HELP! Mastitis and blocked milk duct that I just can't clear! I'm in so much pain

[blueberrymuffin88]

Please somebody give me hope, I'm getting desperate. I developed mastitis last Saturday night, fever, chills and achy joints and bf that night was absolutely excruciating. Next day I felt a hard lump at the side of my breast quite close to nipple about 4cm long and 2cm wide. Tried to fight the infection on Sunday but to no avail so got antibiotics from doc on Monday. Infection seems to have cleared (I think) but the lump is still as big and as painful as ever. I've literally tried EVERYTHING: Cabbage leaves, hot compress before feeding or pumping, massaging in hot bath, massaging whilst feeding, cold compresses for the pain, dangle feeding, feeding in crazy positions, comb in bath, electric toothbrush to vibrate lump, lecithin. Feeding is absolutely unbearable - and my nipple is so swollen I think it rubs on baby's pallet so I get blisters every time I feed and it's been bleeding for days now. Yesterday I couldn't bare the pain anymore so I decided to stick to pumping to let the nipple heal. Im still feeding from the unaffected side (left) but the supply in that side has always been poor so I have to top up almost all of her feeds with expressed milk.
Baby is 6 months old and before this I'd been feeding with no problems since she had her tongue-tie clipped at 5 weeks. Admittedly the right side has always been harder to feed from, she doesn't latch as well on that side and sometimes her latch is not perfect so this might be what has caused the blocked duct/mastitis.
I guess I'm just wondering if there is anyone else out there who's had a blocked milk duct for 7 days or longer and how you finally managed to clear it. I'm debating going to the walk-in centre this weekend as it's still so painful and I'm becoming exhausted and depressed. I just want to be able to feed my baby and enjoy feeding like I have been doing for for the last 4 months. I enjoy bf so so much and my poor DD doesn't know what's going on. I've been crying from the pain when I feed her and she keeps reaching for my right breast - it's breaking my heart after we worked SO hard in the first 5 weeks to get established - exclusive pumping, spent a fortune on lactation consultants and eventually having her tongue-tie diagnosed - then I developed thrush in both breasts because she had it in her mouth after I had antibiotics after infection at birth so that was 3 more weeks of agonising feeds.
I can't give up now, I need to overcome this and get back on track - I'm desperate 😢

I’d say you need to be seen again to make sure it’s not an abscess. Have you looked at the nipple in detail to make sure there’s no milk blister?

Posted to someone in a similar situation a few days ago about what I use to have to do.
When I had blocked ducts I would get on all fours, breast hanging down and attach my pump. Found it dislodged and released the blockages and could almost instantly feel the draining and relief!

Sounds like it could be an abscess.
I left mine as thought it was just mastitis and it burst. Got sorted but wasn't great!

Get you get into a walk in centre to be checked?

I agree with that - if it’s been a week and you’ve tried anything you need to get checked again in case it’s an abscess.

Definitely get checked, but what worked for me was Epsom salts.
Get a mixing bowl and fill it with at least a cup of Epsom salts and top up with water as hot as you can stand. Get your boob in there (you may need to be on all fours on the floor) and soak for as long as you can manage, then dangle feed while remaining on all fours.
Also, if your baby can’t clear it, is your DP willing to have a go?

Thanks so much for your replies everyone. I absolutely agree I need to get it looked at as it's really starting to worry me now. LaBelleSausage (love that username btw) I literally just had that conversation with my DP but he just doesn't think he can do it 🙈. Definitely no milk bleb either - I think I just keep getting friction blisters when I feed and they usually heal in 24 hours or in the bath. I will try the Epsom salts (already tried dangle feeding and pumping 😔)

Do you bras feel at all tight? Or nursing vests? Bras too small can cause blocked ducts and prevent them from healing. If you suspect this might be the issue then I would go braless as much as possible or wear something much looser fitting.
M&S and Mothercare both atrocious at fitting nursing bras which doesn’t help.

Hand expressing underwater in a hot bath. Literally had to do this yesterday (only had lump 12hrs though). This pushed blockage to my nipple and then I lifted skin with tweezers. More hot soak and then feed baby. So Painful but relief!
Hope you get it sorted soon

Definitely get checked again. I had this a few months ago - tried everything and it just wouldn’t shift. In the end, what helped me was filling a nappy with really hot water and using that as a warm compress. I’d tried flannels beforehand but it was the nappy that did the trick. Hope it gets sorted for you soon, it’s miserable! But don’t stop feeding - it will get better soon I promise!

How did you get on OP? Sounds like an abscess. Happened me too.

I read a tip to point your baby's chin in the direction of the blocked duct when feeding. This helped me once. It might involve some acrobatics though. After this long you really should get some medical attention too I think.