Clearing a blocked duct

[Jimjams]

Any tips? Louis is a very gentle feeder and doesn't seem able to clear it himself- although I have been massaging the boob whilst feeding him, and I have tried expressing. Basically fell asleep on my right boob last night and now its blocked. Tried hot flannels, will try expressing whilst feeding on the other side, and am about to go and find something homeopathic (phytolacca maybe?). Any other tips welcomed before I end up wiith mastitis!

Hi

I had this only last week. I found that a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel helped enormously. Also got ds2 to feed from the affected side but turned him around so he was massaging the bad bit. Took ibuprofen for the pain.

Thankfully, I'm OK now but it was a worrying couple of days.

HTH
mj

Try a very different feeding position - eg lying down if you n ormally sit up, rugby-hold if you normally feed across, etc.

Comb your boob with a very wide-toothed comb (eg afro comb) while under a warm shower or in the bath. Comb all the way from under your arm to the areola, similarly from your shoulder down, etc all the way around the boob, especially on the blocked side.

If it continues getting worse, go to the gp tomorrow (even if it's not bad enough to warrant going) so that if it doesn't clear up you will already have the antibiotics ready and won't have to struggle with weekend surgery crises.

Hope it gets better soon.

hot/cold/massage, combing...
get some flucloxacillin just in case it turns to the dreaded mastitis (ie you get a fever and a red patch, increasing in size on the breast) - i have some from when dd2 was born which i never used. good luck, x

I got that too jj a week or so ago - did the expressing and the hot flannels before feeding and then cool flannels after... seemed to clear up - mine was caused by a new bra I had bought that was a little too small - stupid irregular sizes ( another thread perhaps!!) I got dd2 to feed more from that one and then expressed the other.

I used to put a dark green cabbage leaf in my bra....but I can't remember why

I know it worked tho'

Phytolacca is the remedy
Put baby on his back, lean over him and breastfeed with your breasts hanging into his mouth.
Gently rotate your arm from the bad side.... please feel free to ring me if it doesn't get better.... had not seen your post before !

Jimjams, I had a couple of blocked ducts with ds. Cleared them by starting a few feeds off from the boob, doing the combing things lots and massaging it whenever I could. Also expressed with Medela electric pump when ds didn't seem to be clearing it. Oh, and went bra-less all the time too until it cleared. It took about 48 hours to get rid of them, I think. hth a bit.

Thanks for the tips! I managed to clear it using a combination of feeding Louis in different positions and also hand expressing whilst feeding his from the other side (that worked well).

Today I've had the opposite problem- he's fed and fed and fed- think he's trying to increase my mik supply (trouble is he feeds so gently I'm not sure he stimulates the breast that much).

jimjams - dd2 was like that for a few weeks feeding so gentle and I really wasn't feeling the let down - now around 8 - 9 weeks she seems to have gotten the hang of it and is a 'greedy' feeder iykwim..

thanks eidsvold- I've found the let down hard to feel. nappies are yellow again so hoping he's getting enough.....

I don't always feel the let down jimjams - but I keep looking at the nappies as long as they are wet and she has the lovely yellow poo - I try not to worry.