i have a plugged milk duct what do i do?

Answer 1

take a warm shower and try and relax. After the shower get some towels, wet them just a little and put them in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. Lay them on your chest across your collar bone and over the area that is clogged, let the towel cool. Feed your baby often and on the sore side most. Last massage the area above where you feel the most tender, then work your way down to the nipple.

Be careful on how hot you get the towels. everyone is diff. on heat sensitivities.

Do your best with the natural home remedy things but if you start to feel like you even have a slight temperature or even if you think you may be becoming ill call your doctor for further professional care.

I have to say this and I hate going over someone else but do not pop anything with a needle! DON"T DO IT! I know that everyone has at some point in time done this but it can really lead to bad things. MRSA/Staph, this is spreading like wildfire and not just in hospitals and nursing facilities.

Answer 2

1. Nurse, nurse, nurse like crazy! (On the affected breast as much as possible. Especially on this side first when the baby's sucking is the strongest.)

2. Switch up the positions (cradle hold, football hold, side-lying)

3. Occasionally (not always) with a plugged duct you can see a small white spot somewhere on your breast or on the nipple and you can tell which area is actually plugged. I know it's tempting, but don't pick at it if you can see a white spot on the nipple. (And don't poke anything in there... you're not like a clogged bottle of crazy glue!!) I've heard though from a few people (and read online) that if you can nurse with your baby's chin pointing towards the spot, or the area of hardness (or where you are most sore) it will help clear the blockage. Use whatever position will accomplish this, even if it means getting on all fours and hanging your boob over your baby to nurse. (Been there, done that... the baby may think you're nuts, but whatever will give you relief is worth it!!)

4. This happened to me twice and all you can do is breast compressions/massage while you nurse and like I said nurse like crazy to try to work it out before it turns into a Mastitis infection. (Keep a close eye on it.. especially if you develop a fever... this can happen rapidly.) Take a Tylenol if you need to for pain or fever. (I got lucky and only ever had a low fever, but it still hurt like crazy!!! At the most painful point my husband even helped me out with the "massage" by stroking my breast towards the nipple to help with milk flow while the baby nursed. I was busy concentrating on not crying and yowling in misery when the baby latched on.)

5. If you've got a manual breast pump (rather than electric) take it with you into the tub. I know nursing the baby on the affected side first is recommended as much as possible, but you don't want the other side to become engorged too, plus when it was too painful for the baby to latch on I'd nurse her on the other side and take the pump with me into the bath. I'd lay on my tummy in nice toasty warm water for a few minutes and then pump as much as I could while still in the bath. It got things flowing smoothly again in no time at all. (You could also express by hand if you don't have a pump... I tried this too when my breast was too sore for the pump, but I didn't find it quite as effective as the pump. The extra suction seemed to be better once the Tylenol was doing it's job and I could tolerate the pain.)

Good luck, take care!!

Answer 3

PLUGGED MILK DUCTS
Sometimes a milk duct leading from the milk-making cells to the nipple gets plugged, resulting in a tender lump beneath the areola. There may also be a wedge-shaped area of redness extending from the lump back towards the wall of the chest. Unlike mastitis, the pain comes and goes with a plugged duct, and unless the duct is infected, you will not feel generally ill. If left untreated, however, a plugged duct may become infected, resulting in mastitis, infection, or a breast abscess.

To unplug the duct and prevent subsequent infection, try these suggestions:

Continue to breastfeed on the affected side. By any means, get the milk out! This is the golden rule of preventing engorgement, plugged ducts, and mastitis. Use a breast pump or hand expression if baby is unwilling to nurse.

Breastfeed on the affected side first. Baby's sucking is strongest at the beginning of the feed, so he is more likely to dislodge the plug when he starts on the affected breast.

Vary the baby's position at the breast, so that all of the milk ducts are drained. Be sure the baby is latched-on well, so that he can nurse efficiently. Try the clutch hold or side-lying position. Before each feeding, massage the affected area by kneading your breast gently from the top of the breast down over the plugged duct toward the nipple.

