Advice on breastfeeding problem

hi mummies,


need some help on how to avoid blocked milk duct n how to clear it? I been feeding my baby regularly but still, will get milk duct occassionally. And once got it, fever will come as well. I really need some advise on how to relieve the pain asap.


Thanks!

Pain - Panadol

BEFORE FEED - use a hot compress on your breast and 'massage' your breast before and during feed.

AFTER FEED - use a cold compress on your breast.


And feed feed feed more, as baby can help clear it with the sucking.


If it continues, contact a midwife or lactation consultant and they can show you the proper massage technique.


good luck.

tks crj, i tried using hot water to massage the breast b4 feed, but still hvg difficulty relieving the pain. yes, taking panadol now the for the pain n fever. maybe might really need the help of a lactation consultation.


do you know usually how much is the cost? can they come yr place?


thanks

The cost is at least $500, and more for home visits. You can save cost by contacting a LLL leader who can give you advice on the phone, or in person if you are prepared to visit them.


I found that massage in a hot shower before feeds really helped. Good luck!

hello fel,


10 weeks after my first baby was born, I had a blocked milk duct which presented as a painful/hard/red breast followed by fever. At the time I did not know the connection between the two and hence, was late in getting medical advice. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I ended up having a breast abscess which had to be drained surgically under general anaesthesia. Since the abscess and therefore, incision was in the periphery of the areola, I had to quit nursing from that breast (since a lactating breast takes awfully long to heal). Not to scare you but just to tell you that you ought to take care.


If you are susceptible to blocked ducts as I am (still have to deal with it six months into my SECOND delivery), I suggest you get yourself checked by a lactation consultant/LLL leader/doctor. If it is a one-time thing then apply a hot compress, massage, soften your breasts (express milk gently if you feel uncomfortably full) and then let your baby suck soon after i.e. when the breast is reasonably soft. (the suction of a baby's mouth is stronger than that of a pump). Once the breast is emptied, you could use a cold compress (like cold cabbage leaves or a bag of frozen peas).


As for medication, on one occasion-given my history-my doc put me on a dose of antibiotics (combination of ampicillin and cloxacillin). One bit of advice (which has really worked for me). Do remember to let the baby drain the breast during each feed.

I had issues with this and learned to deal with it successfully. Sorry this is happening to you, it is so painful and causes such a high fever! It's hard to believe, but the pain and fever will go away almost immediately as soon as you get rid of the plug! One time, in fact, my doctor had me go to the emergency room to meet him, because I had a very high fever. The plug came out while we were waiting in the ER, and by the time the nurse saw me my temperature was normal! That's how fast it goes away, when you get rid of the plug!


To get rid of the plug, you need to massage it so that the plug moves down the duct pipeline, even if it hurts a bit to do so. Imagine the ducts as being like branches on a tree, starting at the top and then all leading to the trunk. The most painful, red spot is where the plug is physically located. That very painful spot is what you're going to have to massage to get the plug to move down the branch to the trunk of the tree. First, take a hot shower and use a hot compress to try and soften things up, then use your thumb or your knuckle to gently but firmly stroke the duct from top to bottom, trying to press the plug down to exit out the nipple. Start slightly higher up the breast, and work your way down. Think of squeezing a sausage through a sausage casing! Actually, I can remember laying sideways in a hot bathtub, because the heat from the water is very comforting and seems to help soften the breast, indeed, maybe even it removes some of the gravity issues.


Baby can help with this process, too! Put baby to nurse in a position so that his tongue is on the side where the plug is. This will help empty that particular duct. (This can result in some very strange nursing positions, but baby is the BEST breast pump!) Take panadol for fever, ibuprofen for inflammation (you can take both at the same time and it's okay for milk, just don't overdose).


To avoid future plugs, be really careful about drinking enough fluid, but ALSO be religious about making sure there is nothing binding on your breast -- no pressure from bra for example -- that would cause a plug to form. Be conscientious about moving baby's feeding position around in a circle, like spokes of a wheel, so that he empties all the ducts of the breast. As soon as you feel a tender spot, use hot compresses and massage it out. Also if you have excess milk, don't ever feel like you are "wasting" milk to allow a letdown reflex into a cloth or sink. There is plenty more milk, just let the initial milk letdown and then feed baby after the letdown rather than stifle it and try to "plug" it!

