This HURTS! What's going on?

[@llli*tinismom]

My left breast (always the problem child) hurts like a really bad bruise this morning.

My dd never wants to nurse on that side, so I do my best to empty it with the pump, but sometimes it doesn't respond well (full, and marbly but won't give up the milk - even after let-down). Last night I noticed that it felt engorged even after I nursed my dd down, including nursing on that side, which she'll do when she's very calm/asleep. So I pumpled like 2oz over the course of 25 min which is a lot for that side. It felt better, so I went to bed.

My dd (9.5 months) sleeps through the night regularly, which she did last night, but I started waking and noticing discomfort in the night like engorgement which is not abnormal since we're still adjusting to STTN.

She nursed when she woke at about 6am and a couple more times before I dropped her off at Daycare. I took a hot bath this morning, but no relief.

WOW - it HURTS!! There are particularly a couple spots on the breast that are especially tender. I mean a slight breeze hurts.

I think I'm starting to feel achy, but that might be my overactive imagination since I read that flu-like symptoms are associated with mastitis.... is that what this is?

I'm gonna just pump as thoroghly as I can today (I work full time), and drink lots of water. Any other suggestions?

[@llli*TimsMom]

It sounds like you've got plugged ducts. Those can turn into mastisis, but won't necessarily. If you get flu-like symptoms, or other signs of infection (fever, warmness/redness/streaky redness of the breast), you should definitely talk to your doctor right away. Either way, you need to clear the plugs. Warmth helps (the plugs are probably partly made up of the fat in your milk. Warming them up should help dissolve them). Massage the breast as much as you can while you pump. If you can get your daughter to nurse on that side, do. Pumps are not nearly as good at clearing plugs as babies are. Some women find that nursing while leaned over forward (so gravity is helping more the plugs towards the nipple), but it sounds like your daughter is unlikely to cooperate with that. You could trying pumping in that position through. You're trying to do everything you can to dislodge the plugs. It's critical to clear the plugs as fast as you can, since they will eventually cause mastisis. Your doctor can give you antibiotics for the mastisis, but they won't be very effective until you get rid of the plugs.

[@llli*tinismom]

Thank you. I'll try all that. I've also noticed that nothing comes out of one of the "holes" on the right side where milk usually sprays from while I pump. That's probably where the plug is I guess.

[@llli*mydreamscametrue]

I've had that twice and it is so painful, and scary because I was also afraid it was or would turn into mastitis. Both times mine had one large lump so I could tell right where the problem was. Large like a walnut in there, it was scary to have that in my breast. I warmed up my breast with warm washcloths and massaged it while I leaned over to pump and also leaned over my baby so that the breast is hanging down and massaged it in that hanging down position. I think the warmth helps, and pumping and nursing as much as possible. Both times mine has cleared up from doing this so it wasn't mastitis, just the plugged ducts. Good luck.