anyone still up? extremely painful breast question

Mrs.DeliaMarieP

I noticed yesterdy during the day that my right breast was a little painful, but not very bad, just figured DS wasn't emptying it all the way when he nursed so it was filling up a lot before the next feeding (it was my day off, and my breasts are usually more full on my days off because of that)

Last night I noticed after he went to bed that it still hurt even though he'd just eaten from that side, and seemed to empty it, so at my usual before-bed time (9pm) I didn't dilly-dally and immediately pumped because it felt so full it was already leaking and it hurt so bad.  I figured the pain would go away once I got to pump, and I made sure I pumped to completely empty. 

Well the pain has progressively gotten worse since then and it's now 3am,  there is no distinct redness, and no fever, but it's all along the right side of my breast kind-of under my armpit, and hurts more when it's touched but even when laying still it still hurts. 

Any ideas what this might be?

Cullum13

Could it be a clogged duct? I haven't had one so I really don't know how they feel. But maybe try a warm shower and massage. Sorry I am not more help.

S&R2007

If it doesn't feel better today I would go in to see someone.  I had a clogged duct before but it didn't hurt that bad.  I just had DS feed off that boob more and it went away in a day.

tashacu02

It could be mastitis. I had it when DD was about a month old and the major thing for me was the pain. I didn't get a fever or chills right away, but it did come some hours after the pain initially started. Call your OB office and talk to the doctor or nurse that is on call.

Starlette1983

You should also check for a milk blister that could be clogging things up. ?It looks like a little white dot on your nipple. ?If you google it, you can get a bunch of info on them. ?You can poke it GENTLY with a sterile needle/pin and hopefully get some relief! ?Also, massage, warm compresses and keep pumping (as strong as you can handle) and nursing to unclog the duct. ?GL, I know it is so painful!!

Cityplanner

I had the same thing recently.  It sucked.  9 months into breastfeeding and I was not expecting these problems. 

It was a clogged duct.  I didn't have a fever, it wasn't warm to the touch and it wasn't red, so luckily it didn't turn into mastisis.  I put warm compresses on it, I kept a heating pad on it as much as I could.  I massaged towards the nipple when she was eating to try to move the clog.  I let warm water fall on it in the shower.  I drank a lot of water.   And I tried to position her chin in that direction when I breastfed.   Also, I read something somewhere that said to let gravity help and try to feed her with your breast pointed down.  It looked totally insane, but I think it helped.    It went away in 2-3 days. 

Mrs.DeliaMarieP

Cityplanner:

I had the same thing recently.  It sucked.  9 months into breastfeeding and I was not expecting these problems. 

It was a clogged duct.  I didn't have a fever, it wasn't warm to the touch and it wasn't red, so luckily it didn't turn into mastisis.  I put warm compresses on it, I kept a heating pad on it as much as I could.  I massaged towards the nipple when she was eating to try to move the clog.  I let warm water fall on it in the shower.  I drank a lot of water.   And I tried to position her chin in that direction when I breastfed.   Also, I read something somewhere that said to let gravity help and try to feed her with your breast pointed down.  It looked totally insane, but I think it helped.    It went away in 2-3 days. 

Thanks for the responses, ladies!  I ended up taking some ibuprofen and putting a cold compress on it to ease the pain, then about 45 minutes later I massaged it and pumped that breast.  It still hurts this morning but not nearly as bad, so I do think it was a clogged duct.  If it gets worse again with nursing/pumping it frequently, and doesn't go away by Monday I'll go to the doctor

Annabelle7

I would definately use a warm compress right before you nurse and be sure to massage while nursing.  I had a clogged duct, and know how annoying/painful they are.  Good luck!