How to Clear a Really Painful Milk Blister/bleb?

It sounds like you have a milk bleb and mastitis, coming from lots of milk flow with insufficient extraction of milk.

I have had a milk bleb before and it hurts a LOT. I can sympathsize...and the needle prick is what is usually recommended but the thiought of me stabbing my nipple while I am already in pain was crazy to me! I tried but could not go through with it. So what I did was soak my nipple in a bowl of water, as hot as I can comfortably tolerate, for about 10 minutes. Then, I used a manual pump to slowly tug at nipple and allow flow of milk down. It took about 45 min to break the bleb. I found this method worked very well and I recommend it to others. The warm water bowl technique opens up your flow ducts like steam opens pores in your face; but not using a cloth or anything to touch your skin directly allows you to expose your bleb to heat without actually touching it. I just filled a small bowl and bent over it, dipping my breast in the water. The manual pump allows for some control of the suction as you can tolerate, given that you are in pain. If you don't have a manual pump, hand expression should work fine as well...You Tube (of all places!) actually has some great videos on the techniques of hand expression.

I anticipate that once the bleb is fixed, the burning sensation you feel should dissipate. I am guessing this is a function of backed up milk flow causing inflammation driving up oxytocin (the let down hormone) -- thus causing the burning. This is the mastitis I am referring to.

No offense to OB's, but they carry such little education on -- honestly, you would have better luck asking random strangers on the street. Don't be surprised if your OB makes you feel like a weirdo because you are still breastfeeding. Better would be to contact your local La Leche League rep or to contact a lactation consultant.

Personally, I'm very bad about picking at them (fingernails work well!) but here's some actual helpful information:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html

I agree that the OB GYN is often not that reassuringly confident when it comes to breastfeeding issues.

Take a hot shower so the skin is soft, and then use a sterylized needle. Clean with bactine or something similiar.

If you are getting shooting pains, it could be thrush. Get a bottle of probiotics at the drug store and take 2-3 a day for the first couple of days, and then just one a day after.

I had thrush FOREVER with my first baby, and my doctor could not treat it successfully. I eventually had to quit because it was too painful. With my second baby, when I first started showing symptoms, I took the probiotics, and it cleared it up in a couple of days.

Good luck!

The only way to properly prick the blister is with a sterilized needle. Boil a needle in water for 10 minutes then clean it off with alcohol and gently poke the blister from the side and prick it. Press on it until all the milk that's trapped in it oozes out. That's the only way to get rid of the pain. Another thing, are you sure you don't have a blocked milk duct? Because blisters/blebs usually appear with blocked milk ducts and the pain from a blister/bleb is very similiar to that of a blocked duct.

I put my boob in hot water & rubbed with a washcloth. I used a needle ( I had to poke it several times :( ) after I popped it I felt MUCH better.

I'm trying to wean right now. My daughter is 1yr & 1month I no longer pump at work. I feed her when I get home from work & at night. LMK what works.