again!

it seems like i get clogged milk ducts ever 2 1/2 weeks or so.. i am getting sooo very tired of this... this time who knows why it happened. i was folowing l orders on how to increase supply (do itpump every 2hrs) and i am not doing it at night am doing 3hrs. and whamo i get hit with it again.. i am sooo tired of being lopsided in pain and not being able to produce enough for my babies. i get so discouraged and wonder why the heck i am doing this in the firstr palce as i spend 4hrs a day a the pump... this is getting beyond un-fun.....
waaahh i need a hug =(
on top of that i'm feeling fat, unable to fit into pre prego clothes (3 mo post par) and loosing my hair like crazy. my dd is not enjoying the big sister role and has suddenly turned into a baby even tho she is 51/2. this is getting a bit much.... oh and to top it off my inlaws are flying over and staying for the weekend.

 

Oh man.....I thought I had it bad having to get up every 2 hours at night with our DS. At least I have convinced my MIL that she doesn't need to stay/come over all the time. Good luck! Seriously, I know how hard it is to BF; I cannot imagine having to sit and pump then bottle feed. I get you a HUGE pat on the back. MY DH keeps reminding me that our reward in heaven will be great - it doesn't help much but it's something right? I calculated how much $$ it would be to formula feed when I really wanted to quit - it helps me keep going during the rough times when "the gift of BM" isn't enough!

As for the plugged duct - are you sure it isn't a plugged nipple pore? I have one duct that gets clogged up at the pore on the nipple quite often. I now sort of rub/squeeze that nipple every shower and sometimes stringy milk (dried milk???) comes out. An LC told me that it will continue to reoccur most likely and the cold weather makes women have more of them??? Wierd. If I skip a feeding that duct gets huge and hurts, I make sure I always massage it at every feeding.

 

I've been having a rash of these lately, too. There are lots of reasons they happen more in winter, apparently, including too much saturated fat (mmmm, butter cookies and egg nog) and dry skin, which results in those milk blisters and clogged nipple pores. The things that are helping me are 1) resolution to eat healthier food, 2) lecithin capsules, 1 taken 3 or 4 times a day, and 3)religious use of lansinoh after feedings to keep the skin on the nipples from healing over the pores. A nice tight bra helps with that, too.

FWIW, the midwife I visited today said she's seen lots of cases of these lately, so you're not alone. Good luck!

 

:hug99: You need a hug!!! :hug99: The first few months are so hard. I pumped for the first 3 months for my twins, so I know how hard it is and I didn't have any other children at the time! This time around my hair fell out like crazy and it just started growing back in around 6.4/7 months. Now I have all these crazy short hairs growing out everywhere! My hairdresser is going nuts trying to color/style them!

For the clogged ducts, here are my suggestions:

*Check to make sure that the shields on your pump are large enough. A lactation consultant can "fit" them for you or you can look HERE for sizing info.
* Use a hospital grade pump - they're better and more efficient if you are exclusively pumping
* Massage your breasts while pumping and be sure to pump for atleast 15-20 minutes per session
* Between pumping sessions apply warm compresses to your breasts or put those things in your bra that you can microwave and stick in your bra (Gerber makes some I know and I got them at Target or Rite Aid)
* Sleep with a heating pad

HTH

I hope you survive the visit from your inlaws! Vent to us anytime!

 

Melissa pretty much wrote my post!!! Especially the suggestions about using heat. I pumped exclusively for 4 months before getting the boys to finally latch and it was one of the most stressful things I've survived as a mom so far!! When I realized I was dealing with blocked ducts more than I should, I started using heat (showers, baths, heating pads...) before pumping and it really helped. It was soothing and I think it helped me unplug the clogged ducts more easily and less painfully and helped me empty my breasts better so that I didn't clog them up again.

 

Oh, I hate plugged ducts!! They hurt so much and really set my supply back. I exclusively pump and I get plugged ducts every couple of weeks. I realized it was happening because my breast weren't emptied when I pumped. What really helps a lot to empty them is to pull back on the skin on my breasts while I pump and massage them beforehand. After I hand express out what's left. It sounds like a lot of work but it's worth it to not get blocked up. If I get a plug, massaging in the shower and pump after helps. Good luck!

 

Make sure your pump funnels are placed to be centered on your nipple -- if, by chance, they are off center at all they can easily cause plug ducts. I ran into this a few times and it was painful. I found that if I was extra careful on the funnels I solved the problem.

Teri D