Clogged Ducts in Breast

The best advice is... First, keep feeding on demand, trying to get him to empty at least one breast at each feeding (alternate which breast you start with at each feeding). Second, when he doesn't empty the breast completely, pump the one with the blocked duct. Also, before you feed him from that breast or pump, try putting a warm compress on it for a few minutes.

I hope this helps.

I had this when my son was a few weeks old and it was sooooo painful. I had to get an antibiotic. I also soaked my breast in hot water or a hot towel (as hot as you can stand it. It was gone in about a week. I hope it gets better.

Hi how are you? I was told when I had a hard lump as well to massage it while in the shower to loosen the lump. Also if it is still bothering you use a warm to hot washcloth on it and massage it as well. Good luck.

B.
Mom of Ryan 5 and Erica 3

Yeah, that's no fun!
Some things you can do are:
applying a warm compress before & while you're nursing to increase circulation
massaging from the duct towards your nipple, to encouragem movement/breaking it up
nurse in a way (and it may require some acrobatics on your part!) that your sons chin is facing the lump

Taking echinacea drops is also good as well as Propolys (which you can get at the health food store).

Hope it gets better soon!!!
A.

It happened to me once - standing in the hot shower and massaging (essentially trying to manually express your milk) for a long time (15-20 minutes) also worked for me.

Good luck!
H.

Hi MariaMao -
When I had a clogged duct, I took a hot bath soaking the clogged breast and massaged the clogged area. After the bath, I turned the breast pump on full strength and pumped for a very short time. It worked like a charm and milk was flowing from the clogged area.
Good luck!1
J.

Get in the shower and with the help of very hot water, massage that lump. You should also be nursing first on that side every time and massaging the lump while you nurse to try to loosen it. You can resolve this yourself before it develops into full blown mastitis. Believe me, I have had that and it is rough! I have also been to the point where you are and managed to work it out. Do hot water compresses while massaging as many times a day as you have time. If this doesn't work or you start to run a temperature or feel sick, call your doctor immediately. Good luck!

Nursing the baby with his chin on the lump worked for me. It did take more than one feeding for the clog to go away, but this combined with hot showers or compresses worked well - no mastitis. Good luck!

This happened to me twice and went away both times. Some really good advice I got was to nurse your baby in a different position than normal on that breast, and the football hold is the most recommended for clearing a clog! It worked for me-good luck! I know it hurts!!

I know your pain as I too had this happen. Do call the Dr. Since it can become infected, but in the mean time apply hot washcloths to the area. It will ease the pain and help.

Please call the Dr. for sure.

A.

A plugged duct can definitely be painful!
I've experienced that twice while nursing my son over the last 8 months. He also favors one side (the left) but I make sure that he gets both sides. He nurses better and longer now than he ever did... he used to do what your little one does, with only nursing for a few minutes and then stopping even though you're still so full. Pumping or expressing the milk out after he'd finished helped some, but also offering the breast again a few minutes later (or even a number of times).
When my duct was plugged, I made sure to nurse him on that side first. Throughout the day, soaking the breast in warm/hot water and massaging around the duct and down toward the nipple for about 10 minutes or so really helped me. It gets the circulation going. Also, maybe try hand expressing milk out of that breast after nursing on that side.... I've found that for me expressing by hand helps me get the milk out more effectively than pumping.
I hope the clog doesn't last long! I know how frustrating and painful it can be.
All the best!

I have had mastitus once with my first, four times with my second, and twice with my third. Jeeze! The first time I got it was the only time I turned to an antibiotic. I am more of a let your body do what it needs to do person and don't take antibiotics anymore. Anyways, after experiencing the symptoms you described and the favoring of nusing sides, I typically would experience flu like symptoms and a fever, both which are normal and fine for your body. You are doing the right thing by continuing to nurse and pumping. It will pass on its own and hopefully you caught it early enough to do with out the fever, but if it comes it's your choice to let it ride or take an antibiotic or tylenol or something. Just keep nursing through any option. My guess is that your son is just more interested in the world around him to nurse as much as he was, which may be why you got clogged up, but he will soon return for regular nursing within the next couple of days or weeks, whenever he decides he needs more. Good luck!

You've received a lot of good advice already, but surprisingly (to me), only one other poster actually put what I had to do in order to clear a clogged duct:
"For a stubborn duct I found that lying the baby on the floor and nursing over him will pull out the plug quickly, as you are using gravity to help it along. It feels a little awkward, but it really does work."
I did this while my baby was in my bed instead of on the floor and combined that with pointing his chin toward the lump and it worked. Someone at my local LLL had told me to simply place my breast in a warm basin of water while in that position, dangling my breast into it - that's what gave me the idea to go ahead and nurse in that position.
One thing I'd like to note is that my local Lactation consultant (whom I visited while going through this) said the fever and "hit by a truck" sensation is often MIS-treated with antibiotics. Honestly, I went 2.5 days with a fever over 102, my lump was red, tender and extremely painful. By all rights, I had full blown mastitis. But I got through it w/out antibiotics b/c once the plugged duct was cleared, my body stopped fighting what was wrong. I am NOT saying not to see your doctor and not to take antibiotics, but the consultant said the fever, etc. is often just the body's way of saying, "Hey, there's something wrong here" and is not actually an infection at all. In my case, that was true.
Mind you, I've only ever had one plugged duct and that was last March when my son was 9 months old, but I was sick as a dog for two days before realizing what it was!

