I have had plugged ducts twice now and I was wondering if anyone knew anything so that I don't get them again. I am only pumping which I do 6 times a day. Plenty of milk.
Thank you everyone for your feedback. Since I have given up trying to get my son to breastfeed (emotional difficult on me as well as my son not a breast man) I am off to the store to buy what you all suggested.
Hay J., Try this. Get a clean needle and use it like you would use a sewing ripper and just tear the skin and squeeze out all the clogged milk and put some antiseptic and cover with bandaid. Easy enough. M.
Some people are more prone to them. I have one now in fact. A heating pad works wonders to unplug it. Good luck!
J. why aren't you feeding your baby and you are pumping your breast? sometimes moms who only pump are more prone to this type of problems because a breast pump simply can't drain the breast as effectively as the baby and lack of emptying your breasts completely causes plugged ducts.Recurrent breast infection may be failure to completely recover from a previous bout of plugged duct,possibly due to delayed,inadequte or incomplete treatment. treatments should be used in addition to your efforts to find and remedy the source of the problem. Keep in mind that if the source of your recurrent plugged ducts or mastitis is something fixable (for example: oversupply, infrequent nursing, too tight bra, etc.), then solving the underlying problem is the most effective thing you can do.A Vitamin C supplement can be helpful for any mom suffering with recurrent plugged ducts or mastitis. Many moms have found that taking lecithin (a dietary supplement) can help to resolve and prevent recurrent plugged ducts.
It is also helpful to make sure that you're getting enough liquids, and to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet.hope you feel better soon and you are doing the best for your baby that is giving breast milk.....good luck.
Hi There J.,
Plug ducts are not fun. I had them when my son was 6 months. I too had lots of milk. I did not take care of them and it turned into Mastitis. Make sure you take warm showers in the morning and massage your breasts where the ducts are. Take a supplement called Soy Lecithin, you can get this anywhere. Also, maybe you are pumping too much at a time and you are making more milk. Pumping will increase your milk supply. If you can try to pump for only about 3 min on each side. Also, make sure you are not sleeping with an underwire bra, sometimes it can cause plugged ducts.
Hope this helps you.
S. David
My SIL has a 3 mo old right now, & had lots of this from day 2 through about day 8 or 9. I too experienced this my 1st go around - & had no one there to help. My SIL was informed by her Dr., that all she could do was hot (shower water or hot washcloth) on affected ducts, & cold (frozen veggies will do). They should both be used to help ease your discomfort as well as open the ducts. Good luck, & don't give up. I know it is difficult. Everyone expects breastfeeding to be so natural & easy, but it usually isn't. God Bless You!
I also suffered horribly from plugged ducts throughout breastfeeding (but the worst was the first 9 weeks). The only thing I can suggest is to drink a lot of water. It seemed like plugged ducts happened more often in hot weather, and I might not have been drinking enough water. Otherwise, there's nothing to prevent them, except not to miss feedings and to change nursing positions. But if you're only pumping, that doesn't help you. I can also suggest some treatments that worked for me, if you're interested.
You might check your delicates...I was sleeping in a nursing bra that was too tight and got plugged ducts.
Mammary PMG from Standard Process
Hi J.,
It looks like you have already gotten a lot of great advice but here is what I did when it happened to me...maybe it can help you. I alternated cold and hot packs because hot packs or showers alone did not help. I used only nursing bras during the day and special soft nursing bras at night. I started pumping every 2-2.5 hours for a bit instead of every 3-4 hours. That seemed to clear things up and keep them clear. I did NOT sleep on my side or stomach at all for the first 2-2.5 months of my child's life. That seemed to help keep the plugged ducts away until my milk regulated. Best of luck!
I also exclusively pump, and had a bad bout with this when my daughter was around 6 weeks old. I tried the hot compresses, and massage, but what really worked for me was extending my pumping sessions to around 25-30 minutes each, 7 times a day. My daughter is now 3 months old, and I haven't had the problem come back. I still can't really go more than 4 hours without pumping and not become engorged, so when I do pump it is essential that I completely empty the breast. Good luck! It's a tough road pumping, but worth it for your baby in the long run.
Get in the shower under warm water & massage downward when you are plugged. They will unplug. I had this with all three rounds of breasfeeding, so I understand how painful it can be. Also, massage downward while pumping. This will help to prevent plugging.
Good luck & keep up the pumping! I know it can be troublesome, but the best for your precious baby!
P.S. You can always try putting him back on your breast later. I've heard this works sometimes with babies who don't innitially want the breast.
I pumped exclusively for the first two months before my little one decided to latch on. Before she latched, I had numerous troubles with plugged ducts and even had mastitis four times. What worked for me was putting a hot compress to the breast for a few minutes and then pumping immediately and massaging while I pumped. Massage from the back of the breast forward. Sometimes it might take a few goes, but it should eventually loosen up. Pump as often as you can (like every hour) until the duct comes unclogged bc it can quickly lead to mastitis. If you start to have any flu-like symptoms, go to the doctor immediately bc mastitis comes on very quickly. Good luck and I hope you can find something that works for you!!
The only thing that really helped me was massage and often my husband massaging the breast because he could get a better angle, more presseure, and fully release the ducts after feeding. I was not pumping and I only had the problem in the beginning of breast feeding but thought it might help you too to try it. He wasn't available every time but even here and there helped prevent them from coming back.
I got them a lot on and off, bad, for the first 3 months. Hot shower and massaging, heat pads and pumping helped but nursing is more frequently was the best...my daughter got them unpluggged several times and once it's unplugged it was like a waterfall of milk. You need to tend to them (another job) because you don't want it to lead to Masitis.
My sister is a neonatologist and she recommended taking soy lecithin everyday. I have noticed when I forget to take it, I am more likely to get a plugged duct. When you do get one, a hot water bottle is your best friend.
When you shower take a few minutes to let warm water run on your breasts and massage them. You may have a milky shower, but it will help. : )
