trouble given the modern wonderful inventions of today.

Honestly the cabbage leaves are miracle workers, I believe it has to be Savoy Cabbage and they have to be straight from the fridge!

Excellent advice - as a midwife I have nothing further to add. Cabbage leaves definately help. Unrestricted access to the braest helps as well. I remember having rugby ball shaped breasts with engorgement in the first few days - brought tears to my husbands eyes to look at them! I found soaking in the bath on my stomach really helpful.
It does resolve.

lettuce leaves worked just as well!

i think the lumpy bits are definately blocked ducts. Engorgement is an all over bursting - rock hard sort of feeling. A gentle massage of lumps while in the bath soon disappears them, I found

Thanks so much for your help - have stocked the fridge with Savoy cabbages - feels fantastic, but doesn't do much for a seam-free bra effect!!! Had a visit from the midwife this morning and she confirmed blocked ducts (with early signs of mastitis), so hopefully with warm baths, massaging and cabbages I will have caught this in time. I am clinging on to the hope that this early part is the worst. I am also struggling with adopting any kind of position other than baby lying horizontally across my tummy - does finding other positions also get easier?

Thanks again so much.

Guess what we had for dinner tonight. Fish pie accompanied by Savoy Cabbage hee, hee!

Nevermind, with second baby due in 3 1/2 weeks will no doubt soon be joining you by shoving them in my bra as well!

The different positions thing does get easier although probably not that essential once feeding is established and problems like blocked ducts have gone. Have you tried using pillows or cushions to help get baby up to the right level.

It is worth persevering as I was on the verge of mastitis myself with this, red sore areas on the breast and slightly feverish feeling, but once everything was moving again I felt much better.

Forgot to say first posting many congratulations on your new baby, have you posted a birth announcement somewhere else? Did you have a DS or a DD? Anyway many congrats, Kyliebump .

My dd is now 8 months old and I managed to feed her for approx 4 months, but suffered from Mastitis 3 times in those 4 months. I discovered that it was best for me to feed dd from both breasts at each feed and that way the milk flow kept going sufficiently to stop the blockages. I found that problems occured when there was too big a time lapse between feeding on one side. It worked for me - eventually! - might be worth a try.

Yes, it does get easier as the baby gets bigger. I breastfed my son on demand until 6 months and then started solids and did 3 or 4 daytime breastfeeds as well until 11 months when I got him down to 1 bedtime feed. I finally stopped at 14 months when I got pregnant again and it started hurting too much. I never got mastitis or cracked nipples, but I did get lots of engorgement and a few blocked ducts. I used lots of pillows to prop him up to breast height in the beginning. I had a c-section so I was limited in how I could manipulate my body and how long I could hold him unaided for. It was great when he got big enough (around 2 mo i think) to lie next to me in bed and reach my breast. Then I could stick him on my breast and fall back asleep while he fed! Yes, the early part is the worst and you are almost past it. Soon, when your baby latches on you won't even notice ....hard to imagine now, I know.

Thanks for the advice - I'm still persevering and hoping for this to all click into place. Thanks for asking about the baby, Demented - I hadn't posted an announcement anywhere as I hadn't joined in many discussions and didn't think that anyone would be expecting to hear from me - I had a lovely DS on 7th May, 9lb7oz (first baby!!). As an Arsenal supporter, the fact that we won the FA cup on the Saturday, I had DS on the Tuesday and then we won the league on the Wednesday, last week was a pretty memorable one for me!! Needless to say DS now has a victory Arsenal shirt!!

Here in Germany they advise putting fridge cold "quark" , or anything that resemble fromage frais instead of the cabbage leaves. It has the same effect and is perhaps rather messier...but I found it to work really well!

Congratulations Kyliebump, 9lb 7oz, wow!

kyliebump - a big one, ehh? mine was 10lb 3oz & position wise, I found it much easier to hold him like a rugby ball under the arm with feet pointing away from you (naturally), resting on a pillow. For such long babies it works a treat. All this nose to nipple nct stuff never worked for him, he was so long he was tucked half way under my armpit in the recommended position! my midwife showed me the rugby hold - ask yours, it's an oldie but a goodie and she should be able to help you out the first time!

Manna - 10lb 3oz - ouch!!! Thanks for the rugby ball advice - I'll give it a go!! The cabbage leaves worked wonders, but fromage frais sounds like an alternative worth trying - smelling of cabbage at all times was not very attractive!!!

Just an aside to make your eyes water since there has been a mention of birthweight here. I delivered a friend of mine's 5th baby and he weighed - wait for it - 12lb 5oz and is still breastfed at the age of 2 years

12lb 5oz - that's almost a toddler!! Much admiration to your friend!!

Dear Kyliebump - hope the ducts have cleared by now. The best thing that I used when I was breastfeeding, which I'm positive helped with keeping everything in the breastfeeding department under control, were some revolutionary breast feeding pads. A friend gave them to me but I know you can get them on the internet. They are merino wool with lanolin added to them and absorb milk brilliantly leaving the surface ducts unblocked and un-cracked too. I know woman in Scandinavian countries use something similar and have low rates of mastitis so maybe there is a link. I?ve looked the address up for you: www.lanowool.com ? anyway tons of luck.

Thanks Suezzzz - those breast pads sound great - I'll check out the site. Things are OK at the moment, but I feel that I am on the verge of it all going pear shaped again at any time. I have had several red patches which look like they're turning into mastitis, but have managed to halt the problem before it really gets going - I feel like I'm just about keeping one step ahead at the moment!!! On a positive note, DS was weighed today and is now 10lb4oz at two weeks old, so at least he's not having a problem getting enough food!!

Yes- combing works- try an"Afro" type comb preferably with nice blunt teeth, and lubricate with a little warm olive oil. Comb towards the nipple, and try and feed immediately afterwards

Has anyone experienced blocked ducts late on? We seemed to cruise through the first few weeks after the initial engorgement subsided, but now at three months I'm getting sore nipples with what look like blisters and sore, pointy lumps (tapering towards the nipple) which feel like rocks in both breasts. They go eventually after lots of massage and feeds, but sleeping is a problem. My baby is also a big'n (or 'statuesque' as we say to avoid hurting her feelings ..!) 4.5k at birth, 5.5 at 2 mths, and she has a very healthy appetite. Tried sticking to 'Contented Little' but she just got too hungry between feeds - you're right, frequent feeds do help. Also they don't sell Savoy Cabbage in Spain - is normal cabbage any use, or is there something special about the crinkly leaves ..?!

I can't help but I hope Tiktok sees your post.... Hot towels on breasts are very helpful just before a feed. Good luck

Have you thought about thrush? Does your baby use a dummy? Sometimes thrush can get picked up by baby and passed on to you. Have you been on antibiotics recently? That can cause it.
Have you started solids - I got small patches of eczeme on my nipples due irritation of solids - cleared up with low dose hydrocortisone cream.
Blocked ducts can occur at any time - best not to let breasts get overfull. Good luck solving the problem - a breastfeeding counsellor would be able to help.