Blocked milk duct/mastitis help!

[Mummytotwo90]

I’ve had a blocked duct for around 2 days now, it’s quite large and you can see its outline on my left breast. Ive tried soaking in a warm bath, cold compress, feeding/dangle feeding as much as I can (it’s extremely painful) I’ve pumped but I’m finding nothing is coming out and I usually get 7oz from that side, if anything does come out it’s just a dribble.

I’ve even bought a lactation massager and tried that, it felt a little better but nothing has changed.

I’m in quite a lot of pain and today I feel nauseous, body aches and I think it’s developing into mastitis.

is there anything I can do to ease the pain, I’ve never had a blocked duct this bad before?

also will antibiotics clear a blocked duct up, I’ve only had mastitis before but not a blocked duct as my son is usually good at getting them out but I’m assuming he’s not being able to pull the milk out.

any advice would be greatly appreciated thank you xx

Apparently a electric toothbrush can help... Not the bristle end but I really recommend getting those antibiotics started.

Also get a haka and fill with Epsom salts and warm water. Attach to boob when you're feeding on the other.

Really best of luck, it's miserable but it will clear up soon

Ohh I feel for you, I've experienced this before. I've had mastitis twice and managed to clear it up without antibiotics through warm compresses, loads of expressing, and ibuprofen. You could try ibuprofen as it will help to reduce inflammation? For me using a wheat bag I put in the microwave, holding it on the blocked duct and then massaging it, and repeating this multiple times across the day, always cleared it.

The only way I managed to shift it was with VERY firm massage. I mean really, really hard. It hurt like hell but it got it shifted eventually.

and don’t delay in getting antibiotics as it can get nasty ever so quickly.

hope you feel better soon.

I second the electric toothbrush + firm massage, and feed feed feed on that side. Hope it resolves soon for you.

You need to seek medical help if you think it's now mastitis

100% get antibiotics asap for mastitis. I had it twice and the second time called 111, and as they knew I'd already had it, were happy to prescribe me antibiotics and get the prescription sent to a 24 hour pharmacy so that I could start treatment asap. Suggest you do the same as it can get nasty quickly.

A hot bath/shower and use a comb, combing toward the nipple. Or one of those spiky massage balls is good if you have one. Was also told to put a hot flannel on the blocked bit just before a feed.

I feel for you so much with this. I tried all the advice and the only thing that worked for me was to do all the massage etc but then actually look on your nipple for the bleb (google this)
it is a tiny tiny dot on your nipple. If you can flick this out (i used a pin, not recommended but i was desperate and it worked) it removed the blockage and milk squirted out and honestly I cant tell you the relief it was immense.
I really suffered with blocked ducts and each time it was one of these blebs. No one told me about this but once id done it and knew what I was looking for, I got the hang of it and could unblock them easier

The advice for treating mastitis has recently changed based on new research (I had it last month and was informed of this). They now recommend cold compresses and feeding on demand (I.e not over feeding or excess pumping) plus gentle massages rather than anything too vigorous.

https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BfN-Mastitis-Leaflet-December-22.pdf

I hope it improves for your soon, it’s so awful

Try Haka pump filled with warm water with Epsom salts, and vibrating toothbrush. Kneeling with boobs dangling down. I also put the hottest flannel I can handle on it. Like literally soaked in kettle water for a few mins then put baby on to feed. Keep putting baby to that breast as their sucking might be able to clear it. Good luck x

I agree with all the above.

Also, massage while feeding on that side, stroking towards the nipple (actually I recommend doing this even if you don't feel blocked, just with every feed).

Also I agree with the pp who said look for a bleb - find the bleb and brush it off/out with a rough flannel when you're in the bath, the pressure behind it helps (like squeezing a pimple).

Medium-term, you need to identify the reason it got blocked/engorged in the first place which can be due to uneven emptying. Keep feeding from a variety of positions each day so you empty uniformly around the breast. The book I read mentioned thinking of the breast like a clock shape and keep track of emptying every clock-number-position at some point each day

My kids are all older now but I breast fed all 3, 1 of them I had a number of blocked duct issues with, including a bout of mastitis. A friend had had similar problems, ending up seeing a lactation consultant and was recommended taking the supplement lecithin. Honestly it worked like a charm, any time I could feel a blocked duct I made sure I was taking it and the problems disappeared so fast. Worth a thought for the future. If you think you are at mastitis stage now though, as pps have said, you will need antibiotics. Best wishes, I hope you find some relief soon.

