I'm hoping someone has some suggestions...My left breast is now about the size of a football. Last night I felt a small clog, so I tried pumping and nursing it out all night. However nothing has worked and now the entire breast is completely engorged - and growing by the hour. I can't pump it out and so far DD hasn't been able to nurse it out. She's frustrated bc I'm not keeping up with her demand, now that one whole side is out of commission.
I've tried moist heat (shower and hot pads) as well as ibuprofin several times since last night. Is it better to just let it set for awhile? Or to keep pumping/nursing on that side as much as I can? I've had mastitis before and I don't think that's what I have now. But I've had clogged ducts too, and I've never had the entire breast engorge like this over night.
I'm in terrible pain, and I do not want this to turn into another bout of mastitis.
Part (most!?!) of being engorged is that all the blood rushes there to get ready to make milk. So sometimes if you put cold packs on (which always felt better to me any way) you can slow down the flow of blood (which may be pushing on milk ducts) and get some of that milk out.
Have you tried in different positions? On all fours often works well to make sure nothing is pushing on the "clogged" spot. I believe that getting into position so that your childs chin (or maybe nose, sorry about that, I guess you'll have to try both
: ) points to the biggest hard spot works the best.
I would be afraid to stop pumping, I don't think that would help. When you are pumping or nursing do a lot of massaging. Rest and drink a lot of water, it is amazing how easily some of these go away after you have been in bed for a few hours.
Keep and eye out for signs of mastits- red streaks, a fever.
I haven't tried the all fours position, and I haven't tried "chilling" the area. I will definitely try both of these to see if it helps. Usually my DD can get clogs out before they get this bad. Hopefully I can solve this FAST!
Ouch! That sounds so painful. Another suggestion for engorgment is cabbage leaves. Chill them and put them in your bra, and change them as they warm up. There are ingredients in them that reduce swelling.
Aim baby's chin towards the plug. If you are just hard all over, vary positions.
Yes, ice packs between feeds, reduces swelling and fluids in breast. Warm moist heat just before a feed open ducts.
Stay in bed or on couch. Do nothing but rest, nurse, pump and eat and drink.
if you are prone to plugs and mastisits, have you tried lecithin supplements?
Hope you don't mind my $.02 --- I had my first (and hopefully last) plugged duct just after Easter. Woke up Monday morning with the plug and couldn't get it out until Thursday afternoon. Ouch.
Anyway, what worked for me was to point the baby's chin toward the plug (as others have suggested) -- in my case this meant lying on my side and putting the baby's feet in the opposite direction as mine. In addition, I soaked in a hot bathtub and massaged to express some milk. My LC told me to just lie in the tub to relax for the first 10 min and then start doing some massage to get some milk out. The first time I did this I didn't get much milk out but I did feel a bit better. I then nursed the babe, took another bath and then the duct unplugged with the next nursing session.
Do all you can to get the baby to nurse on that side -- mine actually got worse because I went to work for a few hours and was pumping -- the pump just didn't do the trick.
DaryLLL: I have been extremely prone to clogged ducts and have had mastitis twice in the 9 mos I've been nursing DD. Obviously I am doing something wrong. I have switched pumps which has helped quite a bit. I used to get at least one if not two clogged ducts per week when I was using the PIS. I posted about this a couple months ago and you suggested that I try the Isis, and I have done so - and I love it. Now, I rarely get plugged, but when I do it's not pretty.
I've wondered if I'm wearing the wrong bras. I've switched several times, and nothing has seemed to help. I do not do underwire. I have tried looser and tighter, and it really doesn't seem to help. I do do a lot of side nursing at night since my DD RCNs. So that could be part of it.
I'm also interested in trying lecithin supplements - what should I be looking for? Can I just ask at the health food stores for lecithin supplements?
Last night the ice at least relieved the engorgement and finally the plug worked itself out today (although the entire area is pretty sore and my production is still down).
Unfortunately I do not have sick days to use, so I haven't been able to rest much, but DH at least took over all duties last night so DD and I could pretty much just eat dinner and then curl up in bed together.
I had not heard about cabbage leaves before - other than using them to dry up when you're weaning. I will keep that in mind for next time.
Thanks for all of your tips and suggestions. Wish I could figure out the underlying reason I'm so prone.
M
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