What To Do If You Have Clogged Milk Ducts?
What to do if you have blocked milk ducts is one of the most frequent questions of every mother who is breastfeeding. This condition, which is also quite painful, affects many women, so it is a fairly common discomfort.
But even if it is a recurrent pathology, when an obstructed duct is not properly treated, mastitis can be triggered. Therefore, your prompt attention reduces the risk of complications.
Next we will review what the symptoms are when you have a blocked duct, why it happens, and finally what to do to free them.
What are the symptoms of clogged milk ducts?
The milk ducts are responsible for carrying the milk that is produced in the glands to the nipple. When these are obstructed, one or more lumps appear in the mother’s breast accompanied by intense pain in the entire area or in the nipple.
The detail of this condition is that it must be treated expeditiously since, if it is ignored, mastitis can appear. There would be fevers, generalized pain in the body and, in extreme cases, pus or blood may appear along with the milk.
Why are clogged milk ducts bothering?
We already know what the symptoms are when a duct becomes blocked, but why does this happen? In fact, this condition can be suffered by any mother in one or more pregnancies. As we have said before, it is a common pathology but it must be treated immediately.
However, some actions can trigger it. The most frequent are the use of bras of wrong sizes that generate an inadequate pressure in the breast. The same goes for clothes too tight, a blow to the pressure generating bad time to breastfeed or poor posture when given pec ho.
What to do if you have clogged milk ducts?
There are several ways to alleviate this condition. We will start with the simplest, to then go through the pharmacological area. It is recommended, in the first instance, when noticing the inflammation or lump in the breast, to give a delicate massage in the area. This massage should also be done while the baby is breastfeeding to stimulate the opening of the duct.
The second option is to take lukewarm showers and take advantage of the heat of the environment to do a self-massage from the area before the lump, following a straight line to the nipple.
At the end of the shower and stimulation, it will be the right time to breastfeed the baby. You can also place a warm compress on the chest.
If these stimuli do not work, you can go one step further by submerging the breast in a container with warm water and to which you must add a teaspoon of salt. This action is estimated to cause the conduit to release almost immediately.
Another option that works as a precaution is to express all the milk that remains in the breasts after the baby has eaten. This will prevent overloading of dairy material in the ducts.
If the pump is not used to express milk, the baby should be breastfed more regularly than usual and always taking the breast with the problem as the first option.
Some doctors also indicate that adequate rest and napping can positively affect these obstructions.
Pharmacological options
The most common pharmacological recommendations by doctors are few :
- Analgesics and anti-inflammatories: The most recommended to relieve pain are ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Both are sold without a prescription, but it is still advisable to consult your doctor beforehand.
With these simple practices you can alleviate the problem of clogged milk ducts. As always, the recommendation is that if you see that your condition does not improve with any of these proposals, and instead you feel that new symptoms are manifesting, do not hesitate to visit your specialist immediately.