I suffered with blocked ducts a number of times when I was breastfeeding. You have my sympathy, it’s so uncomfortable!

I echo previous posters. I found very firm
massage and heat on the area worked. I used one of those lanisoh hot and cold things you can heat in the microwave.
A friend of mine is a lactation consultant and she recommended a toothbrush or vibrator for the massage!
She also recommended lecithin which I found worked.

Also came here to recommend lecithin supplements to avoid reoccurrence. Hope you can get antibiotics quickly.

Just to let you know I feel for you also. Few days after my daughter was born I had one rock hard boob, hot to the touch & felt very very feverish. I was hot but cold also, shivering in bed. No idea if it was mastitis but feeding cleared it, so I know how painful it must be.

For me the solution to unblocking depended on the cause.

A missed feed type block could be instantly relieved by locating a bleb as mentioned. Best way was filling a bowl with warm water and leaning forward to put boob in it. The combo of the warm water and gravity would reveal if bleb was there. This little plug can be scraped off and the milk would gush out.

If it was from pressure etc I would have to get it out with heat and massage and gravity. Imagine butter has gone solid in a straw and you need to get it out.

Taking neurofen can help and reduce the inflammation surrounding the block and make it easier to drain because of this.

Good luck and do follow up to see if you need antibiotics so it doesn’t turn to abscess.

Also rest up.

I found pumping the affected side shifted blocked ducts.

The only thing that got my blocked duct to go away was very firm massage. And regular pumping. Massage in every angle you can. Try to direct it towards the nipple. It took a few hours but I managed it before developing mastitis. I had flu like symptoms appear very quickly. I would get yourself seen tomorrow if it's still present.

I have not had mastitis so no advice in that department but I did have a blocked duct and I’m not proud of how I fixed it but i’ll share because I know how desperate the situation can feel. After countless attempts to remove the blockage myself with all the endless online advice and nothing working I asked my husband to try to suck it out. Yes you read that right. And it worked. And I would do it again if it happened again because that hurts like hell! He giggled and thought it was very funny and teased me relentlessly about it for days. Good luck OP. However it’s resolved I hope you feel better.

I have mastitis at the moment. It turns from blockage to being admitted to hospital very very quickly. Your symptoms sound like mine. I’m so sorry.

Don't wait until tomorrow call 111 now and tell them you think you have mastitis.

Another vote to look for a bleb, I used a pin to get rid of mine which was a good awful painful experience but cleared up the issue almost instantly. I don't think the antibiotics etc would have worked if I hadn't done that off my own back

I agree with others to go to the dr asap. I was in a similar situation although strangely had not had a fever, tried absolutely everything to unblock, and eventually ended up hospitalised with an abscess which was hell.

Hi just an update, also thank you so much for your advice and replies!

I had a Google and sure enough I had a little bleb on my nipple, in desperation last night I did get a little needle and nick it and the relief was instant. I managed to hand express and massage some of the blockage out and then fed my son. I think he’s managed to get the remainder out, I could cry with relief I feel so much better this morning, my temp has gone down and I don’t feel nauseous anymore. Still really tender but I assume that’s from being engorged.

my sons recently gone from a sleep regression/growth spurt, feeding every 2-3 hours to sleeping earlier and longer (last night he slept 11 hours!) so I know that’s why I’ve ended up like this as my milk didn’t have time to adjust.

I’m just so thankful for those who suggested looking for a bleb as I had no idea what that even was, it was an instant relief once I managed to remove it, I don’t think I’d of been able to unblock it otherwise and it’s saved me a trip to the doctors.

again thanks so much x

yey @Mummytotwo90 so so pleased it worked for you! ☺️

So pleased for you, sounds very similar to me and I saw two Drs neither did whom suggested it. Hopefully the tenderness will fade a bit too

Get the antibiotics but you also need to keep massaging.

Heat before a feed/pump/massage and an ice pack afterwards. Ibuprofen every 4 hours to reduce inflammation and help get the milk moving.