I've had a few, and even have one now! Stay on top of it - use heat, and nurse on that side first every time until it is gone (b/c baby sucks the hardest when he first starts eating). Also, when you are feeding, try to have the baby's chin pointing in the direction of where the lump is - this is also the strongest sucking point. If you start with a fever at all, call your dr. right away and get on an antibiotic. Hope this helps and you are feeling better soon!

Hi Maria,

I've been breastfeeding for over 2 years now and have dealt with this myself.

You mentioned that your son's interest in breastfeeding peaks and wanes. This can often happen during developmental milestones. A baby may become very focused on practicing the new accomplishment.

You didn't mention whether or not you have started your baby on solids yet. As you may already know, breastmilk provides the best possible nutrition for your baby and the baby's gut is better prepared for other foods after the age of 6 months. If and when you have started other foods, it is important to breastfeed before offering any solids. This way your breasts will be emptied and will help prevent plugged ducts and/or mastitis.

Another problem mother's tend to have around the age of your baby is that the baby will be easily distracted. Often the baby will pop on and off of the breast. At these times, try to find a place to feed with as little distraction as possible. Singing or telling a story may help. Another great tool to help you keep your baby focused is the nursing necklace. You can make your own or buy one. Just be sure that it will hold up to a baby's pulling (and weight). This way the baby will stay focussed on you and not end feeding before your breasts are empty.

Another thing you want to keep in mind is if your breasts are being compressed. Try to wear bras that aren't too constrictive. You may need to avoid under-wires. Also look at the position your baby is in while he breastfeeds. Is he pressing down on any part of your breast? That can keep that area from draining properly.

Finally, be sure to get lots of rest and drink a lot of water! This is very important.

Those were all ways to help prevent plugged ducts. Here are some things you can do to try to get rid of a plug.

First of all, you are doing some really great things already. You are making sure your breasts are emptied by using a pump. That is great! There are other things you may want to try too.

Get lots of rest and drink lots of water (as mentioned before). If you can, get in bed with your baby and do nothing more than breastfeed as often and as long as possible.

If your baby is on solids, temporarily don't feed those so your baby will empty your breasts more completely.

While breastfeeding, try positioning your baby so that his chin is positioned where the lump is. This will help to drain that area more efficiently. You may have to get in an awkward position for this but your baby probably won't mind.

While breastfeeding, put a lot of focus in having your baby feed on the affected breast and completely empty it, but remember to get the unaffected breast emptied to avoid a plugged duct in that breast too. Once your baby empties your breast (or your pump), you may want to try hand expression. That way you can focus on the affected area. If you do manage to unplug the duct, you may notice thicker, creamier milk come out. The milk may even look a bit mottled. A good place to do hand expression is in a warm shower or bath (just be sure the tub is very clean). The heat will definitely be an aid.

Finally, if you do develop mastitis, definitely see a Dr. You will know it is mastitis if you have lump as you described; the area may be a bit red and sore. If you develop a fever and/or flu-like symptoms, those are strong indicators that you have mastitis.

There are many medical professionals who do not know up-to-date information about breastfeeding. Please take medical advice selectively and if you get poor advice, please find another Dr.

If you have mastitis, you will be prescribed antibiotics. Finish the whole course so that it doesn't come back. You may want to take probiotics such acidophilus and eat a lot of yogurt to prevent a yeast infection.

Again, get lots of rest and drink plenty of water.

Continue to empty your breasts. If you are advised to discontinue breastfeeding, to limit breastfeeding at this time, or to bind your breasts, find a different Dr.
Mastitis will in no way harm your baby. Also, you can be prescribed antibiotics that are safe to use while breastfeeding. The worst thing you could do right now is try to wean.

I developed a plugged duct more than once and even went on to develop mastitis. It is definitely not easy, but it is something you can work through.

I hope this helped.

Take care,

C.
______________________________

I would like to add something.

If you have mastitis, please do not try to fight the infection off yourself. You can become very ill and this will make it difficult to care for your little one which will in turn make you feel even more run-down.

If left untreated, the lump could become encapsulated (in an attempt to protect you). This is called a galactocele. This is basically a cyst. This would make this lump a permanent part of your breast unless you get it aspirated with a needle(s) or surgically removed.

