brutal plugged duct?

[lmh2402]

Out of the blue this evening, all of a sudden my right breast became very painful, and the entire top of the breast is swollen and lumpy. I've had plugged ducts before, but usually when I've been in the office and not pumping often enough.

No idea why this hit out of thin air. And it's literally spanning half my breast at least. I've taken Motrin and am sitting with ice. I tried to get DD to nurse repeatedly from this side before bed, but i didn't get any relief and she seemed angry. Can milk flow be restricted by a plug?

Anything else i can do for symptom relief? I'm in a lot of pain and the thought of trying to pump makes me cringe because i know it would kill. Nipple is also in pain

Thx

[Tenasparkl]

I think heat might make it feel better than ice. I'd get into a hot shower and see if that helps at all. That's worked for me with similar issues.

[ArizonaGirl]

I second the hot shower and if she won't eat, then I would pump because perhaps with the heat you can unclog the duct.

:hug:

[California]

Too little sleep and stress = weaker immune system. Happened to me right after Christmas once. It was a mix of plugged duct and infection.

Hot shower followed by pumping will help. If you have a manual pump try that first so you can set your own pace. Yes, pumping hurts at first- and then hopefully you'll feel some relief. In case it is an infection check in with your doctor in case you need antibiotics.

[wencit]

Can milk flow be restricted by a plug? Milk flow can absolutely be restricted by a plug. I agree with the PPs that heat would be better than cold, with the idea being that you want to open those ducts as much as possible to get the milk flowing. I would wet a washcloth with the hottest water I could stand and press it all around the lumpy areas of my breast, then massage as I pumped. I'm sorry, it will hurt like a @#$^&(%!er. :hug: But it is really, really important that you get your milk flowing, otherwise it can turn into mastitis, which you really, really don't want.

Based on your nipple pain report, I would also check your DD's mouth for possible thrush.

I'm so sorry. I can almost feel your pain. I struggled with many plugged ducts throughout my years of nursing, and most of them came on with no warning whatsoever.

[speo]

Milk flow can absolutely be restricted by a plug. I agree with the PPs that heat would be better than cold, with the idea being that you want to open those ducts as much as possible to get the milk flowing. I would wet a washcloth with the hottest water I could stand and press it all around the lumpy areas of my breast, then massage as I pumped. I'm sorry, it will hurt like a @#$^&(%!er.

:yeahthat: Also, I think positioning your DD so that her chin is closest to the plugged duct helps also. I think that creates greater suction from that area of the breast. So in your case she may be laying across your shoulder or something like that. Correct me if I am wrong anyone?

[mikala]

I've had luck massaging the duct and trying to hand express milk while in a hot shower.

You might also try microwaving some dry rice in a sock and then resting it on there before pumping or nursing.

Kellymom has additional tips:
http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/mastitis/

Good luck! Hope you can get it cleared quickly!

[twowhat?]

I 8th heat and massage!!! It'll hurt like heck while you massage it, but if it's a plugged duct it'll help. It has only happened to me a couple of times (OUCH) but each time was resolved by massaging the affected breast (concentrating on the painful, hard areas!) while nursing.

[jerseygirl07067]

You have gotten some good advice so far. I had issues with plugged ducts too and had a few occurrences where even all of the good advice didn't work. I started panicking and then all of sudden started examining my nipples and saw a little white spot that seemed so bulge out a bit when I compressed my plugged up breast (wow, I know this is tmi). It seemed a bit hard, so I pricked it with a sterilized needle. I then pumped afterward and the lumps in my breasts went away completed. Part of my nipple was blocked.

Apparently what happened was that a spot on my nipple got blocked, and the ducts that drained into that area, got plugged/backed up, because the milk could not get out.

I've had to do the prick with needle thing at least 5-6 times throughout my many years of BFing my 3 DD's.

If nothing else works, try looking to see if you have this. I forget the formal name for it.

[StantonHyde]

I saw a white spot on my breast while in the shower trying to get the plug to go and I just picked at it with my nail and wahooo--the milk just streamed out! It is possible to get a little milk "white head' and you can try using tweezers or a needle and it will often work. You have to look closely for those. It only happened once. Thankfully, the other times, the heat of a shower and massage with soap did the trick. Sometimes pumping just plugged it more! I actually took a bottle in the shower with me so that when the milk did start squirting out I could catch it! And it was a lot.

Good luck.

[Tondi G]

yes HEAT is what you need.... hot shower with some massaging and then try to nurse and/or pump. You might want to consider taking lecithin .. supposed to help with plugged ducts.

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding/common-problems/plugged-milk-ducts

[queenmama]

I've had to do the prick with needle thing at least 5-6 times throughout my many years of BFing my 3 DD's.

If nothing else works, try looking to see if you have this. I forget the formal name for it.

That's a milk bleb (or blister), an affliction I am all too familiar with.

I hope you're able to relieve it! You've gotten some great advice! Good luck, mama!

Lara

[edurnemk]

I 8th heat and massage!!! It'll hurt like heck while you massage it, but if it's a plugged duct it'll help.

:yeahthat: massage under a hot shower or fill an old sock with rice, microwave it for about 45 seconds (as hot as you can stand it) and put in on the area that hurts while massaging with the sock in the direction of your nipple.

[kaharris83]

yes HEAT is what you need.... hot shower with some massaging and then try to nurse and/or pump. You might want to consider taking lecithin .. supposed to help with plugged ducts.

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding/common-problems/plugged-milk-ducts

Lecithin is amazing stuff. It literally helped me within hours of taking it. Kellymom has info on it. Anytime I felt a plugged duct coming on I would take it. If I didn't have advanced warning I would take it once the duct was plugged and it would resolve quickly after the first dose.

