Thursday, August 13, 2009

Oh Yeah...THIS!!

I have a clogged milk duct.

OUCH!!!

I had forgotten about this lovely part of breast feeding. I assumed I was good this time because my baby is actually eating off the breast (as opposed to last time when I exclusively pumped and got clogged milk ducts constantly) and so far I had been good. No longer...

I am not sure if it is the fact that my baby went 8 1/2 hours last night, or that I am unbelievably stressed, or what. But I need to get this thing resolved before it turns into the dreaded mastitis.

So I am doing all the tricks that I read about on the internet last night at 3:45 during one of my many pumping sessions. I am:
  • Nursing, nursing, and nursing some more
  • Always starting The Girl out on the side with the clogged duct and then moving her to the other side to hopefully fulfill her (does this mess with the supply of the "good" boob?)
  • Pumping after each time she eats on the evil side
  • Massaging the hell out of the hard lump that used to be my soft breast
  • Warm compresses
  • Trying different positions including the one where my baby's chin faces toward the clogged area (she looked at me in the middle of the night like I was nuts when I was crouched over her on all fours and then when I turned her upside down and she was facing my stomach and kicking my face...)
  • Hot, hot shower followed by immediate pumping and massaging of the area while doing this
  • Obviously not going more than 2 or 3 hours without her nursing or pumping on this side
So tell me great internet...is there anything that I am missing? Do you have anything else that worked for you? I am also only sending her to daycare today for the couple of hours that I am actually meeting with clients. I am picking her up around lunchtime and keeping her with me for the rest of the day so she can actually nurse as opposed to pumping like I normally would on a Thursday. So with all of that...anything else? Can you help me?

3 comments:

Dresden said...

ouch!!! haven't had this yet but it sounds awful - so sorry!

Anonymous said...

Gee. I only remember the hot compresses. I think you are on the right track.

Carey said...

I got plugged ducts all the time... until I started taking soy lecithin. Little granules in the natural foods section of my regular grocery store. I would eat a few spoonfuls with some honey. Also, for your warm compress, try using a small diaper - they stay warmer longer than a washcloth. Wearing a properly fitted bra helped me too. My sleep bra was the best for me. Now, are they just plugged ducts or are you getting milk blisters too? I found those went hand in hand sometimes. Ugh. For those, you have to use a syringe/needle to lift the blister off. Sounds terrible, but does not hurt at all! Good luck!!!!
http://www.pumpstation.com/pumpstation/dept.asp?dept_id=3281