Blocked duct/glands :-(

[PacificDogwood]

Oh, deep deep joy - NOT !

It was all going so swimmingly: DS4 7 weeks old took to BFing like a duck to water, no probs at all. This was to my great relief as BFing DS3 (and it hadn't been plain sailing with the other 2 either) had been a nightmare for the first 3-4 months due to repeated blocked ducts/glands, constantly teetering at the brink of mastitis...

And now this!
Typing this with hot pack stuffed inside my bra after having fed DS4 all night literally on all 4s and having him lie upside down next to me (his feet at my head) to try and get his chin to the upper outer part of my right breast - dignified it was not!

Gah! Who can I complain to, I demand to know (other than you unsuspecting MNers)??

Not sure why I am posting this - needed to vent and rant I suppose

As you were...

Aw - it's rotten isn't it. I suffered really badly, like you, with DD1 - but haven't had any problems at all with 2 or 3 apart from one dose of mastitis (and that was because I left DD2 for a day out). Unfortunately I have no idea what changed, so I can't advise...except that I moved back to Britain from abroad and I have heard it said that diet can affect it?
Have you tried ringing the good old nct, they might have some ideas?

Thanks for the sympathy - I am feeling pathetic

It only started yesterday evening so I will persevere with the old hot/cold packs, massaging, hot shower and feeding, feeding, feeding - I've been here before afterall.

The last time I needed help was for somebody else to massage the affected area hard as I just couldn't inflict pain on myself. I had to really beg and persuade the BF support nurse as they are "not allowed to be hands-on" - but I am asking you to, please. She relented and my, the relief!!

I hope it won't come to that this time...

Big sympathies from me Pacific - sounds like you're doing everything you can so really hoping it clears soon.

I've just come out of a couple days of blocked ducts after a growth spurt. Yesterday it was my left boob for the first time, so lots of hot compressess, massages and feeding. Strangely, it was a short feed when the left was the second boob that finally cleared them.

I swear by these - they work brilliantly for me. No mastitis even with the saga of my cracked nipples/thrush.

Well, I am no better .

R boob is empty from all the feeding bar the really, really painful wedge on the outside...

Like the look of the packs you linked to, Flip, but will make do with my 'normal' rectangular ones for the time being.

Oh, well, back to the feeding station