Reoccurring blocked ducts

[Missingyoupapum]

My baby is 8 weeks and the last 6 weeks I seem to have a blocked duct every week. Each time is a different boob/ location & I get shivers/ hot flushes/ my body aches.

I follow guidance about not getting them and also follow the guidance to get rid of them but each time before it goes I feel awful for a day or so!
Help!

I had this, I actually kept needing antibiotics. Everything eventually settled at 3 months (I think when I was more in a rhythm with my baby) rather than that slightly irrational cluster feeding they do in the beginning.

I had such an issue with recurrent blocked ducts from 3-8 weeks - basically always had at least one at the worst point. They gradually got less frequent and now at 13 weeks I do get a small blockage maybe once a week but it clears within a couple of feeds. It's just taken time for my supply to settle and LO to be able to drain the breast more effectively at each feed I think.

My blockages got worse if I slept on my side, and pressure in a particular part makes it worse for me. I tend to have blockages where the milk calcifies in the nipple but have made sure to wipe my boob dry after each feed and since then I haven’t been blocked since.

Thank you everyone! Hoping it should settle down with time then. I do sleep on my side or front so guess that isn’t helping!

I found that the medela hydrogel patches that go over your nips were a godsend when I had swelling from a blocked duct. I kept feeding through the pain, and thankfully it stopped happening at all around 5 months PP.

I had this and I read that a lecithin supplement could help, it has anti clogging properties and is in lots of food products anyway. I bought some from Holland and Barrett and it never happened again.

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/holland-barrett-ultra-soya-lecithin-capsules-1200mg-60000301?skuid=000301

kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/lecithin/#:~:text=The%20usual%20recommended%20dosage%20for,the%20dosage%20by%20one%20capsule.&text=Lecithin%20is%20a%20very%20common,naturally%20in%20many%20other%20foods.

Sorry I don't think second link works but if you look on kellymom it tells you about soy lecithin for blocked ducts.

Yes, soya lecithin helps. I took it when I had problems with recurring plugged ducts with DC2.

Also take ibuprofen prophylactically as soon as a duct is blocked. As an anti-inflammatory it reduces inflammation or swelling in the breast in response to the blockage. (Disregard this advice if you shouldn't take ibuprofen for some other reason, obviously.)

Do you always feed in the same position? Do you tend to get the blockages in the same spot? Try mixing it up a bit if so. Or do some breast compressions while you feed, focusing particularly on the affected/vulnerable area. I got to be a dab hand (arf) at focused hand expression.