Recurring clogged duct problem... help!

Ugh, I have a plugged duct AGAIN. It hurts so badly!!!!!!!!!

I had one plugged duct with my singleton, it went away and that was that.

But this is the fourth time in just a couple of weeks that I have one with the twins.


I'm not sure what to do! It's the same spot every time (the other side than the clogged duct with my singleton, for the record). I work super hard to get it unplugged, then it just comes right back.

IT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Has anyone been through this? Any suggestions? I read about clogged ducts and the tips helped me learn to get them out (which takes a while still, unfortunately), but why oh why must they keep coming back?! I am nursing constantly, for goodness sake. I am worried about getting mastitis. And I am determined to nurse the kiddos until at least 12 months, but I can't take another 9 months of this pain.

HELP!!

 

Oh boy...do I feel for you!!!!! I posted a message just like this one soooo many times on this site! I had many many clogged duct with my twins (and I can't even remember having 1 with my two older singletons.) I think it was my most frustrating challenge of nursing. I think once it happens you must be more prone or something. Some people on here had offered me advice of taking lecithin, but I never ended up doing that because I wasn't sure on the dosage and never quite got to figuring that out...I'm sure others might post here with that information.

-My LC said that once it was cleared up to massage that spot every day in the shower to try to keep things flowing.

-Have you tried pointing the baby's nose or chin to the area that is clogged? Once I actually had one of the babies upside down hanging over my shoulder and it actually worked.

-Sometimes it would help if I put my better nurser on that side. The pump never helped me clear a clogged duct. For me, it seemed to make it worse.

-Do you have any white spots on your nipples? I think it's called a bleb. Sometimes a little bit of dried up milk would clog up the opening and that would lead to some pain and clogging. So I would put a really warm face cloth on right before I nursed or pumped.....

-Whenever I nursed or pumped (when I had the clog) I would put a hot facecloth on the spot and heat up my rice sock and put in on top of the face cloth to keep it hot. The trick is to keep it away from the baby (maybe put a towel over it)

-Feeding the babies while lying down might have caused a few clogs for me??? not sure.

I wish I had more advice to offer. I just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain. I did get mastitis twice so if you feel a fever coming on call your doctor right away and they can put you on an antibiotic.

Honestly, what I found is that every time it started to happen it almost had to just run its course...no matter what I did....the pain and pressure would build and build (as I tried to nurse more and pump more) and then suddenly after a day or so it would just sort of pop and drain.

Hang in there....I was plagued with this for months and then all of a sudden it didn't really happen anymore! So that can definitely happen too! Good luck!! I am thinking of you and hoping things get better for you really soon

Shannon

 

oppps..one more thing...I nursed my twins for 15 months...so you can definitely do it!

shannon

 

Gena22 gave me a great tip: use an electric toothbrush to massage the area. In lieu of having one, I use an electric face massager. It works great. I also take lecithin.

Good luck! It's so frustrating sometimes...

 

Does your nursing bra have underwire? The wires can promote clogged ducts. Definitely be proactive with the washcloths and massage- you will work through this and feel better. Just keep at it, momma.

 

-Wear different bras- not the same type every day. Or go bra free when you can.

-Nurse like a cow. (By that I mean babies lying with you over them on your hands and knees. :ibiggrin: Yes. It lets your breast hang free. I've done it and felt like a fool. But it helps. Sadly, one of my girls really liked that position and would often ask for it!)

-Different positions and holds. Change it up frequently.

-Warm compresses and massage

-And the biggest, nurse all the time, which it sounds like you are doing.

Good luck. I feel for you.

 

Oh, I thought of something else: my hands free pumping bra was giving me trouble. I think because it shrunk a little when I washed it. Anyhow, now I leave it a little unzipped. Several of my friends and I had the same problem with our pumping bras causing clogged ducts. I noticed the issue when I'd still feel full after pumping. Just something to consider if it pertains to your situation.