[okinawama]

I agree with the lecithin suggestion! I massaged, showered, held heat, and nursed my baby and it did absolutely nothing to budge the plug, but within 24 hours of taking lecithin my symptoms were near gone! I was shocked! Good luck! Plugged ducts are awful!

[cntrymoon2]

I also agree with the Lecithin suggestion. I started taking capsules daily and never had another plugged duct.
To get rid of this one (and until you can buy Lecithin from Whole Foods or a vitamin store), use hot compresses, hot showers and massage.
I'm so sorry!

[lchang25000]

Definitely frequent nursing/pumping, heat packs, hot showers, and massage. I've had a few already within a month, but the first one was the most brutal/painful. I exclusively pump, so I pumped a couple more times than I usually do, but I would apply a heat pack to my breast before pumping then massage the area towards the nipple during pumping. Painful, but it went away in a day! All the other ones i later got were gone in a day as well.

[pastrygirl]

I had to take lecithin the whole time I was nursing my oldest. Max dose, daily. If I stopped, I would get a clog.

[sweet_pea]

I agree with the PPs who suggested lecithin – it was the only thing that worked for me. I really struggled a lot with plugged ducts and massaging, heat, etc. did absolutely nothing. Once I started taking lecithin daily I never had another plugged duct when nursing DD, so definitely worth a try!

[curiousgeorge]

Lecithin is amazing stuff. It literally helped me within hours of taking it. Kellymom has info on it. Anytime I felt a plugged duct coming on I would take it. If I didn't have advanced warning I would take it once the duct was plugged and it would resolve quickly after the first dose.

I totally agree. This stuff is amazing. I had to use it in addition to the heat/massage and that combo is what worked for me.

Good luck, I know how painful it can be so I hope you are able to resolve it!

[daniele_ut]

I had to take lecithin the whole time I was nursing my oldest. Max dose, daily. If I stopped, I would get a clog.

I had recurrent plugged ducts with DS1 and they were awful. With DS2 I took lecithin every single day. If I didn't I would get a plugged duct within a day.

[BabbyO]

:yeahthat: Also, I think positioning your DD so that her chin is closest to the plugged duct helps also. I think that creates greater suction from that area of the breast. So in your case she may be laying across your shoulder or something like that. Correct me if I am wrong anyone?

I was told something similar (point baby's nose toward the plug) as well when BFing. In one case it worked well for me...I actually had DS lie on the floor while I leaned over him for a bit (my plug was on the underside of my breast so the only way I could support him was to lay him on the floor).

In the second case it did nothing for me. According to Kellymom:

"Note: Advice to point baby’s chin (or nose) toward the plugged area is not necessarily going to be helpful as it is based on the idea that the milk ducts take a nice, direct route to the nipple – recent research tells us that this is not true, and that a particular duct might begin in one area of the breast but can “wander” in many different directions before terminating in any area of the nipple."

For me it was worth trying...because when it worked, it was the least painful solution.

[brittone2]

I've had a few over the years. Heat and pumping or hand expressing helped a bit. Pointing baby's nose toward it, and expressing or encouraging baby to nurse while sort of hanging over baby on hands and knees also helped.

ONe time it escalated from plugged duct to mastitis very quickly. Fever, aches, chills, etc.

[lmh2402]

thanks everyone

i just took my first lecethin capsule. ran to WF.

i can't get her chin to point in that direction b/c the only way to do that would be to lay her down and then me hang over her upside down

but she can't nurse laying down - she chokes. she absolutely has to be mostly upright

i massaged the heck out of it in the shower this morning. the noise of the water damped my moans. it hurts like a %&$^#!!!

hoping for relief soon.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I got a few terrible ones with ds2. Sitting in a hot bath tub, leaning forward and working out the plug always worked but it took a while! One of my nursing camis was to blame, I think.

[kaharris83]

Hope it clears soon. The lecithin really helped me quickly.

[MSWR0319]

I had an awful plugged duct not long ago that showed up out of no where. What worked for me was getting in a HOT bath and soaking, then massaging the area while submersed in the water and expressing milk. I saw some stringy tuff ome out, then got out and pumped really good.

[elizamom]

I bet you'll feel better soon. But ouch!! It has happened to me many time and I would do what everyone has already said. And massaging would hurt so bad it would bring tears to my eyes. Hope u are in the clear now!

[mikala]

i can't get her chin to point in that direction b/c the only way to do that would be to lay her down and then me hang over her upside down

but she can't nurse laying down - she chokes. she absolutely has to be mostly upright


It sounds silly, but could she nurse in a bouncy chair or something while you're leaning over her? Oh, the bizarre things we do as parents....

[BDKmom]

I saw a white spot on my breast while in the shower trying to get the plug to go and I just picked at it with my nail and wahooo--the milk just streamed out! It is possible to get a little milk "white head' and you can try using tweezers or a needle and it will often work. You have to look closely for those. It only happened once. Thankfully, the other times, the heat of a shower and massage with soap did the trick. Sometimes pumping just plugged it more! I actually took a bottle in the shower with me so that when the milk did start squirting out I could catch it! And it was a lot.

Good luck.

Very similar thing happened to me when I was out of town for a business trip. I was so looking forward to a relaxing evening away from the kids and I had to spend the whole time dealing with this. So painful I wanted to die. I read an old thread similar to this where posters said look for the white spot on your nipple. I had to just pick at mine, too, because I was in a hotel and didn't have a needle, but when I got it cleared milk came shooting out.

Hope you get some relief soon!!

[cntrymoon2]

If you don't have any relief yet, take the max dose of lecithin all at once. I had a LC tell me to frontload a mega dose if there was already a plugged duct.