Weird clogged duct - anyone have anything like this?

[paulamc]

I get plugged ducts every once in a while, and always manage to resolve them by taking a long shower then dangle nursing. Nothing's working this time. I'm not doing the dangle nursing as much, so maybe that's why (DS seems to be on a bit of a nursing strke - he nurses after naps and through the night but otherwise not so much during the day. He'll be 12 months in a few days).

Here's what's weird. The breast doesn't have much of a hard spot, it's more like it's just full or slightly engorged. There is a place on the left side that feels a bit lumpy/ hard, but it's not too painful despite the fact this has been going on for a day and a half now - since yesterday morning (it's Thursday night now). And I am able to pump some. Normally when I pump there are multiple streams of milk going every which way on this breast. A couple of times today I pumped, and there were those multiple streams (as if there were no clog) but only for a few seconds. Then after that it was just one steady stream from one spot and nothing else. Why did they disappear? If it's clogged, why was I getting milk from them?

I'm quite sure the clog is not resolved - the breast never gets really soft and I am not able to pump very much, and there's just that one stream of milk (for the most part) whereas normally there are several streams.

Sorry for the long detailed description. I'm not sure what to do. My plugged ducts normally always resolve within 24 hours for me, but this one just won't seem to be gone. And yet, oddly it doesn't seem that bad either - I don't feel like I've got mastitis coming on or anything. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

What will happen eventually if it doesn't fully resolve? I suppose my supply might just disappear? Do I have to keep taking hot shower after hot shower? Can a lactation consultant or doctor do anything to help? Arrrrgh!

[ShwarmaQueen]

A clogged duct can turn into an infected duct.

Have you tried a heating pad? Massaging, nursing in a different position (try letting your boobs hang straight down over babe, like on all fours). I'd also call LLL if those didn't work.

I have a problematic area too, even though I haven't nursed in years, I get a little achy in the chronicly clogged duct side.

[paulamc]

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen

A clogged duct can turn into an infected duct.

Have you tried a heating pad? Massaging, nursing in a different position (try letting your boobs hang straight down over babe, like on all fours). I'd also call LLL if those didn't work.

I have a problematic area too, even though I haven't nursed in years, I get a little achy in the chronicly clogged duct side.

Yes, I get these periodically. I take hot showers, and then dangle nurse / massage (that's what I call the position you described above). This normally resolves it for me. But so far it hasn't worked this time - not fully anyway. When I heat it up then nurse, it does drain the breast some, but not all the way. I'll keep trying until tomorrow and then go see an LC or call LLL. Thanks so much for the reply.

[Pepper44]

I have something similar to this...it started out feeling like a clogged duct, but it's been there for more than a year now. It's a lump right under my right nipple that changes in sizes. Sometimes it will feel like a small grape, other times it's nearly gone it's so tiny. Sometimes it throbs like a plugged duct, other times it feels like nothing. It's so strange! I considered having it checked out, but that would be a lot of money we don't have...I think it's a cyst. I googled the symptoms and they are kind of common.

Right now I'm pregnant and it still will randomly throb, but the lump itself is almost impossible to find.

[paulamc]

FINALLY - I think it might be gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I took a LONG and very hot shower while DH got DS ready for bed, then did the dangle nursing thing, then regular side lying, with a good latch, and my breast now feels pretty soft again. Now I just have to deal with the milk blister on the other breast

[madeleines_mom]

What is dangle nursing???? I even tried to google the term and nothing came up!

[KarlaC]

Originally Posted by madeleines_mom

What is dangle nursing???? I even tried to google the term and nothing came up!

I *think* it's like on your hands & knees hovering over the babe to nurse. So your breast dangles & you have gravity working to help you unclog the duct.

[paulamc]

Yup - that's it!

[wanderinggypsy]

Just a thought:
I get breast cysts that come and go with hormonal changes... your son is 11 months, right? Have you got your period back yet? If not, I wouldn't be surprised if you get it in the next week or so, and it turns out you had a few small cysts from the hormones...

[paulamc]

Originally Posted by wanderinggypsy

Just a thought:
I get breast cysts that come and go with hormonal changes... your son is 11 months, right? Have you got your period back yet? If not, I wouldn't be surprised if you get it in the next week or so, and it turns out you had a few small cysts from the hormones...

Humm... maybe. I sort of doubt that's going to happen because DS is still nursing quite a bit at night. He's sleeping in longer stretches, though, so I suppose it's possible.

Would the cysts cut off the flow of milk? There was definitely blockage there because I wasn't able to pump very much at all, compared with usual.

[wanderinggypsy]

My cysts have definitely obstructed milkflow in the past.

[PGTlatte]

When this happened to me, it went on for a couple of months, and I finally had an ultrasound and then a core needle biopsy, and it turned out to be a fibrocystic lump.

[paulamc]

In this case it might just have been a regular clogged duct. It did finally resolve night before last - everything seems back to normal now. Thanks for all the input. It did seem weird at the time, and unusual that it took so long to resolve. But thinking about it some more, I think I know why it took so long. Now that DS is very mobile and active, he's been nursing a lot less frequently (probably one reason for the clog). So that means there were far fewer opportunities to work on the plug. I tried pumping it out, but pumping has never worked before. It was the babe that finally did it this time too.

[Heba]

Originally Posted by madeleines_mom

What is dangle nursing???? I even tried to google the term and nothing came up!

I googled it out of curiosity, and your post came up LOL.

If you google "Dangle feeding," kellymom is the first link.