Drain the affected breast better by positioning baby so his chin "points" to the area that is sore. For example, if the lump is around 4 o'clock, use the clutch-hold and position baby's chin around this point on the nipple clock. The lower jaw is often most effective at getting milk out of the breast.

Apply moist heat compresses for a few minutes before feeding or pumping, or soak the affected breast in warm water or in the shower as described under Engorgement

Rest. Lie down with the baby and nap-nurse.

If you notice a small, white dot at the end of the milk duct on your nipple, that is the end of a plugged nipple opening. Apply moist heat on this white blister and with a sterile needle gently pop the blister. If this pore stays plugged, it could block milk drainage and lead to a plugged duct and mastitis.

Try a pressure massage on the area of your breast that is swollen and painful because of a plugged duct. This may help to loosen the plug. With pressure massage, you do not actually move your hand over the skin as you would with a normal massage. You simply press more and more firmly with the heel of your hand to move the plug in the duct down closer to the nipple.

To do pressure massage, start at the edge of the lumpy area closest to your chest wall. Apply pressure to that area with the heel of your hand to the point just before it becomes too painful. Hold the pressure at that level until the pain eases off. Then increase the pressure again, (without moving your hand) and hold it until the pain eases. Continue to gradually increase pressure at that same site until you are pressing as hard as you can. Then pick your hand up, move it down toward your nipple about a half inch, and repeat the pressure massage in this area. Continue moving your hand a half inch and repeating the massage until you get all the way down to the nipple.

You may see the dried milk come out from an opening in your nipple. Even if the plug doesn't actually come out, you will at least have dislodged it and moved it toward the nipple so that when baby goes to the breast and sucks, he will remove it with his suction. Always put baby to the breast on the plugged side first, when his sucking will be the strongest.

Answer 4

I was told that a half shot of rum, maybe not even that much, is a good way if all the massaging, breast feeding, and hot compresses don't work. It's not enough to affect your baby. Do it in the shower, cause once it takes affect, the milk does flow. Its a last resort and if the shot doesn't work, go back to the massaging and hot compresses. Last thing you want to do is get your baby drunk with you. I hope it goes away soon.

Answer 5

That is soo painfull. Get a hot compress and apply to your breast, then a few minutes later try to express milk, you will have to do this for quite some time. You can also do this in a hot shower (what I did) because you can express with the heta still on your breast. If it does not fully improve by morning make sure to go and see your doctor first thing in the morning. Good Luck!

Answer 6

you will possibly have an infection interior the breast called mastitis. it relatively is extra uncomplicated in breastfeeding women people, in spite of the undeniable fact that it relatively is nonetheless very available to get it with out lactating at the instant. Your breasts are nonetheless present day technique some hormonal and physiological exchange even in this area of your being pregnant. in case you get a fever you need to circulate to pressing care or call your on-call medical expert. Mastitis can worsen if no longer dealt with.

Answer 7

Take a warm shower and massage the area to help the flow. Have the baby nurse if possible. Warm packs will help as well.

Answer 8

They are no fun and can lead to Mastitis, so you wanna treat it quickly. All the above advice is on target.
Just as an added tip....for a warm compress you can take one of your babies new diapers, saturate it with water, and microwave it. WALAH! Warm compress. :o)
good luck!

Answer 9

a warm bath can helpbut....if its on left side...thats cellery right is carrots............both contain the needed salts you and baby need....u can tell if you check and hold two spots at yer cheeks below yr eyes..on the jaw bone....tender?
the tender side needs yr attention....ease up and hold the tender side until you feel a pulse.....now...that same flow is at the collar bones...hold beneath them until you feel a steady pul;se....theres another set...between nipples and collar bones....hold these it may take 20 minutes....but that will re-align yr top to pelvis and toes...have fun wait for the pulses and you'll be surprised...even yr breathing will improve...happy nursing

Answer 10

warm compress and massage the area