Clogged duct - help and advice?

[BeeHobz]

Hey lovely MNetters,

I've had a clogged duct for 24 hours now - I've had them before, but this one is a wedge shape on the top of my breast, and is proving to be really stubborn. I've tried:

Massage
Hot showers and baths
vibration
pumping
dangle feeding
ibruprofen gel
drinking lots of water
combing it (wtf)

I'm getting quite emotional about it, because I felt like BF was going really well for once.

Does anyone have any advice or support for me? You lot always make me feel better. I've just got to keep going with it all, haven't I?

You just feel so alone - like, there's no help available unless it turns into mastitis. I'm just stuck at home with one massive sore boob.

Will it be here forever!?!? Help!!

Does anyone

You poor thing. I used to get loads of these the first few months of bf. They made me feel absolutely desperate.

You're doing the right things. I would also add to check for a bleb - it's where a blob of milk gets stuck in the end of a milk duct. They look like a tiny white dot on your nipple. Kelly mom website has lots of helpful advice on clogged ducts and blebs.

Cos I got so many blocked ducts I started taking lecithin supplements and drank shit loads of water. I stopped getting them so I guess it worked!

I'm still bf at 13 months but god there were some tough times. So I really know how you feel. Good luck

Try feeding over your shoulder, with baby's chin pointing towards the blockage.
I had some stubborn blockages this time round, . I had to massage Reallllllllllyyyyy aggressively to shift them. Hot water bottle overnight also helped. I finally sorted it during a long bath, followed by a very hungry feed. Just keep doing what you are doing, it will unblock.
I know what you mean about feeling emotional. I was terrified of getting mastitis as it sounds awful.

I did most of the things you did, plus squeezing the boob with a flannel soaked in very warm/hot water regularly, and not wearing a bra until it was better. Blocked ducts are awful!

Ugh, horrible. I could never bear to massage much, I did find combing helped a bit sometimes, or at least was easier than massage. Feeding, feeding, feeding, whilst doing as much massage/ strokes as I could manage.
I used to get loads, but it did settle down. Baby is six months & still feeding and I haven’t had a blocked duct for I can’t remember ho wrong. Ages.
I did find I had to be so so careful about positioning to prevent them eg couldn’t feed lying down, because it didn’t drain the breast evenly (I can now).

I have had this a lot lately due to cutting down feeds ahead of returning to work. What helped shift the blockage (as well as all of the things already mentioned) was massaging the nipple/blockage with oil.

Keep doing what you're doing OP, and try applying heat before each feed as well.

I had a blockage for two weeks or so that did clear eventually without getting infected.

Ah you have my sympathy. I had this a couple of weeks ago. It's awful. Keep doing what you're doing and I know it sounds silly but have you tried the old cabbage leaf trick? I was highly sceptical but willing to give anything a go and it did clear up fairly quickly. Whether it was the cabbage or not who knows but worth a try.

I had a couple in the first month. I was desperate because nothing seemed to work and they were so uncomfortable. I thought it was a milk bleb but couldn't bring myself to do anything about it. I just kept going with all the suggestions and it seemed to work itself out after a night feed.

Thank you all for replying - I really appreciate it. It's got worse and more painful and is red, so I called NHS 111 and they've booked me an out of hours GP appointment. I'm just worried that they're going to think I'm time wasting!

It's just so depressing when nothing seems to worse and it's just getting worse. Plus, all the massage etc is just making it sore.

I keep crying!! Why is it making me so upset!?

How are you now beehobz? Did you get antibiotics?

I had both clogged ducts and mastitis several times. For me I had a recurring bleb on each breast, and it would always clog at the same spot. I ended up using a needle to unblock it, sounds horrific I know but was just removing a tiny layer of skin, similar to if you were removing a splinter.

Anyway I wanted to sympathise with how emotional it all is - my husband found it so hard during those months as I was literally obsessed with my tits. I think it was the sense of impending doom when there was a block I couldn't shift. And how exhausting it all was, tending to your boobs constantly. Mastitis (if you have it) is a sign of overdoing it so you are probably tired in the first place, which makes everything emotional. And it's connected to feeding your little dear one, I suppose it can feel that a lot's at stake.

Hope you are on the road to getting better now

Hi @Smellyjo, thanks for your post...

I did get antibiotics from the doc, and have started my course. But now i'm worried that I don't have an infection because I don't feel ill?? I know i should trust the Dr, and I do have other symptoms- hot, red, shiny, painful lump...

I'm just worried that it's never going to go - I know that sounds irrational but it's how I feel. I'm so jealous of me from a week ago, breastfeeding with ease and not even thinking about it.

Know what you mean about being obsessed- I keep googling it all, hoping for some magic answer that isn't 'a hot compress'. I think my hubs is exhausted with me, but it's hard to explain why it's so upsetting.

Anyways - fingers crossed for an improvement soon. And thank you all for your kind words. It really helps. xxx

Hot water bottle ( as hot as you can stand) and leave it on as long as possible. I keep getting one in the same place and I tuck the hot water bottle into my secret support top and sleep with it there and often lump will have gone in the morning - prob during one of the overnight feeds.
Obv don’t do this if you co-sleep! Or maybe just try it with a warm rather than hot bottle so no chance of scalding baby.

So sorry, awful for you. I used to get these a lot and they are very painful. I did all of the things you’re doing. Hot flannel helped alittle. Hope you feel better soon

Have you tried feeding while in the warm bath?! I had to do this once while also massaging. Much sympathy.

Och really feel for you. Even if you don't feel full blown flu ill, the way you are feeling emotionally I think suggests there's something going on. And when it goes red this is defo a sign of infection. From memory it didn't take long to start feeling better, but it did take some time, maybe a couple weeks, for the hard area to dissipate. It will go but I'm afraid you are more at risk of getting it in the same place, so it's worth remaining aware of that area and regularly massaging whilst feeding and inthe shower. But you will feel yourself again soon I promise.

I used these probiotics www.optibacprobiotics.co.uk/shop/for-babies-children?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhOui-5DD2QIVpbftCh3flgzAEAQYASABEgLJ2_D_BwE on me and baby after having antibiotics, expensive but I was worried about the impact of antibiotics so young and felt it helped.

I say just rest (as much as you can with a baby lol) and don't beat yourself up for being upset - it's how you feel and perfectly valid.

I was soooooooooooooooooo tearful the night mastitis developed, it's quite common i think. I'm desperately trying to shift a blockage no

I think the emotional rollercoaster is part of mastitis- I sobbed!
A midwife suggested a nappy soaked with hot water tucked into bra.
It’s awful- but the antibiotics will help- a little extra tlc for you- can your partner help a bit more, give you couple hours to rest? Fighting infection and feeding is tough on your body.