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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Blocked milk duct HELP!

22 replies

Rooroo1012 · 29/11/2018 22:39

My baby is 4 weeks old and has taken well to breastfeeding but a few days ago I got a blocked milk duct. I managed...somehow to unblock it, or it unblocked itself but now it’s come back on same boob and same place.
It’s far more painful this time, I had to stop my ds from feeding on tonight as I was in agony. Felt like a knife slicing my nipple as he sucked!!

Please help with any advice, thanks

OP posts:
Sweetpotatoaddict · 29/11/2018 22:41

Dangle feed, lie baby on bed then dangle breast over and let him latch on. I can remember the relief when I had a blocked duct.
You need to keep feeding. Kellymom.com has good advice.

ArnoldBee · 29/11/2018 22:44

If it's happened twice it may be that you need to ask your HV for advice to hopefully stop it happening again.

TheKrakening3 · 29/11/2018 22:46

Check your nipple for a white spot that has sealed over the duct on the surface. This is what happened to me on a regular basis. The ango y of the backed up milk was unbelievable. It can be easily resolved by lifting the white seal from the pore with a sterile needle. It is recommended that this should be done by a medical professional but I always did it myself.

KMoKMo · 29/11/2018 22:52

Dangle feeding has always worked for me too. Hot shower and massage help temporarily but yes whatever you do do not stop feeding on that side.

LipstickTraces · 29/11/2018 22:56

Sterile needle in the milk bleb. It’s the quickest was to solve it and the blessed relief is instant.

FusionChefGeoff · 29/11/2018 23:00

Really really hot flannel as a compress or a nappy full of very hot water works well.

You can use a comb in the shower to massage your (soapy) breast towards the nipple.

Original poster
Rooroo1012 · 30/11/2018 18:02

Thanks ladies. Have been giving all the advice a try throughout the day. Pain has eased off slightly but still got a lump and some redness, hoping this goes away soon x

OP posts:
Imicola · 30/11/2018 18:39

You are not alone - had one for a few days, but now it feels like multiple blocks 🙁. Have tried everything, but don't see any white patch on nipple, so that is the exception... Hope it moves soon!

KMoKMo · 30/11/2018 21:55

I never could see milk blebs with mine. I didn’t really see how dangled feeding could work but it actually really did for me. I think they also suggest try to get baby’s chin towards the blockage. So changing position around and with dangle feeding you can literally feed any way once you’ve got the hang of it - it did take quite a few attempts to get there.

IsItBiggerThanTheBoxItsIn · 01/12/2018 17:33

I wish i'd known about dangle feeding last time I had one! I found massage under the shower and a really long feed cleared it. Also used one of those little rectangle hardwarmer things where you snap the metal disk and it goes from liquid to warm and squishy stuffed in my bra to ease it between feeds.

tinymeteor · 01/12/2018 18:00

If there's an obvious lump and red patch you might be developing mastitis. If you start feeling like you have the flu get to the GP for antibiotics as soon as you can. Don't leave it or you risk an abcess. The advice about feeding through it still holds, it's painful but it's the only way and once it starts clearing you'll feel better fast.

thewinehasgonetomyhead · 01/12/2018 18:03

If there’s a lump and redness you must see a GP as it could be mastitis. Don’t wait, get an out of hours appointment.

CrazyOldBagLady · 01/12/2018 18:07

Massage the lump from outside towards the nipple and keep feeding. The baby should be able to clear it. I heard a tip to point baby’s chin at the lump which might help. To avoid in future make sure you have a good latch.

PixieCutRegret · 01/12/2018 18:15

Just to add, put something that vibrates (ahem Grin) on the duct, for some reason that helps! It does sound like it's getting into mastitis territory, if you start to get flu like symptoms go to your walk in centre or call 111. I know it's painful but keep feeding, your baby feeding is the best thing to unblock the duct!

If, after you have had your latch checked, you keep getting the same blocked duct definitely ask your gp to refer you to the breast clinic just to rule out any problems. I was referred after reccurent mastitis and turns out I've got some scar tissue on my boob that causes the nearby duct to block, the duct will block occasionally for the rest of my breastfeeding journey but at least I know to be hyper aware of the area and always catch blockages early now.

LovesLaboursLost · 01/12/2018 18:24

I’ve always found that using a breast pump on the hardest setting sorted it out. You can feel it pulling on the blockage.

Emmak789 · 01/12/2018 18:34

I know your pain! Sad don't stop feeding, it makes it worse, get a hot flannel and press it against the hard area, after a few minutes massage this area and gently try to push the milk in the ducts towards the nipple. Keep trying this at regular intervals. It gets worse when you haven't fed baby for a few hours so if baby is sleeping just try to express some milk, enough to stop the milk ducts getting too full and blocked. Also check there is no dried hardened milk on the nipple. Avoid dry milk build up by rinsing nipples after a feed with warm water or using a warm wet flannel to wipe.

Lloyd1993 · 01/12/2018 18:51

These are the most painful things!! Take a long shower and use a clean wet flannel to gently 'exfoliate' your nipple. I do this every now and again even when all is ok to kind of prevent it happening again.The best thing to do is feed feed feed from that side sadly. I feel your pain!

BlueMoon33 · 03/12/2018 21:45

Hi, watching this thread as I think I’ve got a blocked duct. Yesterday was pure agony to feed in the morning and I had a creamy spot on the end of my nipple. I had a very hot bath and expressed which made things feel easier. I used a sterilised needle on the surface of the creamy spot but it still feels painful to feed tonight, not agony but still bad enough, how do I know when the duct isn’t blocked anymore, will it just stop being painful?

Lloyd1993 · 03/12/2018 22:20

It might hurt for a couple of days whilst the milk clears properly :(

Emmak789 · 03/12/2018 23:23

Bluemoon, is it still hurting? Have you got a breast pump? Try another hot bath, massage the milk duct especially and hard bits, then try expressing until you completely drain the breast. If it's still hurting after a couple days then maybe the problem is the way baby is latching that's causing pain.

BlueMoon33 · 04/12/2018 05:49

It’s painful to feed and inbetween feeds feels like the nipple is bruised.

Baby is 7 months old but have had a sore nipple on this side once before due to a dodgy latch so maybe that is what’s going on now.

I’ve got a manual pump but I don’t get on with it that great. Will have another hot bath, keep feeding and lanisoh inbetween feeds and see how it goes.

BlueMoon33 · 04/12/2018 10:25

Had a look this morning and have still got the bleb which I thought had disappeared last night. Will keep hot flanneling and try dangle feeding today.

Got a wriggly poorly baby who just wants to latch on and off and on and off!

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