I've tried moist heat, massage, shower, nursing, and pumping. The stupid thing isn't budging. Help!
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I am sorry! I know how much they suck. Everything you are doing is all I do to work one out.
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@boiledpnut: ouch, you poor thing! Is there anyone near you (physiotherapists or similar) who can do ultrasound on it? It's common in Australia but not sure about Stateside... It worked a charm on my blocked ducts/mastitis. They u/s the breast and then you pump/feed and it goes instantly.
Good luck
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Any chance you might have a milk blister?
http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipplebleb/
Easier said than done but try to relax and not get stressed out about it. Once I gave up on trying to get rid of the blocked duct, it would almost always clear with my next pump session.
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@Smurfette: how long does it normally take to go away? I haven't had one before!
@mrs.cookie: hmm, I'll have to find out.
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@boiledpnut: is it just 1 long lump (1 duct) or is your entire breast or a side of your breast lumpy (several ducts?). If its the latter, put olive oil on a cotton ball and out it on your nipple for 15-30 minutes while you have heat on the rest of your boob, then pump immediately after taking it off. Repeat until it clears. Sometimes what I thought was a clog in the duct was actually a blocked nipple. Which meant non of the ducts on that side of my boob could empty. Extremely painful and frustrating.
Also take Advil or Motrin to reduce the inflammation.
I've had horrible clogs that have taken , a full 24 hours of constant heat, massaging, showers, etc and I finally found that the Advil+olive oil+dangle pumping works.
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Yes! As Yin mentioned, it's a milk blister. That description on Kelly Mom threw me off the first time I read it because I didn't have a raised pimp,e like bump--my nip looked totally normal, but it was clogged up somehow anyway.
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Have you tried dangle nursing? Take a good look at your nipple, is there anything that looks like a little lump of milk on it anywhere?
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@yin: @Anagram: It might be a blocked nipple. There is a white spot that won't go away, but I can't scrape it. I'll try the olive oil thing.
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@boiledpnut: Usually a couple days cause they always happen during the week, when I am pumping more than nursing.
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Oh and the epsom salt soak worked wonders for me. It helped me get through pump weaning.
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@boiledpnut: if olive oil doesn't work, sterilize a needle and poke the white spot. I've had to do that too(when I did have a visible white spot) and had immediate relief when pumping afterward.
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What we find works well at work, is to apply moist heat using a rough washcloth, and then "scrub" the nipple fairly vigorously before nursing, to hopefully cause the skin to open up. If that doesn't work, then we do open it with a sterile needle and have the Mom dangle pump. It isn't a good idea to needle it yourself, because if you don't clean well enough you could end up with mastitis or sepsis, but if you do, you don't poke into the blister, rather "scrape" the surface with the tip of the needle, if that makes sense.
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@boiledpnut: I am STILL dealing with a milk blister that is occasionally causing a complete "plug" and it's been weeks... Even when I do scrape the spot "clear" I can't seem to get the old milk out! Ugh!
Another bee suggested using a massager of some sorts if you have one (yes like one of those) to help break it up. The first day I had it, when it was really bad & even getting red, it really helped! Whatever works right?! Lol
I'll have to try the olive oil too, if you get yours totally clear tell me how & I'll do the same for you! Lol
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if the lump extends all the way into your areola, then it might be a milk bleb. when i had one, i couldn't see it right away, but the more i pumped, it started to appear. anyway, what i used to do was sterilize a needle with a match, use some rubbing alcohol on it and then GENTLY pick or scrape at the top layer of skin from the side. the needle shouldn't be poking into the bleb perpendicularly, but kind of coming at it in a parallel fashion, if you know what i mean? mine was clogged for about a day and once i picked at it and squeezed my boob, milk came spraying out all over and it felt so much better. good luck!
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Thank you all so much! I'm gonna try the olive oil and needle once DS goes to sleep.
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I do what @Anagram: suggested. Always bugged me out that I was sticking a needle into my nipple but it worked to clear the plug.
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Oil, needle, and dangle pumping worked! Sweet relief! Thank you guys do much!
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@boiledpnut: Yay! Glad it worked out for you.
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