Hi Fel,

Time for me to let you know about my "shake and break" technique!

I have been breast feeding for the greater part of the last ten years and suffer with plugged ducts frequently. With my first two babies, I ended up with recurrent bouts of mastitis and lots of pain and suffering!

Quite by accident, I started to run six months after my third birth and I noted that if I happened to be a bit "ropey" and bumpy in the breast prior to the run, it appeared to be sorted by the end of the run.

So.....one evening (sorry for this being so drawn out!) I felt a plugged duct and knew it was going to cause me grief. I went to the bathroom and cupping both breasts, did a sort of shaking dance (I am sure you can get what I mean- not pretty but very effective).

Now whenever I get blocked and plugged ducts, I have a good shimmy shake. I also hold my arm up on the effected side (like you are putting your hand up to answer a teacher in class) and get my husband to vibrate/shake my arm. My theory here is that the vibrations of both these tricks seem to shake and break and move the plug. And it is not as painful as trying to massage out the plug.

I have not got any sound support for my theory, howevery I have shared it with many of my clients and ALWAYS managed to avoid full masitits by doing this with them early. I have also discussed it with my midwife friends back in Oz and they think it is a handy trick as well.

I find it is difficult to keep the milk flow going when you get plugged and let down becomes extremely painful.

It also helps to position the baby in a different way post the shimmy shake, so that the duct is free to express itself completely during the feed.

So try a little shimmy/shake and the best of luck to you!

PM me if you want more details.

hi mummies,


thanks for all your reply and sharing your experience w me. I am still trying very hard to clear this stubborn blocked duct fr my breast. I tried using hot water, hot shower, etc b4 feeding, and also laying my baby flat and i crawl on top of her while feeding....still cldnt get rid of tis stubborn duct. I am going to keep trying using the tricks you guys hv shared with me, and hopefully can relieve my misery soon.


My fever has subsided but worried that it will come back again if i don clear the duct asap.


I will keep trying to hope to post my good new soon!


thanks

Can you still feel the plug? It sounds like you are doing the right things. If the fever has subsided, maybe it has drained a bit. Hopefully, all the things you are doing will work! I really like the shake and break idea! It does sound a lot less painful than mashing! The other thing is, though, that if the fever or redness gets worse, do get on some antibiotics. There are some you can take without weaning but you do not want an abscess. Hopefully, all the stuff you are doing will eliminate the problem though! Also, somebody said "call LLL" but that's true! Do a word search for la leche league on this forum if you need a phone number, because the number has been posted in this forum before. The more ideas, the better, because one may work better for you than another.

Can you still feel the plug? It sounds like you are doing the right things. If the fever has subsided, maybe it has drained a bit. Hopefully, all the things you are doing will work! I really like the shake and break idea! It does sound a lot less painful than mashing! The other thing is, though, that if the fever or redness gets worse, do get on some antibiotics. There are some you can take without weaning but you do not want an abscess. Hopefully, all the stuff you are doing will eliminate the problem though! Also, somebody said "call LLL" but that's true! Do a word search for la leche league on this forum if you need a phone number, because the number has been posted in this forum before. The more ideas, the better, because one may work better for you than another.

tks mummies for all yr reply. finally clear my blockage. will look into prevention now, cos just too painful to happen again.


really thanks for your help.

"Heat, Massage, Rest, Empty the Breast" are the treatments for a plugged duct.



Use warm moist heat and massage prior to feeding. Try a hot shower and hand express.



Feed your baby every 2 hours or more often if baby desires to ensure the breast is emptied.



Express your milk if baby is not willing or able to feed.



For more information regarding the cause of plugged ducts and signs and symptoms of mastitis see below.



http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html



Matilda International Hospital

Well Baby Clinic - 2849 1500

Hong Kong

http://www.matilda.org

So glad to hear that it cleared!