6-8 week growth spurt and clogged ducts

[jmo823]

Wow...so just caught myself up on what has been going on! I come and go on TD but from what I have read sounds like BS to me. Glad I could find you ladies..I couldn't figure out why no one was answering my question.

So here it is: Ds2 just went through his 6-8 week growth spurt. It lasted 3 days and actually wasn't as terrible as I expected. DS1s growth spurts were always horrible! But now I have clogged ducts in both breasts! is this common? I don't remember getting them this bad with DS1 after a growth spurt. almost half of my right is clogged up. I had H rub it this morning since his hands are bigger and when he hit the spot that is clogged I felt like I would throw up and it hurt into my back.

I've tried a hot shower, dangle feeding...nothing is getting this sicker our and I'm afraid I'm going to get mastitis. This is day 2.

I'm going to dig up some lecithin today but any other advice to pull the clog out?

[babycaps]

Can you pump and massage?

[jmo823]

I could. I haven't broken out my pump yet mainly because I hate pumping :-)

I'm concerned to try that only because I don't want to give myself an oversupply. With DS1 I really struggled to keep my supply up and this time I think my supply is almost perfect. Is there a way to pump these out and not get an oversupply?

[melody330]

I would get them CONSTANTLY when DS was that little. I just made sure to nurse in different positions, massage in the shower, and sometimes a fine tooth comb (not brush) helped. I never broke out the pump - baby was always more efficient.

[casey]

Maybe try an electronic toothbrush ... Or vibrator ... After shower.

[nursefrizz]

I had a bad clog as DD was coming out of her jaundice. She was still pretty sleepy and her latch & suck weren't the most efficient yet. I tried nursing in all different positions, pumping, massaging, heat pads. None of that worked. I ended up using our hand held shower head and turned it on the setting with the really hard spray and aimed it right at the clog with hot, hot water. Id let the water spray for several minutes and then I'd try to hand express, focusing on the clogged area, then go back to spraying the water. I kept alternating doing that and eventually I expressed what looked like it could have been the clog. I'm assuming it was, because my symptoms went away within a few hours after that (I stayed sore for a day or two, but not that horrible pain). Maybe you could try something like that?

[flcl]

Heat & massage helped us. Anytime I fed LO or pumped I would massage the duct like crazy. GL!

[Deleted]

DS was better at getting rid of blocks than I was with the pump, but it definitely seemed to require some changes in position.  Sometimes having his head positioned the opposite direction of what it usually was on my breast would do it.  I tried a hot shower right before I figured he might nurse or would offer.  DH would just strip him down and bring him to me in the steamy bathroom.  I found that a rice sock was most helpful for heat bc I could mold it to my breast better. I hope you can get it resolved w/o it progressing to mastitis!

Edited because words are hard...

[jmo823]

Thanks for the advice ladies. DS finally pulled them out last night after I repeatedly did hot compress, massage, nurse and massage and no mastitis.