The most evil of plugged ducts - I need your help please!

[@llli*hannamom]

Hi there,

I desperately need your advice.

My one breast which I'm weaning on (and which baby does not want) is full of rock-hard, painful lumps. The breast is red and extremely sore. I've suffered unimaginable pain for about 2 weeks now (shooting, stabbing, burning). I can't sleep or hold my kids properly. I can't take it anymore.

I've tried hot showers, intense massage, heat pads, advil. Nothing helps. In fact, it's getting worse.

What am I suppose to do??

Will antibiotics heal my breast?

Please help.

Thank you.

[@llli*mommal]

At this point, I think you need 2 things:
1. Antibiotics, so go see your doctor
2. A good pump with correctly sized shields

Basically, I think you need to empty this breast out with the pump. If your baby would nurse, that would be awesome, but she won't. It may well be a taste issue: when milk sits in the breast, it tends to get salty, and a lot of babies will therefore refuse it. And if you have mastitis- which I think you do, based on the pain, lumps, and redness- that will add an additional nasty taste, which in my experience is sort of booger-y.

Drain the breast, mama! I know you want to stop using that side, and you want it to more or less dry up- but you need to beat the mastitis first.

In addition, I suggest trying the following:
- Cool compresses, including cold, clean cabbage leaves
- Vibration, e.g. electric toothbrush or personal massager
- Immersing the breast in water
- Soy lecithin supplement
- Going braless as much as possible- poorly fitted bras, particularly underwire bras, can contribute to plugs
- Keep a cotton ball soaked in olive oil on your nipple to soften the skin and perhaps help with plugged nipple pores
- Inspect the skin of the nipple- look for white dots and/or nipple blisters

[@llli*hannamom]

Thank you for your fast response and great advice!

I know you want me to drain... but can antibiotics alone heal me? I am asking because I imagine pumping will feel like torture at this point.

At this point, I think you need 2 things:
1. Antibiotics, so go see your doctor
2. A good pump with correctly sized shields

Basically, I think you need to empty this breast out with the pump. If your baby would nurse, that would be awesome, but she won't. It may well be a taste issue: when milk sits in the breast, it tends to get salty, and a lot of babies will therefore refuse it. And if you have mastitis- which I think you do, based on the pain, lumps, and redness- that will add an additional nasty taste, which in my experience is sort of booger-y.

Drain the breast, mama! I know you want to stop using that side, and you want it to more or less dry up- but you need to beat the mastitis first.

In addition, I suggest trying the following:
- Cool compresses, including cold, clean cabbage leaves
- Vibration, e.g. electric toothbrush or personal massager
- Immersing the breast in water
- Soy lecithin supplement
- Going braless as much as possible- poorly fitted bras, particularly underwire bras, can contribute to plugs
- Keep a cotton ball soaked in olive oil on your nipple to soften the skin and perhaps help with plugged nipple pores
- Inspect the skin of the nipple- look for white dots and/or nipple blisters

[@llli*mommal]

Antibiotics alone could potentially heal you. But a far safer course of action is to drain the breast in addition to taking the antibiotics. I know pumping is going to be torture, and I am so sorry about that. But I really feel that you would do well to pump.

If pumping or nursing isn't doing the job when it comes to emptying the breast, some moms will retreat to the last course of action: having another adult help them out. Some moms have their spouses help them get the milk out. Some moms can suck the milk out themselves- believe it or not, I had to do this once when I had the beginnings of mastitis and no pump and my baby wouldn't nurse.