Plugged Duct Issues

[@llli*cherron]

Since Sunday I have had a plugged duct in my left breast. At first it was on the side, then it seemed to move closer to the top and now it is right behind my nipple. I have tried hot showers, massaging, nursing on that side as much as I can. It is extremely painful to nurse on and the entire breast feels engorged even though I have not missed any feedings on that side. Tonight the entire breast feels itchy, like something does when it is healing but it is still very tender and I can feel a quarter sized lump under the nipple. Does any one have any suggestions?

[@llli*mtmama]

i do the following:

massage deeply in shower **i actually rake my fingers into and around the breast, this does hurt but seems to start loosening things up. hand express in the shower while massaging deeply, pulling my fiiners along the clogged area. the i nurse immediately after the shower with my son laying on the floor, my breast hanging over him. i massage while doing this. it is also helpful if the chin is located where the duct is.

sit with a heating pad on it whenever i can, massaging.

take a bath, massage and hand express.

dont wear a bra when i can get away with it.

if i need to i will use a pump and massage deeply.

it is something i usually need to work very hard at for 2-3 days. you may need to get an antibiotic if it wont get cleared.

good luck!

[@llli*kmanih]

it is something i usually need to work very hard at for 2-3 days.

i had a very bad plug and i was losing all hope of getting rid of it, seeing that i had been massaging and showering and nursing and pumping round the clock. after 3-4 days i finally got rid of it. it was such a big plug that it took all that time and all that massaging.

my skin got very chafed from massaging. an LC told me to use moisturizer while massaging to minimize chafing. i used the whole side of my hand to massage up and down. when i felt something behind the nipple i tugged and pulled the whole tip of the breast between my fingers.

i also plunged my breast onto a bowl of hot water, as hot as i could bear, right before nursing. it seemed to open the pores and help loosen up the plug more.

also, i had several plugs all kind of intertwined, so i had to keep dissolving each little by little.

finally, i could see the white tip of the plug on my nipple. following a suggestion from one of the mamas here, i also worked on it, trying to squeeze it very gently (as you would a pimple). i made a compress with olive oil and put it on the nipple to loosen it up (LC's suggestion).

ibuprofen helped not only the pain, but also to reduce the inflammation.

and one thing i did that didn't help at all and made it worse: cold compresses and cabbage. they didn't help the engorgement and just made everything harder, more congealed etc.

good luck mama... keep working on it...

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

I've had them take some days to work out. It sounds like its coming, slowly. Keep working at it.

I do find wool nursing pads helpful...I should get them back out, since I've had two clogs in the last 72 hours...The warmth helps keep them from happening.

[@llli*cherron]

Thanks for the suggestions, all! It still seems to be there, right behind the nipple. It is so painful to touch but I have been massaging as much as possible. I also tried the dangle feed but it didn't last very long because my son (10 months) thought it was HILARIOUS! We were both laughing so hard that we didn't get much of a feed out of it. He would turn my boob like it was a steering wheel and make "vroom" noises, or when my hair fell into my face he cracked up. It wasn't very effective but it sure was fun!

I don't want this to turn to mastitis so I have been working hard at it. Does anyone think that maybe pumping after feeds would help to clear things out? I don't really pump ever since I stay home but I could drag it out if it would help things along. Thanks again!

[@llli*mtmama]

I've had them take some days to work out. It sounds like its coming, slowly. Keep working at it.

I do find wool nursing pads helpful...I should get them back out, since I've had two clogs in the last 72 hours...The warmth helps keep them from happening.

which wool pads do you like? i didnt know this!

if you want to pump give it a try. if you know how to hand express you could try that too. is it lessening at all? if yes then just keep doing what you are doing.

[@llli*kmanih]

yes, even dry pumping can help. i dry-pumped every 1.5 hour with my bad plug

[@llli*cherron]

So, it has been 5 days and the plug doesn't seem to have moved. It is still behind just behind my nipple and in my areola you can actually see the lump now and the skin is a red patch over it. It has become increasingly painful over the course of today, brushing up against anything even hurts. Nursing on that side is almost impossible, but I keep trying. It makes me want to cry as soon as he latches on.

I am thinking about making a doctor's appointment for tomorrow but I am not even sure what they could do to help. And would I go to my OB or my regular doctor?

Sorry for sounding so frantic.. I had no idea a plugged duct could hurt so much! I have had a few before but they were usually gone in a day or two and just felt like a mild bruise.

Thanks for anyone's advice, in advance

[@llli*mtmama]

either dr would be ok i think but i lean more toward the OB. i have never gone for plugged ducts, luckily mine have all cleared but i would think you need and antibiotic.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

That soundalike it needs medical attention. Whoever you can see first.

Regarding the wool pads, I like the Lana ones. I hated the ones from Etsy-type places - too small, too itchy. But the Lana...awesome.