 

I got my second plugged duct today... the first was on the weekend, but this time the other breast. I used a heating pad, lots of massage and extra pumping and it eventually went away. I'm annoyed I have another one so soon though so I totally feel your pain. It sucks! Hope yours heals quickly!!!

 

I got lots of clogs while nursing my last one and after adding lecithin 1200mgs 3 x a day I have never gotten another clog *knock on wood* I'm still early on nursing my girls and hoping I don't get anymore. That reminds me. I need to go take my lecithin pill.

 

Me me me!! I had this problem!!! (haven't been on in a while, but I'm a former nursing twin mama)

You have a lot of good suggestions in this thread. Shannon made great points and the "nursing like a cow" thing, albeit a bit ummm... humiliating, did work! The best thing for my clogs was always to put my strongest nurser on that side when she was hungry, hungry, hungry! I also did the lecithin and it helped a bit.

Here's my tip: do NOT give up because of clogs. I did! I had a surgeon tell me I would not be able to continue and that I had an abscess due to ducts being clogged (9 months in). My girls would not take bottles and I had to basically give-up on all my goals to heed his advice to quit or face surgery. I still to this day wish that I had sought a second, third, fourth opinion... (hindsight)

Try all the tips given here and realize that clogs just suck...or we wish they would (sorry, can't help it)... but they are solvable with some tenacity to find what works for you.

Hang in there.

(not sure if my siggie works, my twins are both girls and are 2.5...3 in September)

 

I've not read the other replies, so forgive me if this is a repeat ...

I had the SAME problem with Amelia (my singleton) earlier this year. Repeated clogged duct on the same side, in the same place. By the 5th or 6th time I got the plugged duct, I was fed up and considered weaning as she was already over a year old. I was trying to work out the plug in the shower one evening, when I noticed a very small, whitish area on the tip of my nipple. It was small, so I had never noticed it before. I thought it might be a milk blister. I took a sterile needle (my DH is diabetic, so we have plenty around), and poked it and pulled back the skin on that small section. Milk came squirting out, and I was able to massage out the rest of the plug. I've not had a recurrence of the plug since that time. So, for me, I had a bit of skin overlying an opening, I guess, and I removed the barrier so no more plugged ducts! Now, I'm still happily nursing away (though I am thinking of trying to wean sometime soon, as she is approaching 17months).

 

Thanks for the nod TeamTurner, I was just coming here to suggest that! Holding the back of a vibrating electric toothbrush to the clog feels good and breaks up the clot in no time.

Sorry these keep happening. Could be your twin-intense-supply is more than your breasts can handle right now. Hopefully things will ease up on you soon.

Keep up the good feeding!

 

Are you wearing a bra with an underwire? Do you sleep on the side that gets the clogged ducts? When I was pumping full-time I got mastitis several times and had a lot of clogs. The things that helped me most were sleeping with a heating pad or hot water bottle on my chest, wearing a loose fitting sleeping bra, nursing in different positions, massaging while nursing/pumping.

 

Great advice already, but for ME when I was getting lots of clogs ( when DD was first born, milk was HIGH etc) I realized I always got them from:

1. baby wearing- it was right where she would lean/lay
2. co-sleeping, as she used my breast as her pillows

soaping up the breast (not the nipple) and using a wide tooth comb to go from my armpit towards the nipple always helped too. The other thing that helped Immensley (and this is all in addition to heat, rest, empty the breast) is having my DH massage it. He could press way harder than I could do to myself.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

Sorry, I have not had time to read the other replies but did want to offer hugs and what worked for me:
I had this problem often and it developed into mastitis once. After a while I found out that all the massaging, nursing, pumping etc. would not really help but a deep hot lavender bath would get the milk back to a steady flow pretty much without any massage. Maybe just fully relaxing in the knowledge that DH was watching the babies was the trick.
My midwife also recommended a homoeopathic remedy for a few days after the plug was gone to keep things soft and flowing. If you have a doctor or midwife or lactation consultant knowledgable in homoeopathy you could ask her about that.
Good luck.