Painful breast ...

[rubyslippers]

DD is nearly 8 months and feeding 3 (sometimes 4 times per day)

This morning i woke up with a painful right breast - feels a bit lumpy and tender

DD wouldn't really feed well off it either so i gently hand expressed in the shower and it still feels odd (quite heavy as well)

could it be a blocked duct?

I have been so lucky and not had any problems at all feeding

She won't feed now until maybe 2 ish and then not until 6 pm

any advice much appreciated
TIA

It sounds like a blocked duct. Is there a visible red spot?

It's important to try to clear it now.

If you could lure your DD into feeding off that side, ideally with her chin as close as possible to the lump, that would clear it. Otherwise, if you can hand express on that side, again, massaging the painful bit most of all, that might clear it.

A blocked duct can lead to mastitis or an abscess, so the sooner cleared the better, really.

Thanks NQC

If DD won't latch then will express again

the lump is towards the top of my boob and no visible red spot

hmm - will see how i get on

thanks again

To get her to feed with her chin there, then you either lie her down on the bed and lower your boob in, or lie on your back, and encourage her to feed when kneeling "over" your shoulder, or lying on you. It'll look and feel stupid, but I swear, chin to the lump really helps.

do you have a wide tooth comb? as well as expressing and getting the baby to feed, you can gently comb your breast with a wide tooth comb, comb towards your nipple from the very top of your breast, gently obviously, it sometimes helps to apply some moisturiser to your breast before you comb

i have done this and got rid of blocked ducts lots of times, by combing before and after feeding/expresssing etc.

and what cockney said about chin to lump, your dd is at the age that she may find it fun to try and feed in an odd postion, esp if she is trying to crawl etc.

I had a blocked duct recently, it was quite painful and my boob felt like one massive hard lump!!
The best advice I was given (from a La Leche volunteer via their helpline) was to let gravity help to clear it, ie feed with dd lying flat on the bed and 'dangle' my boob in her mouth. It worked really quickly and all of a sudden she was really gulping and within minutes the blockage was gone and my boob soft again.

thanks so much

will dangle and comb later

still feeling quite sore so am hopeful this will work

i think the dangling/combing combo has worked

boob feels better and when i expressed milk seemed to be flowing more easily

thanks so much everyone