Blocked milk ducts for company over the weekend

My breast friend ;)

I can't remember when was my last post on breastfeeding... (this blog is also to document my breastfeeding journey) For the record (my record) I have now breastfeed for 1 year and 3 months (almost). A few more months to go insyaAllah. Akif still bf on demand..anytime he wishes, anywhere he wishes... Though he has taken solids, his bf sessions never seems to lessen. He still wakes up once or twice for night feedings too. He musta love mami's milk very much, huh? Hehehe..

Anyway...last friday evening, my right breast felt lumpy & hard. I goggled and found related articles to help me find cure/ solutions. Through my readings, discovered that I had blocked milk ducts. Tried feeding Akif to reduce the engorgement but he eventually refused because very little milk came out. Pumping also did not worked. Nor did hand expressing. I was kind of in phobia because I had once experienced a bad case of mastitis 7 years ago. Praying very hard that this will not turn to that.

[ A plugged (or blocked) duct is an area of the breast where milk flow is obstructed. The nipple pore may be blocked (see Milk Blister), or the obstruction may be further back in the ductal system. A plugged duct usually comes on gradually and affects only one breast ] source : Kellymom

[ The common causes for blocked @ plugged milk ducts are....engorgement or inadequate milk removal, infrequent/skipped feedings, pressure on the duct or nflammation] source : Kellymom

Came Saturday, there were still no improvement. I heat compressed, massage, pumped.. After a few rounds, I finally saw the 'plug'. Tried to remove it but could not. And it was painful too (not kidding). But milk has started to come out again so I let the expert, Akif do the job. Alhamdulillah, though has not fully recovered, the engorgement has however subsided.

So..if you have a case of blocked @ plugged milk ducts, here are what you can do..
1. To reduce / prevent engorgement
     a. Continue to bf on the affected breast
     b. Bf on the affected side first
     c. Vary baby's position at the breast
     b. Hand express @ use a pump if the baby is not willing to nurse
     c. Heat compress - Hot shower @ try using a dispo diaper - fill it hot water. If the temperature feels  
                                     right (the wet diaper), press the inside against your breast. The warm stays longer
                                     compared to wet cloths.

2. Do not fall for myths such as the unremoved breast milk has turned bad@sour if your baby is unwilling to nurse due to plugged milk ducts. No such thing! Breast milk are sterile and they stay sterile as long as they are still in the breast. Baby refusal to nurse normally could be due to many other reasons such as difficulty latching-on due to breast engorgement or low milk flow as ducts are plugged/ blocked.

Lumps or bumps should go away in a day or two. If none of the above works, you should consider consulting a certified LC or your doctor.

For a better understanding and to read more on blocked @ plugged ducts, you can go to the links below
- Breastfeeding-mom.com
- Kellymom.com
- askdrsears.com
- Loveyourbaby.com

Love note : Breast milk is best!