WTH is this painful, hard mass in breast?! (XP)

2010mommy!

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i posted this on the breastfeeding board, but it doesn't look like there is very much traffic there.

my daughter is seven months old and still nursing. i nurse at home three times a day and pump at work three times a day. yesterday as i was doing breast compressions during my last pumping session of the day, i noticed a very hard, very large "knot" or "ball" or "mass" (don't even know what you would call it) in my right breast. it's only on the top part of my breast above the nipple; the bottom of my breast is still mushy and soft. it's not engorgement. i can literally feel the size and shape of it when i squeeze the area--it's huge! about the size of a tennis ball! it's very sore.

since then, i've been trying to massage it often (it's difficult to bc it's painful) and i even added an extra pumping session in the middle of the night. i've also been doing warm compresses.

i don't have a fever, and i'm not sick.

is this a clogged duct?! why the heck is it so big? how do i get it to go away?

HELP!

fyi, i did put a call into my nurse this AM...she is supposed to call me back.

anvloveskme

Even though you don't have a fever, it might just be the beginning of mastitis.  For me it was the opposite, fever and chills the first day (generally feeling like crap), but then feeling better the second day and discovering the lump. 

two-pink-shoes

It sounds like a clogged duct.  Keep going with the warm compresses, and massage it (hard).  Also try some hand expression.  If start feeling bad go to your OB ASAP.  Mastitis moves fast and is terrible.

AbJams

two-pink-shoes:

It sounds like a clogged duct.  Keep going with the warm compresses, and massage it (hard).  Also try some hand expression.  If start feeling bad go to your OB ASAP.  Mastitis moves fast and is terrible.

This! Hot showers, massage, keep pumping and nursing...

MrsH44

two-pink-shoes:

It sounds like a clogged duct.  Keep going with the warm compresses, and massage it (hard).  Also try some hand expression.  If start feeling bad go to your OB ASAP.  Mastitis moves fast and is terrible.

This! I've had mastitis twice and it sucks, do everything you can to work it out before it gets worse. If you start to have any flu like symptoms get on antibiotics immediately! The first time I had it I ended up in the hospital because I got so sick, the second time I knew what it was from the get go, called my OB, got meds and was back to normal in 2 days.

LovinLife10

Do everything above. Make sure you put warm compresses on then nurse. No experience with mastitis but i have had a 3 clogged ducts and it hurts! Luckily DS would nurse for 45 min and get it unclogged both times I've had one. Keep pumping and nursing. Hopefully it's not mastitis!!