right breast entirely clogged up :( UPDATE #14

[cornpicker]

Just wondering if anyone else has been through this and can give me some hope. I know it will end, it just feels like it is taking forever. I'm working with an LC and have read everything on kellymom.

I keep trying the hot moist compresses, massage, and pump like crazy. I get a little milk out and then everything stops. The mass moves down and into my nipple, but no further. It is really freaking me out and I'm tired and frustrated.

Thanks for listening.

[Yuba_River]

nak
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I don't have any advice, just wanted to send some sympathy your way. I'm dealing with a plugged duct right now, and a baby who went from being a great nurser to screaming at the breast... so I share your frustration and worry! Sounds like you're doing everything right. Hang in there!

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

Through all of this, is your baby nursing on the affected side? How long has it been going on? Is it def a plugged duct? Have you had mastitis at all?

[cornpicker]

Thanks for the thoughts, YR. Hang in there to you, too!

Heather-- baby was nursing on that side until about 5 pm yesterday when it got too painful. I wonder if the same thing was happening to him that now happens when I pump-- milk flows the first 5 mins then everything gets stopped up. I think this was all triggered on Tuesday when he had an off day and wasn't eating much, and by Thursday I realized it was a problem. I felt pretty awful Friday but by Saturday thought things were getting better until Sunday early evening.

I don't know if it is plugged ducts, I don't see anything on the surface of the nipple. It feels like the huge mass in my breast just can't work its way out, and everything is rocky and tender and backed up to the arm pit.

No diagnosed mastitis. I wonder if I had it on Friday when I was in the most pain and felt terrible and woke up a lot in the night, very hot, etc. But I felt MUCH better Sat morning.

I just pumped again b/c I woke up in pain, and same-- got about 5 oz of milk in first 5 mins, then nothing and mass fills into nipple but that's all.

[RachelGS]

Have you tried phytolacca, lecithin, and high-dose vitamin C? What about finding someone to do Jack Newman's u/s prototcol for you?

[cornpicker]

RachelGS- I'm taking lots of lecithin and vit C. I had not heard about the other 2 things you mention.

The situation continues. I feel like I drain some milk from the right breast, but it gets all backed up again in between sessions. I am nursing on the right again. It still feels like a huge rock. I'm not in the pain I was on Friday, but there is a lot of discomfort. I'm going to call my midwife today and fill her in. Maybe she has some other tricks or suggestions.

Thanks, all!

[muttix2]

When I had a badly plugged duct with my oldest what helped the most was starting the baby out on the plugged side and letting ds nurse until frustrated. Then he'd nurse a little on the other side and I'd switch him back to the plugged side until frustration set in. I set his chin directly toward the mass and massaged it downward (painful) while he ate. I followed up with pumping (and on the other side also to avoid plugging that side up as most feeding was happening on the plugged side) and after a few days it worked itself out. Hope it gets better soon, plugged ducts are the worst!

[kathteach]

Ibuprofen can help reduce the inflammation, it helps me sometimes. A long super hot, like burning your boobs hot : shower before pumping helps too.

[ambivamom]

I would second the suggestion to shower first. When I have a plug I always hop into a long hot shower, then nurse baby immed. afterwards.

I also put babe on the floor, and lean over him (breast hanging from midair-- funny to see but it works!) You can go from this position and move all around him, changing your body's angle in relation to baby's, so that you make a circle. (unlatch before changing position, of course!) That way ALL the ducts get good compression and have bes chance at emptying.

Hugs to you, dear. I had the worst pain I have ever had with my plugged ducts last weekend, and I would never want anyone to have that (or , gf, worse!)

[Yuba_River]

I know you are already doing moist compresses, but have you tried soaking your breast in a bowl of hot water? I saw it on Kellymom and it seemed to really help me. It was kind of an awkward position to be in, leaning over the bowl, but the warmth made me let down, and I was able to massage towards my nipple while in the water, and then nurse right after. Worth a try. Hope it's feeling better!

[cornpicker]

I have tried to lean into a bowl of hot water, but I can't get most of the breast in. Twice I did a very hot bath and submerged the breast in the tub and massaged. I'm also doing the hot showers when I can, and in between massaging with hot washcloth. Man, this is a lot of work.

I've tried to put him on the floor and nurse at various angles, but my arms give out. Is there another trick to this?

When you were clearing your ducts, did it feel like total torture to nurse? Luckily DS doesn't seem to mind my screaming and crying.

Thanks so much for your posts.

[mommyof2gr8kids]

sounds more like mastitis

When I have a plugged duct, there is a small, hard knot. When it is mastitis, it is more like a baseball or something in there. If you have the large lump, see a doctor, because mastitis can turn into an abcess and you can end up with some very serious consequences! The doc can give you an antibiotic that will clear you up in no time. Otherwise, it sounds like you are doing everything right. I know it sucks, but hang in there. I had mastitis once with my daughter and have had it three times with my son. I got through it each time (and so did the kids). The most important thing to remember is to KEEP PUMPING. Because it is hard to get the milk out, the baby may give up. The pump won't. The pump will do the best for getting the plugged duct opened up and getting the most milk out of your breast to keep it from becoming too engorged.:

[veganone]

I have mastitis and yeast that both are taking FOREVER to clear up (like over a month) and I was suffering from a really clogged up right breast as well for several days. I tried the combing massage - get in the shower and with a ton of soap or oil or something comb your breast over the clog toward the nipple with a fine tooth comb. Sounds bizarre, but I swear it helped.

I am also taking Soy Lecithin supplements (health food store), which I read about on Kellymom. Those seem to also be helping - after about 3 days I am noticing a significant improvement in draining...

Good luck!

[cornpicker]

Well, I'm coming up on 4 weeks of dealing with this. At this point, I need to know, do I continue and hope that in another month or so this is cleared up and I can nurse again on the right side? Or do I just let the right breast shut down?

Since my last post, I've had the Dr. Newman ultrasounds which helped a lot. That was the most effective out of anything else. I saw a nurse practitioner and had a diagnostic u/s to make sure there wasn't another issue with the breast. I did a whole cycle of antibiotics (which I had an allergic reaction to, so more fun there). I stopped nursing on the right on 10/12 due to extreme pain, but since 10/21 I've been trying unsuccessfully to nurse on the right. The aereola/nipple is just too stiff and hard and baby cannot latch on and gets very frustrated. I've tried massaging and pumping before nursing, doing it when he's starving and when he's not, etc. He just cannot latch.

Currently, the breast is not as swollen and painful as it was, but still is far from normal and I have occasional pain. It seems about 50% better-- there are now soft spots but still many hard swollen spots, too. I've been doing the hot washcloth massage, and started doing the soaks in hot bowls of water again, and then I pump. I'm not consistent with the pumping-- sometimes every 2 - 3 hours for 10 mins, sometimes several hours between. There is milk coming out, but very little each time.

So, do I just keep going and trying? I'm just exhausted of taking care of my breast and a baby, and it is hard to stay motivated when I see little to no results. I also go back to work p/t next week so it'd be great to get this resolved sooner rather than later.

Thanks for reading.

[BrooklynDoula]

Don't give up! It is hard but you are giving your baby an amazing gift.

I had mastitis earlier this year and the MW and LC had me wearing raw grated potatoe on the lump to help clear it. Gate a bunch, get some cheesecloth and a shirt you don't mind staining and wear in on your breat for as long as you can!It is suppose to help loosen the plug.

Good luck mama!