Plugged Ducts or Mastitis

[starhalo]

I've been reading on kellymom.com and I'm trying to figure out what is the culprit of my uncomfortable nursing. I've posted a thread regarding this, but can't seem to find any advice. Both of my breasts are very uncomfortable when I'm nursing my 14 month-old DD. I even have a blister on each nipple! I thought that maybe it is a plugged milk duct, but it seems like it's something that only occurs on one breast? Then I thought, what if it is mastitis? But I don't think it's that serious. I even thought that maybe it was just her teeth digging into me while nursing, but my breasts/nipples are sensitive even when I'm just wearing a shirt. It's really uncomfortable to nurse and my breasts feel engorged all the time!!! I'm trying to nurse as much as I can, but it just hurts after a while. Please help me out...anyone else have this happen?

[quirkylayne]

I read some of your old threads. I will try to help you figure out what is going on.

Do you have teeth marks on your breasts after nursing?

What does your nipple look like after nursing?

What does the blister look like? Can you tell if there is liquid - what color is it?

Do you have lumps or red on your breasts?

Do you have a temperature?

Is there any sign of infection in other parts of your body?

Can you describe the pain in more detail? Is it only around the nipple, does it stab or shoot?

[ejsmommy]

Boy does that sound familiar...it sounds like a milk blister to me. I get them often and only on my right nipple. It hurts like crazy when it is still closed but I have dd nurse on it more often so that it will open and then the pain subsides and it quickly heals. I express a little breastmilk to cover the blister when she is finished and try to let it air dry and I also try to keep it very clean. The factors I believe contribute to their frequency are stress, caffeine, sleeping on that breast and sometimes improper latch, dd is a toddler and moves around all over me. I think I often get a plugged duct because of the blister or maybe it happens the other way around...but I also have gotten mastitis several times, which is the absolute worst!!! If you are feeling super sick like you have a terrible flu, after something like this it's most likely mastitis. Good Luck!

[starhalo]

Originally Posted by quirkylayne

I read some of your old threads. I will try to help you figure out what is going on.

Do you have teeth marks on your breasts after nursing?

What does your nipple look like after nursing?

What does the blister look like? Can you tell if there is liquid - what color is it?

Do you have lumps or red on your breasts?

Do you have a temperature?

Is there any sign of infection in other parts of your body?

Can you describe the pain in more detail? Is it only around the nipple, does it stab or shoot?

Thanks for your help. I'll start by saying that I don't have a temperature and don't feel like I've got the flu. The blisters (yeah, I have one on each breast) are clear and seem to have gone down since I wrote my post. I don't have teeth markings, but I don't really check either. When DD is done nursing, my nipple usually looks stretched out and flat. This doesn't happen all the time, but I've noticed it more recently. The only lumps I feel on my breasts are, what I think, due to engorgement which I always feel that I am. I don't have redness though. Um, I don't know what else to say about this. I've thought about nursing more often during the day, but it's hard if she's not interested. Now that she's older she gets easily distracted so nursing can sometimes me tough.

[quirkylayne]

Perhaps her latch has changed because of teething or any other reason you can think of? Does she have her top and bottom molars in? If her latch isn't as effective that could be contributing to the engorgement, she isn't draining the breast well. Latch could also cause/contribute to blisters.

[starhalo]

Originally Posted by quirkylayne

Perhaps her latch has changed because of teething or any other reason you can think of? Does she have her top and bottom molars in? If her latch isn't as effective that could be contributing to the engorgement, she isn't draining the breast well. Latch could also cause/contribute to blisters.

I think this is what the problem might be. I've been trying ti nurse more often these past few days and I think this may be helping. It's still rather uncomfortable and sometimes I just want to stop nursing because it bothers me that much. Any suggestions on relieving the discomfort?

[momma_monkey]

Originally Posted by starhalo

I think this is what the problem might be. I've been trying ti nurse more often these past few days and I think this may be helping. It's still rather uncomfortable and sometimes I just want to stop nursing because it bothers me that much. Any suggestions on relieving the discomfort?

whenever my nipples are sore-- milk blister, or early on nursing, I would use a calendula (tea) soak. You buy the whole, dried flower and make a tea of 1/4 c. flowers and 1 c. water. When it is a comfortable temp. I just put my boob in the water and let it soak. It feels great! Calendula is a natural antibacterial and the warmth helps with the blister.

[quirkylayne]

Originally Posted by starhalo

I think this is what the problem might be. I've been trying ti nurse more often these past few days and I think this may be helping. It's still rather uncomfortable and sometimes I just want to stop nursing because it bothers me that much. Any suggestions on relieving the discomfort?

Nursing more often may help bring some relief but could compromise your nursing relationship - your supply will go down, you will be in pain, and you will probably continue to hate nursing. Fixing the latch will help more and be long term. If you are unable to correct it on your own see a LC or call/visit LLL.