I had a lump in mine while feeding my son around the same time you are.. I was scared that it was something worse.. But when I massaged it in the shower under running hot water on it, the milk started to come out and the lump shrunk. I continued doing this for the week. Needless to say, after about a week and a half and my chest being so sore, it went away I never had that problem again. Good luck

Hi Maria,
I've nursed three children and have gone through this with two of them. First off, I would strongly recommend you give this your full attention, which means several things: nursing your baby as much as possible from the affected breast and nursing the other one just enough for comfort from the unaffected breast; massaging and kneading your affected breast (handling it as if it were bread dough) while you are nursing and when you are not nursing; applying warm compresses; changing nursing positions (including trying some odd angles/positions), which will help apply pressure to different ducts and hopefully put the pressure on the right area with one of them; and only rest and do the minimum required to take care of your baby and nothing else until there is great progress. If you do not get significant results within a day, please call or meet with a lactation consultant immediately. If you develop a fever, redness, swelling, aches...contact your doctor and also continue the above steps in earnest. Things can get very bad very quickly if you do not attend to the symptoms immediately. I had a friend who told me she had too much housecleaning and other things to do to just "sit around all day and nurse the baby until she got better" and who sadly ended up having two breast surgeries and having to wean her little one as a result. Make getting well and nursing your baby your number one priority and get as much help (medical and other) as you can during this time. If you take this advice and the advice of the many other women, you should be back to normal within a few days. As for your son's feeding habits, I recommend talking with a La Leche leader or spending a few bucks to meet with a lactation consultant one-on-one.

Best wishes from our family to yours.

You may want to use warm compresses on the breast to relieve some of the pain and pressure. My cousin had given me a rice bag that you warm in the microwave. It worked wonders. A warm shower is another idea. Good luck to you and keep on nursing!

Hi Maria-
You are doing a wonderful thing to feed your baby the best! Here are some of the best things to do with a plugged duct: Massage in circular motions. Take a warm shower, and let the water fall right on it. Heat up one of those rice packs, or use a heating pad on it. Hope this helps!
-C.

The best way I found to help it subside is to stand in as hot a shower as you can handle and let the water flow on the area. Massage the spot with as much pressure as you can. It will eventually work itself out. Milk will come spurting out. You may have to do this several times a day until it subsides. (I know, I know....when are you supposed to find the time!!) It definitely works. I had several plugged ducts with both of my kids and they can be very painful. It actually hurts to nurse again. You also need to nurse on that side to get the milk out. Hope this helps and that it goes away quickly...

You may use a warm compress and use a circular motion to gently message the lump.

Hi, I know that pain!! Your on the right track so far...my doctor told me to use warm to hot compresses on that area of my breast too. It does help the pain and with care it will go away on it's own. Hang in there, keep an eye on it, tell your doctor... use the compresses after he's done nursing and you have pumped (if you need to). You don't want to develop an infection if you haven't already. Good luck and best wishes.

I have been through this with both of my children. The best thing to do is to put a warm compress on the spot and as your child is nursing on it, massage that area to get the milk moving again. Good luck. I know they are painful and definitely feel for you!

A.

Make sure that you get checked...especially if you are running fever. A breast infection is painful and develops quite rapidly. Good luck and God bless.

This happened to me too. It is painful. Try massaging your breasts while you nurse - warm compresess work well too (or stand under a warm water in the shower. If your child is not nursing consistently enough to ease your pain...pump.

wish you the best.

When I had that happen to me, I kept warm washcloths on it a lot, sometimes all day. I did make my son nurse off of that breast, even though it hurt. These were recommendations from my doctor. Doing BOTH of these did help and it did go away within a week or less.

Hi MariaMao,

I'm so sorry to hear about your clogged duct. The best thing you can do for a clogged duct is to nurse on that side as much as possible to help work it out. While you are nursing, massage your breast. Taking a hot shower and massaging the clogged area will also help. Here is some information from Kellymom.com for you: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

J.

A Mother's Boutique
Maternity & Breastfeeding clothing, Nursing Bras, Breast Pumps, Slings and Accessories.
MamaSource members save 10% off their first order (excluding breastpumps) with coupon MAMASOURCE
http://www.mothersboutique.com

Two tips to get rid of the clogged duct before it turns into a breast infection:
1. Put some kind of heat on it before nursing - I actually used a sock filled with rice and heated in the microwave.
2. Nurse with the baby's chin pointing toward the clog - that way the suction is best for getting the clog out.
If you start to feel flu-like, or have a temperature, that means it's an infection, and you should call the doctor.

Heating pad to the rescue. And have your son nurse first on the clogged side. He's hungriest then, and is more apt to suck a little harder. If you see striping or begin to develop a fever, then it's infected, and you need to call your doctor for an antibiotic.

You need a copy of LLL's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding :) Plugged ducts are very common, I even got one 2 years after I weaned the last child! These are some things to try, and it will take a few days. Expect to feel a little tired, but if you start to feel like you've "been hit by a Mack truck" get thee to bed and stay there, it's the beginning of mastitus and you can avoid meds if you just stay in bed for a couple of days. That means getting someone to do your housework and take care of you.

OK, so for the plugged duct, massage it when your babe is nursing. Massage toward the nipple, kwim? Point his chin toward the duct, this will put the most amount of suction on that area. Do not wear a bra for a few days, and stay away from underwires if you can help it. For a stubborn duct I found that lying the baby on the floor and nursing over him will pull out the plug quickly, as you are using gravity to help it along. It feels a little awkward, but it really does work. Keep heat on the breast as much as you can, take hot showers, massage, repeat.

Hope you are feeling better soon. And don't forget to keep drinking a lot of fluids!

This happened to me once before - some ibuprophen and a heating pad cleared it up. Hope this helps.