Clogged milk duct advice

[ladytiffany24]

Hello!

So I think after 7 months of nursing, I think I finally have my first clogged milk duct. What is your best advice for unclogging it?

Also, my nipple on that breast seems to be a little sore. Is that normal? Would that correlate somehow?

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[melody330]

Get in the shower, turn it to massage and get it as hot as you can stand it. Throw a wash cloth over the boob and let the hot water soak it. Do compressions toward you nipple to try and break the clog up. Some people recommend using the vibrating end of a tooth brush.

ETA - try nursing different positions from the clogged side. Baby will help to break the clog up and get it out.

[ellabee]

^^all if this^^ I had one in the early stages of breastfeeding which was caused by a blister and a blocked milk pore. I also think nursing is best to resolve it, but if your nipple is too sore then you can also try to pump on that side. That's what I had to do for a day before it went away, but only because I couldn't bear to have DD latch on that side.

[jennlin]

If you have a water proof.... Um... Vibrator.. Take it with you in the shower to massage. Or an electric toothbrush but that's not as fun.

[firelizard8367]

I found great relief using cabbage leaves between feedings too. Sounded weird, but they were very soothing!

[Deleted]

Be careful with cabbage leaves. Some women are very sensitive to the cabbage--they are used commonly to help with engorgement and to dry you up-- you don't want that to happen, since a clogged milk duct tends to lower supply anyway.

If nipple is sore soak it and look for white clogged nipple pores or blebs/blisters where your body for some reason decides to grow a layer of skin over top of a duct opening. And that can lead to the duct getting clogged/unemptied.

[ladytiffany24]

Thanks everyone!!