A.,
I have breastfed my older daughter until she was 1 yr. and 4 months and still breastfeeding my youngest (1 yr. 6 month). I think I am genetically prone to plugged ducts and even had mastitis with my first one. Through trial and error I found what I think are the best methods for treating this problem.
1. Buy a cabbage at the store with leaves big enough to fit on your breast. Separate the a leaf from teh cabbage, wash it with warm water and cut out the hard part where it was aattached to a step in a triangular shape. What you should have at this point is a clean whole cabbage leaf with a triangle cut out at the bottom. Put the leaf on your breast under your bra and walk around with it. It will wilt after a while - put a new one on.
Cabbage acts similar to a cold compress and also has an ability to take away lumps. It also reduces milk supply to let your breast get rid of the plugged duct. You have to be careful to stop using it after your cleared, not to reduce your milk supply too much. Make sure you remove it when breasfeeding.
2. Breastfeed often and massage the lump/hard part of the breast during breastfeeding.
3. Pump after each feeding and massage the spot while pumping. Electrical pump is the best. You might want to make it a habbit to pump after each feeding even if you are not plugged up. It helps avoid the plugged ducts. I did this with my first. With my second I simply reduced my milk supply with cabbage at the beggining and had a lot fewer problems.
4. Take 2 pills of Lecithin about 3-4 times a day. You can buy it in a local drug store.
5. You might also consider washing your breast before and after feeding while you are plugged to reduce the chances of infection. I used very mild cleanser (not soap). I can remember what the name was - unfortunately.
6. Generally it is not recommended to use heat since it could increase the milk supply. I used to try it and alternate with cabbage. I used though heat pads you can buy in the store shake and they work for 8 hours, but found out that cabbage is much more effective.
7. I am not sure how old your baby is, but if you can try and feed her while you are on all fours and she is lying on the bed, so your breast is pointing down. That way the gravity will also help.
8. If you have cracks in your nipple - use polysporin on it, but make sure you wash it off before feeding. This should help you avoid infection.
9. There are also professional breast massagers - there is a lady at Suncoast Clinic at Bayfront Hospital. I went to her when I had a very bad case of mastitis and we've cleared it out. Let me know if you want details on this.
10. Now some wisdom on mastitits - antibiotics are generally not needed if you catch it and work on it at the right time. Doctors in this country believe that this is the only cure for mastits - it is not. It actually does not cure the plug, just take care of infection, but at a high cost to you and your baby. I was put on antibiotics with my first one because I didn't know better. If I knew then what I know now - I would not have used them.
Do all the things listed above and you should be fine. Take IB for fever if you develop it. Avoid stress and rest a lot. Make sure you keep breastfeeding.
E-mail me if you have any questions.
Good luck! You will feel better soon!
T.