owww.. half a boob is soft & other half is rock solid & bloody painful! help!

[eviz]

this really really hurts..

It feels like I have a paving slab stuck down my boob - half is soft & floppy and the other side is solid & massively painful..

I can actually feel all the way around the blockage and it's going up underneath my armpit.

Any suggestions? i'm trying hot flannels & massage & I've booked into gp tomorrow just in case - also trying to get DD to feed as much as poss (doesn't help that she's a high-speed feeder who doesn't linger on the boob

How long will it take for a blockage to clear?

do you have a pump?? I found pumping the milk out/around it and massaging helped - but be careful not to be too rough as I was and it cleared but then the boob ached for several days after.

on meds my blockage took a few days not too long really, but did become better (ie more manageable in the mean while.

i'm assuming you offer that side first every time?

Ouch. Massage it really hard. While feeding too. And make sure baby is positioned well to drain it. ake some aracetamol. Hope you feel better soon. (sorry, typing/feeding)

can you get your dp/dh to help release the blockage?

Hot bath/shower and pumping normally helps me

I have tried pumping but nothing is coming out!

I can only ever get her to feed from one side at a time (she's 5 months)

she's feeding at the mo and I'm massaging furiously

Meant to be going out for dinner this evening (with DD too), should I cancel? they're good friends, but not good enough to witness me pumping and massaging I don't think.. is there any chance it'll get better by tonight?

Feed only from the side that is solid (unless the other side starts to get uncomfortably full, in which case let the baby have a bit from that side too to take the pressure off. Angle the baby to make sure that the baby's chin is on the solid side.
This worked for me with any blockages.

hi, the best advice i can give is call the bfn (brest feeding supporter) line they know all there is to know you really do not want to let this linger as its possible it will lead to mastitis
having breastfed two children myself and being a bfn helper this is the best advice i can give hope its of some help

Have a shower as hot as you can stand and express afterwards/massage during. Have also heard that dangle feeding (feeding from above them). HTH.

oops, sorry that should have been dangle feeding helps.

soory told you to call the brest feeding suporter line and didnt give the number mummy brain please call them 0844 412 4664

Just popping back to say boob is sorted! 'thanks for advice. I didn't need to try the dangle feeding in the end = but it sounded intriguing!