OUCH! PLease help me!

[KarmaJoy]

I don't know what is going on but yesterday I noticed a slight twinge of pain, like a pinch, when ds latched on the left side. It reminded me of thrush I had with dd and was thinking I would start with baking soda/vinegar but today my whole left breast is VERY sore. It feels just like the day after you milk comes in and you are so engorged it hurts to even brush up against it. Only, I am not engorged. Ds has no problem nursing either side and even empty it hurts! It is especially painful if you lift up from the bottom. What is going on?? After 2 years of breastfeeding with what I thought was every problem possible (with the possible exception of low supply...I always have tons of milk) I never imagined something else could go wrong but I don't have a clue.
TIA!

[possum]

Is it possible that you have a plugged duct? When I had one, it felt like a hard pinch every time my son latched on. It would lessen as he nursed, but would feel just as bad if he popped off and then back on.

[Vancouver Mommy]

Yeah, sounds like a plugged duct to me.

[KarmaJoy]

I have felt around and tried to find one but there is no "knot" like I have had with plugged ducts before. It is completely soft. What would I do to treat it (assuming it is a plugged duct) if I don't know where it is?

[stickywicket67]

bump
i'm having the exact same experience. anyone with suggestions on how to treat? i'm thinking lots of fluids, nursing and rest??

[possum]

Originally Posted by KarmaJoy

I have felt around and tried to find one but there is no "knot" like I have had with plugged ducts before. It is completely soft. What would I do to treat it (assuming it is a plugged duct) if I don't know where it is?

Have you looked at your nipple? I could see a little white spot (kind of like a pimple but not bumped up).
The thing to do is nurse, nurse, nurse. If you can, have your baby nurse with his/her bottom jaw in the direction of the plugged duct. For me, this meant putting him down on the bed and leaning over him with his feet in the direction of my head - kinda funny looking but effective.

[possum]

Originally Posted by KarmaJoy

I have felt around and tried to find one but there is no "knot" like I have had with plugged ducts before. It is completely soft. What would I do to treat it (assuming it is a plugged duct) if I don't know where it is?

Have you looked at your nipple? I could see a little white spot (kind of like a pimple but not bumped up).
The thing to do is nurse, nurse, nurse. If you can, have your baby nurse with his/her bottom jaw in the direction of the plugged duct. For me, this meant putting him down on the bed and leaning over him with his feet in the direction of my head - kinda funny looking but effective.

[ATD_Mom]

Originally Posted by KarmaJoy

I have felt around and tried to find one but there is no "knot" like I have had with plugged ducts before. It is completely soft. What would I do to treat it (assuming it is a plugged duct) if I don't know where it is?

The first time I had a plugged duct, I could not feel the knot or bump, either. I even went to the MD, who knew nothing about breastfeeding. He said he could feel no difference, sent me home. Called an LC, who came over and said - yes, you have a plugged duct, and showed me how to feel it. Oh! Suddenly I felt it.

Anyhow, it definitely sounds from your description as though you have one.

The prescription is this: Massage, very deep, in little circles, right where it hurts the most. So, this would be for you on the bottom. Keep massaging. Deep. It's going to hurt like hell. It's best to do it in a hot shower. It took me a few very long sessions of this before I stopped because it hurt so much from massaging. A few hours later I realized I had released it at some point, because it didn't hurt the same. Now it was just bruised from all that deep massage!

I wish you good luck!

And also, once you fix it, try to think back to how it could have come about - I've had three such issues. Two were caused by a poor-fitting bra (it was not underwire; the band was too big, boobs too heavy, so the band pulled up in the back, pulling the top part of the band tight), and another was caused by my pulling a shelf bra up and over my breast to nurse. (The band ended up pressing on the top of my breast.)

[ErikaLeigh]

this might help

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art..._mastitis.html