blocked milk duct

[3monkeys]

Hey there

I have a friend who has a blocked milk duct. Its been like that for over a week. She has tried changing her latch. She has tried popping it. She has tried everything. She says its hard and the size of a sultana and just under her nipple...... sounds ouchy.

Anyone have any ideas how to fix it?

TIA

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

The only way I know is the painful way, and that's to manually strip it out. It hurts to do it. Others may know a better way.

[Spy]

How did she go with changing her latch? Ideally the baby's bottom jaw should be exactly on the duct, whatever it takes. Then they suck it out rather effectively in a few times.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

My older one had a much harder suck than my younger one. He could have sucked out my innards, but the younger one was very gentle, and couldn't strip out a blocked duct...

[Ayla]

I've had blocked ducts a couple of times and what worked best for me was to have a shower, massage it under the hot water, and then lie down my side on the unaffected side, and breastfeed from the affected boob. She could also try comfrey cream, hot packs, phytolacca (I think?), feeding on all fours.

[3monkeys]

She has done the shower and massage thing. I will tell her about the other stuff.

So if she has a lump but its doesnt have a head to pop it would she just stick it with a needle? And then I guess put something on it to draw the goop out.

[Niamh]

Is it a bleb?

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

[Niamh]

and your basic clogged duct:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html


For mastitis (have had it thrice times) - I've really beat down the lump, constantly massaging and squeezing - nurse TONS (had my toddler nurse, as he has a stronger latch) - and took an insane amount of VIT C & kefir.
Worked each time - never took anything more than vitc.

[3monkeys]

She thought is might be a bleb but said she cant find a grown over bit. So maybe a headless bleb :rofl:

[Lexie]

Lots of compression while nursing to drain it. Nurse more on that breast as well.

[3monkeys]

so what would a good dose of vit c be do ya reckon? And where do you get kefir?

Thanks

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I always used high doses of vitamin C with mastitis, as it pushed the infection through much faster. I used to be able to clear mastitis in 8 hours flat.

I make kefir. You'd have to ask around.. or I could send you some kefir grains in a plastic peanut butter jar in ziplock prison, so that if jar explodes it doesn't leak all over postie...

[Niamh]

I get mine at wholefood - though many regular grocery stores have it.
Would love to have homemade kefir - definitely something I'll be doing in the future.

Oh, and I'd just take vit-c until bowel intolerance. (I'm sure MT will have a site or a clear direction on this - but I usually take 6-15 grams or so. Depends on how much my body needs at the time.)

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I've never seen kefir for sale here.

Niamh, there is a USA kefir exchange site somewhere... but I don't know where, as I've had mine for years now... I have to apply to Biosecurity to import it from Australia. Now that's a story and a half. I've polluted the country since then... :D

I never had a set dose with mastitis. It depended on the infection. the bigger the area, the higher the temperature, the more the vitamin C... but the results were usually the same.

[3monkeys]

She doesnt have a temp or anything other than this lump. I have told her to take a lot of vit c. I will ask her about the kefir. She did go to her Dr and got given ABs :rolleyes: She isnt taking them though as she has no other sympton bar the lump. Hopefully the huge doses of vit c do the trick.

[oloph]

I always make sure the tip of the nipple itself has no blockages, and then I squeeze it out like I would squeeze out toothpaste or a honey stick...a finger on each side. A bit more invasive and painful than just massaging it but it seems to work well.

[Barefoot]

She could try castor oil packs for the problem, the castor oil should be cold pressed only though.
http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/46/36.cfm

"<b>Compress with castor oil are particularly helpful, Dr. Axelrod says. To make a castor-oil pack, soak a piece of wool flannel with

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I always make sure the tip of the nipple itself has no blockages, and then I squeeze it out like I would squeeze out toothpaste or a honey stick...a finger on each side. A bit more invasive and painful than just massaging it but it seems to work well.
That's what I meant by stripping it. Which is a good old term for getting the last drop of hind milk, when hand milking a cow...

[cartersmom]

I hade recurring plugged ducts early on and tried EVERYTHING!! Only thing that worked for me was ultrasound followed by manuel stripping.

[Lexie]

I had a few early on too. Luckily, my DD has an insatiable appetite. So her constant nursing and my compression was enough.

[gilima]

If it is a bleb it might need to be lanced and drained.
The castor oil might help too.
The only thing that works for me with a plugged duct is filling a bowl with hot water and leaning over it and actually dunking my bteast inside and massaging the area and squeezing the nipple while the breast is immersed...it does work:D

[3monkeys]

She used mega doses of vit C and it started moving. YAY...... Go me, cause before that I think they all thought I was a fruit loop when I kept telling everyone to take vit c when they were ill. She also had an U/S but said the vit c and feeding through it was the most effective.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

.....go you :shuffle dance: