Dear Hagrid,
It sounds as though you have a plugged duct.
Milk flows through a duct system in the mother?s breasts. Sometimes an area of the ducts becomes blocked and milk no longer flows as well. A section of the breast may or may not be red. When a mother has a plugged duct, her breast is usually tender and painful. If the blockage is not treated, the area may become infected.
A sore breast or plugged duct can become a breast infection. This means that not only is the breast tender, but also the mother feels achy, run-down and feverish. Mastitis is another term that may be used. This condition may or may not be treated by antibiotics.
Whether coping with a plugged duct or a breast infection, the initial care is similar. Nurse frequently, rest and apply heat to the tender area.
Frequent nursings serve to provide comfort, reduce inflammation and encourage opening the blocked area. Mothers find that varying breastfeeding positions drains all areas of the breast more effectively. For example, if you most commonly use the cradle hold, try the clutch (?football?) hold or lying down to breastfeed.
Rest is an important component in recovery from sore breasts, plugged ducts or breast infections. To do this, try resting in bed with baby cuddled next to you. This will also encourage frequent breastfeeding sessions to drain the breast. Keep supplies such as diapers, toys, books, the telephone, a glass and a pitcher of water nearby to minimize trips out of bed.
Applying wet or dry heat with a heating pad or hot water bottle and gently massaging the sore area of the breast before breastfeeding can assist the breast in further emptying. Many mothers find that taking showers or baths and gently massaging with a warm cloth on the sore breast is a relaxing treatment during a stressful time. Another technique is to lean over a basin of warm water and soak the sore breast for about 10 minutes three times a day. This will also remove any dried milk secretions that may be blocking the flow of milk out of the nipple. Breastfeed immediately, while the breast is warm, to help unplug the blocked duct.
Please note that it is a common myth that it is unhealthy for the baby to breastfeed when the mother has a breast infection. This is definitely not true. The antibacterial properties of human milk protect the baby from infection.
Many mothers find that changing positions works well. The place of the baby?s strongest suck is where his chin is. Thus try to get the baby?s chin on the lump. This may not be simple because often the lump is around the top of the breast. If so, try lying down flat on your back and put the baby over you. In this way the baby can rotate, like the hands of a clock, around your nipple so that the chin is on the lump. Another way is to feeding lying down but have the baby?s feet pointing towards the pillow.
One way that seems to work well is to lie the baby on the bed, flat on his back. Then for you to crawl over the baby and dangle your breast into his mouth. It isn?t easy to keep this position but sometimes just a couple of minutes helps.
If you don?t have a fever, and therefore no infection, there is little a doctor can do for you. Some lactation consultants will massage your breast for you in order to work the lump out. Mothers have told me that this is quite painful ? so you might like to try the other techniques first.
As this has happened twice, can you think of any cause for the plugged duct? Usual causes include the baby sleeping longer and so your breasts staying full a little too long, clothing digging in (this could be a sling/back pack too), getting too tired. Often getting a plugged duct is the first sign that you are pushing yourself a little too much.
Hope the above helps.
Good luck,
SARAH
The lump is not hot like last time and only hurts when I press on it.
