Is this a plugged duct?

[laurabfig]

Yesterday I started to feel a tender area about 2x2" at the top of my right breast, about 2 inches above my nipple and down towards it.  Feels tender like a bruise.  I applied heat last night, have been nursing on that side first every feeding, and am trying to rest, but it seems like the pain is not abating.  Anything else I can do besides heat and nursing???  I know the deal with putting chin towards the sore part when ds nurses too...but that is hard with where this soreness is.  So far it doesn't really hurt to nurse, which is good.

[kotapop]

Sorry to hear about your problem. I remember the first couple months of BFing I wanted to quit because of the recurrent plugged ducts I had been experiencing. Mine were painful and you could feel a small lump in the area, but the pain alone that you describe sounds like a sure sign. What I'd suggest trying is soaking in as many hot baths as you can, try different nursing positions, massage the area, express any extra milk to keep things moving, and make sure you are wearing a loose, comfortable bra when necessary, and none at all at night. (In my case I think an ill-fitting bra was to blame much of the time.) Make sure you treat this aggressively now or it could develop into mastitis, which is not a good time . I am no expert just know what worked for me personally, hopefully some more experienced mamas will chime in with other suggestions...good luck & hope you feel better soon!

[kanga1622]

I always had good luck removing plugs with hot showers and massage. DS's chin pointed toward it often hurt but did help. I also tried laying DS on his back on the floor/bed and sort of hovering above him so gravity might help move the clot. Lots of position changes might not have helped as much as I think but at least I felt like I was trying - football hold, cradle, sitting him more upright, side lying, etc.

I had mastitis 2 weeks ago and the one thing that truly helped to remove that lump was laying in the bath with the hottest water I could stand for about 20 minutes and then nursing directly after. I think it helped me relax as well as loosening up that lump. It ended up taking a couple days to completely leave and then I've had two recurrences in different areas since.

I finally started taking Lecithan (or however you spell it) to try to keep the clogs from forming.