Even with good positioning and attachment, at any stage of breastfeeding, a 'plug' of milk can sometimes block milk ducts and cause one or all of the followings : lump, engorgement, sensation of bruised breast, tender to the touch, red patch, pain when baby latches on.
Some women find that they are particularly prone to blocked ducts and, unfortunately, it's often unclear why.
Left untreated blocked ducts can cause a lot of pain and lead to mastitis.
So, have you experienced blocked ducts? What did you do to treat it?
Although a blocked duct can be pretty miserable at times I found that feeding as often as possible and smoothing over the whole breast after a feed worked to clear the blockage within a few days
ReplyDeleteNot from personal experience but a blockage-prone friend swears by massage with an electric toothbrush!
ReplyDeleteFeed, Feed, Feed and Feed some more... Babies are brilliant at unblocking ducts in my experience.
ReplyDeleteMy sister had mastitis following a blocked duct and I saw how poorly it made her which made me super aware of any pain, lumps when I fed both my children. Luckily I never experienced it but had plenty of nipple blebs. Nice!
ReplyDeleteAs above mostly feeding fully on each boob or expressing & sometimes a nice warm bath, flannel or hot water bottle on the area can help!
ReplyDeleteNot sure I've experienced a blocked duct but am quick to massage any tender spots while feeding from that side first.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, everyone!
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see that every mum seems to have her own way to deal with this. A lot about massage, warmth, and feeding! I'll just add that aligning baby's chin with the blockage works quite well too (which for me often meant adopting the rugby hold :) )
Anne x