Potential problems - another plugged duct.

"Cathy" wrote To my question - is it possible to
manually unblock a plugged
duct? I have never been able to myself, but I have caught this one very
early - usually the breast is hard and very tender when I notice them. I
guess I know what to look out for now.

With my son I got a plugged duct. I just got in a very warm shower and let
the water hit my breast and expressed enough milk to get it flowing, my
breasts were so full that after that I didnt have to do much more than place
a hand on the top of the breast to keep the milk streaming out. It helped
and because it wasnt pumping or expressing, it didnt stimulate further milk
prodction and even harder breasts.

Nina wrote in message
et...

"Cathy" wrote To my question - is it possible to
manually unblock a plugged
duct? I have never been able to myself, but I have caught this one very
early - usually the breast is hard and very tender when I notice them.
I
guess I know what to look out for now.

With my son I got a plugged duct. I just got in a very warm shower and let
the water hit my breast and expressed enough milk to get it flowing, my
breasts were so full that after that I didnt have to do much more than
place
a hand on the top of the breast to keep the milk streaming out. It helped
and because it wasnt pumping or expressing, it didnt stimulate further
milk
prodction and even harder breasts.

That is what worries me! Last time I got a plugged duct DD fed off that
side first for about 24 hours. When she finally cleared the plug, boy did I
have some excess milk to freeze! I tried some manual expression before,
focussing on the area. I thought I had cleared it, but a couple of hours
later it feels a bit firm again. A warm shower doesn't do the trick for me,
darn it. I'll try one before her next feed though, and see if the
combination will make a difference.

Cathy

Cathy wrote:
Nina wrote in message
et...

"Cathy" wrote To my question - is it possible to
manually unblock a plugged
duct? I have never been able to myself, but I have caught this one
very early - usually the breast is hard and very tender when I
notice them. I guess I know what to look out for now.

With my son I got a plugged duct. I just got in a very warm shower
and let the water hit my breast and expressed enough milk to get it
flowing, my breasts were so full that after that I didnt have to do
much more than place a hand on the top of the breast to keep the
milk streaming out. It helped and because it wasnt pumping or
expressing, it didnt stimulate further milk prodction and even
harder breasts.

That is what worries me! Last time I got a plugged duct DD fed off
that side first for about 24 hours. When she finally cleared the
plug, boy did I have some excess milk to freeze! I tried some manual
expression before, focussing on the area. I thought I had cleared
it, but a couple of hours later it feels a bit firm again. A warm
shower doesn't do the trick for me, darn it. I'll try one before her
next feed though, and see if the combination will make a difference.

When manual expressing for a plugged duct be sure and start from way way up.
Like clear up under the arm pit and way above the breast by the colar bone.
I liked the warm shower because it felt good ;-) but I did a lot of this
type of message during feeds and even at other times of the day. I didn't
express per say although I did leak milk while doing it. I've had two
plugged ducts and they both went away in about two days doing this. Like
you I also started every nursing session off on the effected breast. Also,
watch what you wear to bed and where your bra is running. I had problems
with a very loose fitting sports bra I wore to bed because I hiked it up to
nurse and then the elastic ran across my breast. I've never had a problem
with typical nursing bras where the cups come down. I'm to full breasted to
wear the ones that latch in the middle.
--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

Cathy wrote:

This troublesome duct is under the breast, towards the centre, so I
suppose I need to start from near the breast bone?

Hmm, neither of mine were in that spot but I'd start far off from the breast
from any direction I think. I'm glad it seems to be getting better and I
sure hope the rest of your crummy week starts getting better soon as well!!!

Hang in there,
--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

Nikki wrote in message news:3f498efb_4@newsfeed...
Cathy wrote:

This troublesome duct is under the breast, towards the centre, so I
suppose I need to start from near the breast bone?

Hmm, neither of mine were in that spot but I'd start far off from the
breast
from any direction I think. I'm glad it seems to be getting better and I
sure hope the rest of your crummy week starts getting better soon as
well!!!

Hang in there,
--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)


I start massaging where I feel the breast tissue starts. It seems to me a
really weird place to get a plug, as that is where DD's chin always points,
and everything says that to clear a plug, the chin should point to the area.
Hmm - DD loves to be different!

And the week hasn't got better - now I seem to have a nursing strike to deal
with. Geeezzz.

Cathy

Molly Fisher wrote in message
...
In article 3f4b8e07$1_1@newsfeed, "Nikki"
wrote:

Cathy wrote:

I start massaging where I feel the breast tissue starts. It seems to
me a really weird place to get a plug, as that is where DD's chin
always points, and everything says that to clear a plug, the chin
should point to the area. Hmm - DD loves to be different!

The chin - really? I had heard the nose. How you would get her nose to
point towards the bottom of the breast would be...well...interesting :-)
Bummer about the strike. No expereince there so no advice. You are due
for
some good luck though!!

Dr. Jack Newman says chin in /The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of
Answers/ and Clare Martin agrees in /The Nursing Mother's Problem
Solver/. However, if what you've been doing isn't helping, why not try
doing the opposite? Lying down, it's not too difficult.

I'll have to try that next time. Actually, I should try it before I get
another plugged duct, then I'll know what to do. I'm still not too good at
nursing lying down, mostly 'cos I don't do it often. I can see one
disadvantage with having DD upside down - as she would just about be - I'll
get kicked in the head!

Cathy

"Cathy" wrote in message
...

Molly Fisher wrote in message
...
In article 3f4b8e07$1_1@newsfeed, "Nikki"
wrote:

Cathy wrote:

I start massaging where I feel the breast tissue starts. It seems to
me a really weird place to get a plug, as that is where DD's chin
always points, and everything says that to clear a plug, the chin
should point to the area. Hmm - DD loves to be different!

The chin - really? I had heard the nose. How you would get her nose
to
point towards the bottom of the breast would be...well...interesting
:-)
Bummer about the strike. No expereince there so no advice. You are
due
for
some good luck though!!

Dr. Jack Newman says chin in /The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of
Answers/ and Clare Martin agrees in /The Nursing Mother's Problem
Solver/. However, if what you've been doing isn't helping, why not try
doing the opposite? Lying down, it's not too difficult.

I'll have to try that next time. Actually, I should try it before I get
another plugged duct, then I'll know what to do. I'm still not too good
at
nursing lying down, mostly 'cos I don't do it often. I can see one
disadvantage with having DD upside down - as she would just about be -
I'll
get kicked in the head!

If you do it right, her feet will be well *above* your head. Unless your
torso is a whole lot longer than mine. You can do it lying down, or you can
lie her on her back, and dangle your breast into her face. If she'll
cooperate! Typically, yes, the best way to do it is to have the chin
pointing at the plug, but for some women it works better do point the nose
at it. Or you might want to have her do something of a 'clock' effect -
latch, have her suck X times, unlatch, rotate a bit, latch, and do this
*everywhere* that might even potentially be where that duct drains....I have
to do this to maintain the health of my injured breast. After all, you can't
be absolutely sure that the duct that plugs, drains where it *looks* like it
should. This problem duct of mine apparently was plugged 1/4 of the way
around the breast from where the overengorged area was. Go figure?

As a side note, Claire Martin did much of her research for her book, *here*
in this newsgroup. Including on web pages maintained by some of us regular
contributors. Isn't that neat?

--angela