"clogged breast"

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 08/14/2012

Yaya, that sounds like it could be a clogged duct. Try using a hot compress on the area before and during nursing. Massage the know gently while baby nurses. Vary your nursing positions so that all of your ducts are thoroughly emptied. If it doesn't resolve in a few days try to get in touch with an IBCLC or La Leche League Leader.

http://www.llli.org

Yaya - posted on 08/14/2012

I'm breast feeding and I felt like a marble by my nipple is that normal?

Danae - posted on 01/02/2009

I had the same problem with my daughter. Can you feel little marble sized balls in your breast? The only thing that I could do was manually express it. Since it hurts so bad I would take super hot showers and just express the milk out in the shower. The hot water seemed to help make expressing it easier. A few of days of 20-30 minute hot showers and squeezing my breast and it would be back to normal. I could pump than and make up for the lost days. For awhile I had to pump the breast after each feeding to help increase the milk supply. I would suggest not worrying about keeping that milk from the clogged breast, just try the shower thing and work on getting the breast unclogged completely. Try rubbing each ball and individually squeezing them, it is going to hurt but it will pay off. Make sure there are no more little 'marbles' in your breast. The longer it is clogged the more painful it becomes. Start regularly feeling your breast to make sure you aren't getting clogged again. I had to start feeding from that breast first everytime, at first my daughter didn't like it but eventually it was our routine.

Emily - posted on 12/31/2008

Yay! I'm so glad things are getting easier for you. Breastfeeding is such a joy when it's all going smoothly, and it's totally worth the initial discomfort. I always encourage moms to make it to at least 6 weeks... by then their milk supply should have regulated and latching should be much easier. Most moms I know want to continue at that point because it's so wonderful. :)

Izzat - posted on 12/31/2008

It sounds like me 2months ago... My boy also preferred my left breast and struggled on the right breast - my left breast started to look bigger that my right one. You need to offer the right breast first when feeding him and also pump after every feed. All I can say is that persistance is the only way to go. It could also be that your baby is not latching on properly. Don;t worry he will be a pro on the right one in no time - just like mine :-)

Nicole - posted on 12/30/2008

I got really bad mastitis with my first daughter. My lacation consultants had me use warm and cold packs and then pump every two hours. Now with my second daughter to aviod all breast problems I lay on my chest on a heating pad, that way I will never have a blocked duct! Good luck

Christine - posted on 12/30/2008

Thanks everyone for all of the advise. It has seemed to of gotten a lot better with the different tips from everyone. It is getting easier each time and the engorgement has gone away...at least it feels that way :)

Cindi - posted on 12/28/2008

I would go get a pump... a lot of the hospitals will have breastfeeding advisors and will give you a free hand pump. Offer him the right breast (try letting him lay on his favored side as it may hurt him to lay the other way... that should lessen up soon) if he doesn't want that one, give him the left but make sure you pump your right breast completely!! A hungry nursing baby can always get more from a breast than a pump. If you are going to offer him a bottle you can store your milk in the fridge or freezer... I don't remember how long they can be stored though... sorry!! My son refused a bottle so I didn't store any in the freezer, just a little in the fridge for rice cereal after 4 months of age...

Good luck, and keep with it! It all gets easier with time!

Lauren - posted on 12/28/2008

Try taking a hot shower and trying to express the milk by hand in there. The heat can help get the milk out. Just keep trying also to nurse him on that side during every feeding. I used a breast pump to help alleviate some of the pressure when that happened to me. Just make sure if you get a fever with the breast pain or get a rash on that breast you see your doc. I developed a severe case of mastitis because I didn't know that feeling like I had the flu and my breast pain were related. Good luck and don't give up on the breast feeding my daughter is four months old and it is totally worth the difficulty I had in the beginning, now it's easy.

Koryn - posted on 12/28/2008

I have had and occasionally still have issues with breast feeding my ten month old boy. He favored one breast over the other for quite a while and I just had to pump the breast he wasn't feeding from for a while. It is a phase and it will end if you are consistent with always offering the unwanted breast first every time to get him more used to it. Hang in there! Breastfeeding is so worth it and it will get better. Just pump the engorged breast as needed and always offer it first. Hope this helps!

Debbie - posted on 12/28/2008

if you are running a fever and/or if the breast is red or hot to the touch you may have mastitis. I had this early on and with antibiotics and LOTS of nursing it cleared up in a couple of days.



here is a link with some info

http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Blocked...

Emily - posted on 12/28/2008

That sounds like standard engorgement to me. It's not pretty or fun, but it's a fact of motherhood, whether you nurse or not. It will get better as you continue to nurse and allow your supply to regulate.

Also, a baby that young could still have some birth trauma that would cause him to be in pain while nursing on the right breast. Try a football hold so that he's still in the same position he would be for the left breast, but scooted over to latch onto the right breast. If you feel comfortable taking him to a chiropractor, they can help with alignment issues caused from birth.

After my first was born I didn't even get my full milk supply in until day 8, and it took another day or two before my let-down reflex started working. My milk came in earlier with my other two girls, but it still took a day or two to get let-down. Basically, I was just hugely engorged for a couple of days. The best remedy is just to feed baby as often as possible. You can also continue to try to express or pump for relief. Also, try taking a hot shower and letting the water run over your breasts while massaging them and trying to express. If you're not concerned about supply issues, try putting cabbage leafs over your breast (cut holes for the nipples and areola). They help relieve engorgement, but overuse can cause quite a drop in milk production.

Finally, if you can, get in contact with a La Leche League leader. Go to http://llli.org/ to find a group near you. They are the best local resource for breastfeeding moms.