something is wrong

Something is wrong with my right breast. In the last 5 nights to a week or so Coop has changed his night pattern of nursing. He only nurses from one side when he wakes up in the night. I try to get him to nurse on both sides, but he just won't do it. So at first, that's what I thought was wrong with my right breast (engorgement), but yesterday I noticed that it hurts. Last night it felt so hard that after he nursed on the left I pumped on the right, and barely anything came out. It was still just as painful and hard after I pumped. The only thing that seems to help the hardness go away is having him nurse on that side. It's not extremely painful and he seems to have no problem getting milk to come out of it.

My guess is that it's clogged. What should I do about it? Do I have to see a doctor?

 

I'd try a hot shower + some massage. When he nurses you can do a hot washcloth on top of it as well. At night is he only nursing on your left side? Can you change positions giving him the right side only at night?

 

I agree with Michelle about the massage and warm compress. It's probably a clogged duct. The best way to get it unclogged is to have the baby keep nursing, and you can pump too.

I also think at this point you need to be rotating sides, or letting him eat from both side at each feeding. You may have to sit up, so you can get him to eat from the other side, or maybe try the football position, or something to get him to nurse on that side. In the first couple months, I would not go without a breast being drained for more than 6 hours or so.

 

I'd say clogged, but if a hot shower and massage doesn't do the trick get to the dr. and get on antibiotics right away. Particularly if you see the classic wedge shaped bruise of mastitis. I had mastitis a gazillion times and it always started out with a sort of mild bruised feeling and then I'd start feeling junky.

 

Sound like a clot... warm shower, let them hang and massage the heck out of it. Nurse as much as possible.

 

He eats on both sides, but only one each feed. He's eating every 2.5 to 3.5 hours at night. So, for example, at midnight he'll nurse on the left only, and then at 3 am he'll nurse only on the right. So the right (or left) breast might go up to 6 hours without being emptied at night. I've tried changing his diaper to wake him up but it doesn't work, he just won't take both breasts at night right now. I have no idea why.

I will try the hot compress. It doesn't hurt too bad. I just wasn't sure if I needed to stop nursing on that side or not, but since it seems to help I hadn't stopped and I'm glad I asked.

 

definitely don't stop nursing on that side! i agree with everyone that it sounds like a plugged duct & the best way to unplug it is to keep things moving on that side.

here's an overview from kellymom on plugged ducts & mastitis. HTH!

 

How are you now? Hoping things are better now.

 

I must also add Aimee that you have the best avatars!!! He is just so photogenic!

 

Thanks Jackie. I'm fortunate to know someone who is trying to start a photography business and did a photo session at my house for free.

It went away the day after I posted this, but then yesterday I noticed it's really sore again.

If anyone comes back to this thread and sees this - yesterday I read that you can only store frozen milk for 3 to 4 months, is that true? I swear I'd heard all these stories of moms who froze their milk and used it for 6 months or so. So I've been pumping often and freezing it, thinking that if I could get a big enough stash that I could wean him at 6 months old and give him bottles of the milk I'd pumped for the next 6 months. Now I'm thinking I was wasting my time pumping if I'm going to have to use this milk by April.

 

You can store frozen pumped milk. They were probably referring to once it's thawed, to use within that time frame.
If you have issues with clogging again, I had good results from using cabbage leaves to help with unclogging. I never had it drop my supply either. But do watch for mastisis after a clog. I hope you feel better and don't have it happen again.

 

You can store milk for longer times in a stand alone freezer... one that is not being opened every day!

eta: I found that pumping helped me when the baby was going through a growth spurt. The baby didn't have to work so hard to get more milk because it was already there. If you are getting to a point where it is a use it or lose it in regards to the milk, there is a yahoo group called milkshare that works like freecycle with donating milk. A lot of people would LOVE to have it! I did that in my area when I was nursing Evan.

 

as Jackie said, the length of time you can keep frozen breastmilk varies depending on the type of freezer it's in. kellymom has some good guidelines here.

rule of thumb, if it smells or tastes sour when you thaw it, it's not good (just like regular milk).

 

If you're still experiencing pain I'd go get checked out... it could just be a clog again, but it could be mastitis or yeast or something. Try the cabbage leaves too! Put them in the fridge for a while and then stuff your bra. Not only is it effective, it's stylish!