Can anyone help me figure out WTF is wrong with my right boob?

[TheBananaFaceOfEvil]

DS2 has just turned 2. I had no feeding problems with him until he was about 12mo and started to get blocked ducts, white spots on nipple - always on the right side. I soldiered on, though, and they usually resolved themselves.

Last week DS2 had a blocked nose, so wasn't feeding as well as he could. Suddenly it became excruciating to feed him on the right side. My boob felt sore and lumpy and had a red mark on it. That disappeared after a bit of expressing, but the nipple stayed really sore and I couldn't feed him at all on that side. (The nipple is also swollen - twice the size of the other one.)

Because I was clearly in such agony, DS2 started refusing the right side, so I pumped as much as I could but didn't get much out. But on the odd occasion he has fed on that side, it's been sore when he latches on, and about ten minutes after I finish, I get this absolutely agonising pins and needles pain deep in my boob. It goes on for a good few hours after a feed.

It happened today and I've had to spend the last couple of hours hand expressing, but it's still so sore.

But for the last few days when he's not been feeding from it, it's felt fine

Should I just stop feeding on that side altogether? I wouldn't mind that - I'd like to wean in the next six months anyway. But can I just stop? Or will my boob explode?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice. It's SO painful!

Have you been to the GP. Could be a simple infection, or could be a sign of something more sinister. Worth getting it checke as it's been on and off for a while.

Yes, I probably should. Whenever I've been to the GP about bf things before, they've been a bit clueless. But I'll just have to give it a go.

An infection or mastitis? I thought that's what red marks meant. Go see your GP. Hope you feel better

I think it's okay to drop to one boob only, although you might end up lopsided.

But I think it could be you have a blocked duct there if it's only recent. Can you feel around and see if you can feel a lump or a sore spot? Then try (gently!!) massaging that spot towards the nipple when you hand express or feed, and if possible do some gymnastics to aim DS' chin at the sore spot as this should help the blockage to come out.

I don't think that a GP would be able to help with a blocked duct unless it became infected (that's when you get mastitis) but if you can't shift it or it doesn't clear then definitely get it checked.

Pain deep in the breast and shooting pains can also be signs of thrush, which GP might be able to check for. Have either of you been on antibiotics?

I've had to give up one side before, and fed from just the remaining one for a year nearly. I'm not lopsided, and I'm back to both sides now with my second child. The milk will just stop producing if you stop feeding from that side, but stopping cold turkey will make everything you're suffering with worse so reduce slowly.

The pain after feeding deep within the breast sounds like thrush. A topical cream will treat any on the surface but inside the milk ducts you will need to take something. I'd call the breastfeeding network advice line and be armed with information before you head to the GP.

The red patch sounds like mastitis. If there is a lump that feels hot or bruised and you feel flu-y you might want to consider mentioning that to the breastfeeding network too.

Longer term when you're feeling better, it would be good to consider the cause for the issues on one side and not the other. If your toddler is anything like mine, their latch can get lazy. Could there be a particular reason their latch isn't as good on one side, but fine on the other, like they don't like laying on that side or they can't see the TV as well from there or it's not the one they have at 3am, or even something unrelated like your underwire on your bra is broken on that one side and is stopping milk from moving around properly.