Breastfeeding-blocked duct

ForeverEverAfter

OWWWW!!!!!

I'm pretty sure I have my first blocked duct. Not bad I guess, seeing as I've breastfed for 3 years and 1 month, but ow!! I know from my clinical experience-nurse often, baby's chin pointing to affected area, massage and warm compresses... But I don't want to massage it, I don't want to touch it, it hurts!!!! 

What at have you ladies done? Any good tricks? The pain started yesterday, today it worsened and I can now feel exactly where the issue is. And I've been wearing my regular underwire bras for a couple months because I'd never had a blocked duct (jokes on me), is it really that important to stick with nursing bras?

jht4

Blocked ducts are the worst! So painful! I doubt it's because of the underwire bra if you've been wearing it for months. Maybe because LO is tapering down the amount of nursing? Your strategies are good to get rid of it. Also, lie LO on the floor and nurse bending over letting gravity help pull the plug out. Hope it goes away soon!

momofsweetps

Hot showers help and you can use a hot rice sock. Also if you look at your nipple and see a white dot on it, it's a bleb, pop it with a sterilized pin. I got those all the time with my last two. I always did that in the shower too. So painful. 

dmbfan46835

I just finished weaning and had a blocked duct during that. Hot showers, and massaging the area. Which I know hurts mike an m effer. I could see where I was blocked pretty easily because they we a huge lump behind it in the nip so I just rubbed and rubbed in the shower and then also pumped right after and kept rubbing. Good luck!!!!!

Yiggle09

Lecithin, massage, heat, dangle nursing, vibration like if you have an electric tooth brush put it to the clog and motrin

ElleMF728

Warm compress and massage.  It does hurt but once you get some pressure going the massage should provide some relief. I also did a lot of pumping and pushed on the pump to apply firm pressure where the duct was.  One time I was hand expressing and managed to clear it.  Milk shot several feet, it was crazy! 

wilcoxev

I've gotten a plugged duct about every month. I get cocky and start wearing regular bras and regular tops and just pulling my breast out to nurse and the restriction causes it. You just have massage the crap out of it while baby is nursing. Start out gently and get more aggressive with it. The gravity nursing can help too.

ForeverEverAfter

Thanks ladies! I tried some of your suggestions, and the lump is gone now, a bit sore still, but much better!

ABombard12

Hot shower and hand express in the shower a little bit. Also even outside the shower lean forward like bent from the hips when your pumping or hand expressing. Another tip I got from my LC was after warm compress nurse on all fours... Sounds redik and looks redik but I will say for some reason it helps and nursing to Unblock it. And I'll say my LO laughed at me and thought it was funny and apparently a game hahaha but it seemed to work. Some other tricks I was told about but hadn't tried yet.. Taking soy lecithin, using a wide toothed comb over the plug (apparently it helps break it up but to me it always sounded more painful than massaging).