Nursing and Prone to Plugged Ducts- Okay to Wear a Regular Sports Bra?

Take Lecithin. It helps keeps your ducts from getting plugged. It helped me and my lactation consultant recommended it. I know that underwires are bad for you. Also, going to long without nursing can also create a problem.

Lecithin is totally safe too.
C.

I would actually stay away from sports bras and anything with an underwire..I know..there goes your support!

Reoccuring clogged ducts for some women is a condition more than a reaction to a certain bra, nursing/sleeping position.
I had VERY painful clogged ducts week after week for several months, it got to the point that I would have them in both breasts and at time more than one clogged duct in each breast....I was in tears and so much pain.... tried the heat packs , nursing & pumping like crazy and nothing was a cure.

I went to an LC about it, and she reccomended I started taking Lethecin...I had previously read about it as a solution on Kellymom.com but REALLY didnt want to take a pill.

I went to vitamin world and bought it anyways bc everyone around me was trying to get me to just quit breastfeeding all together at this point bc it was so hard on me.
I took 3 pills a day for a week and then stopped getting the clogged ducts....seriously! I took it daily for about a month and a half and now I just take that same dose every other day....if I forget I get a clogged ducts again!

Some peoples milk has a higher fat content and its thicker and stickier so it sticks to the milk ducts and your breasts do not empty as well.....lethecin helps break up the fat. (One thing I did notice was that my son who was 6 months when I started taking it all of a sudden was finished nursing fasted....apparently it was alot easier for him to get the milk out then.)

And added bonus is that Lethecin helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes :)

I've never had a plugged duct, so grain of salt and all that. :)

I'm a huge, huge fan of Lululemon Athletica. They are a Canadian company based in Vancouver and I've been buying their gear for years. They have several sports bras that are supportive without being smooshing. Like the Deep V and the Not So Deep V or the Flow Y Bra. I actually wear them more than I wear nursing bras.

http://shop.lululemon.com/women_bras/pl/c/520.html

The rest of the clothing is awesome too, you should treat yourself to a back to the gym treat!

Given the plugged duct issue though, I'd just wear the bra for the actual workout and give your breasts a good massage in the shower afterwards and feed your baby as soon as possible.

I'm headed back to the gym for my first real post-partum work out tomorrow. I can't wait!

Hi L., I have three children and I experienced plug ducts constantly with all three of them. I guess some women are more prone than others as I hardly wore a nursing bra (tank tops with shelf bras or sports bras), yet I still got plugs. As for the two you have had for over a month, in all seriousness, you need to get them released before they turn into an abcess. If you cannot get them unplugged on your own, you will have to see your OB. Start by standing in a very warm shower while massaging your plugs in the shower. Apply enough pressure to your breast...it might hurt but you need to massage them. Right after your super warm shower, nurse your baby while massaging the plugs. It's really important to massage while nursing and massage in the area around the plug and massage the plug...in a circular motion, pushing towards your nipple. You might consider nursing your baby in a different postition than you normally do. This will enable your baby to nurse from different ducts. This does not mean that not all the ducts will be involved. This is not what I'm saying at all. It's just that different nursing positions will put more emphasis on different ducts, which in a sense, make others work more than others. I hope this makes sense. This is what I was told. It is important that you not compress your breasts (ex. tight nursing bras or sports bras). IF you are looking to wear a sports bra just so you can work out, that will be fine. I worked out too, and I know first hand that a sports bra is nice to wear for working out but if you are going to wear a sports bra all day and it's restricting to your breasts, then you will want to consider wearing something looser when you are not working out. I did not wear tight garments, yet I still got plugs. But, in the event that your plugs are from your breasts being confined in a bra that is too tight, then you will want to loosen things up a bit. Plug ducts are very annoying, and yes, painful. I never got mastitis, but you need to make sure those ducts unplug before infection sets in or worse, an abcess that needs to be surgically removed. Contact a lactation specialist in your area. If you don't know how to find one, contact your OB or Pediatrician for a referral for a lactation specialist and if they don't know of any, ask for the number for Le Leche League in your area. This is a group specifially for breastfeeding women who need support, advice, etc. Le Leche League would be able to put you in touch with a lactation specialist.

I would think that you would not want to wear a sports bra or do too much high-impact exercise with plugged ducts and only 6 weeks postpartum. You don't want to go running without proper support either.

Since I assume you will be starting with things like walking, I think you could start by wearing whatever you have been wearing.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better!

My doctor told me nursing bra's only. You can buy them with good support. Also, take hot showers, as hot as you can stand them and let the water run on your breasts. This will help to clear the duct. Hot compresses on the breast will help too. Also drink plenty of fluids, no soda or carboniated drinks. I even wore my nursing bra's to bed. You can get to much support and also not enough support. Only you can be the judge of what feels right on you. I glass of red wine once a day will help with your problem also. As for me I refused to drink any thing like that while pregnant or nursing. Like I said different things work for different people. Try them and be your own judge.
Have your husband suck your breast that is clogged for you if he will, that will help more than anything else you can do.