I have a three week old and nursing was going better than expected until a few days ago when I woke from a nap with a plugged duct! After a day and a half of hot showers, hot towels, cabbage leaves, painful massages, use of an electric pump, and even having my husband try to suck it out, I was able to get rid of it. That same night I woke up with a plugged duct on the other side! This time, I was able to get rid of it by popping the white spot on the nipple. Later that day, I woke up from a nap with another plugged duct! Bascically, I've been getting 1-2 new plugged duct on a daily basis for several days now.
La Leche League website states that getting rest will prevent plugged ducts, but it seems that every time I rest/lie down for more than 2 hours, I end up with a plugged duct. Is there anything I can do to prevent them short of sleeping standing up? I've been having to wake up every 2-3 hours at night to feed my son, but his pediatrician recently gave the green light on letting him sleep 4-5 hours a night without a feeding. I desperately want to take advantage of that, but going that long without feeding/expressing will definitely cause another plugged duct. Any advice?
Could you pump before going to sleep?
Maybe elevate your mattress, or use a mountain of pillows. You could also try making a couple if small rice heat packs, and stick them in your bra while you sleep. (Maybe the increased blood flow will help... I don't know...)
Oh I totally feel for you. I had this problem with my second child and it was such a pain in the butt. I found that sleeping with a heating pad tucked under my nursing bra worked well. I sweated quite a bit through the night but it worked. I also took a good amount of lecithin (I'm sure you've come across that as a recommendation. I can't remember how much I took). I'm not sure that it actually helped but it didn't hurt anything and some women swear by it. Good luck.
http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/recurrent-mastitis/
Kellymom is the best website for nursing moms. I've heard on moms taking lecithin, a supplement to help, and kellymom mentions it too.
your husband is a trooper!
:O khairete
S.
