The opportunity to breastfeed your little one is a gift that comes with a few caveats. Although health experts agree that breast milk is the healthiest nutritional choice for your baby, there are obstacles you may face throughout your breastfeeding journey. From the early days of learning to latch and crack the nipples, to the bittersweet decision to wean, many mothers struggle with blocked ducts and bloat along the way. So how can you tell the difference between the two? What is the treatment for a blocked milk duct? And how do you relieve the pain of bloating? We’ve broken it down for you here with some information on symptoms, treatments, and how to (hopefully) avoid these situations during your breastfeeding experience.
Blow against blocked duct
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, a bulging and a clogged duct are two different issues that can be treated in different ways.
jam It usually happens in the very early stages of breastfeeding, when your mature milk first comes in. As blood flow increases to your breasts after giving birth, they will swell. Blowing can be painful and lead to blocked ducts if your baby is not get a proper nursing latch or failure to empty your breast at each breastfeeding session. Although bloat is more common at the beginning of your breastfeeding journey, it can happen any time you skip or stop feeding or your baby’s feeding habits change. If your baby is effectively emptying your breast with each feed and your body quickly adjusts to changes in feeding patterns, engorgement may not be a problem for you.
Signs of involvement include:
- Uncomfortably full chest.
- The skin of your breasts is stretched tight.
- Your areola is hard and darker than normal.
- Both breasts are completely affected.
You may find some relief from breast engorgement with:
- Freeze your chest. Wrap a clean towel around an ice pack and place the ice pack on your chest for 10 – 15 minutes. A bag of frozen vegetables can double as an ice pack if you don’t have one readily available.
- Gently massage your breasts until milk drips from your nipples and your nipples become softer.
- Put a warm, damp towel on your breast for 5 – 10 minutes to encourage milk flow, then reach out to relieve the pressure.
- Breastfeeding more often, you should breastfeed every 2-3 hours. If your baby drops a feed, you can still express to relieve the swaddle feeling.
If you choose to pump to relieve your breasts, try to keep it to 5-10 minutes (maximum) at a time. Pumping for longer periods of time can have negative effects – you may actually end up encouraging your body to produce more milk and prolong the engorgement. If engorged breasts are left untreated, they can lead to a clogged or clogged milk duct.
A clogged or clogged duct it presents as a small, hard, often painful lump or nodule in your breast. This is a result of either waiting too long to empty the breast or failing to empty the breast with each feeding. Once a blockage forms, pressure builds up behind the duct and the tissue around it becomes irritated. Unlike engorgement, this sensation usually occurs unilaterally – or in one breast at a time. The best way to clear a blocked duct is to breastfeed frequently. Pumping can also help relieve a blockage.
Things that could contribute to a clogged drain are:
- Tight clothing or underwear.
- Not alternating breasts during breastfeeding.
- Skipping or rejecting food.
- Serious involvement.
Some ways to relieve or prevent a blocked duct include:
- Applying a warm compress or taking a hot shower, bonus points if you hand express the affected breast while showering.
- Drinking us Blocked Duct Support Tea with sunflower lecithin powder, this delicious orange cream flavored tea can reduce the stickiness of breast milk to prevent fats from clogging the milk ducts and support the flow of breast milk.
- Massage the breast from the blockage down towards the nipple.
- He’s trying something new breastfeeding positions or breastfeeding lasts.
- Offer the affected breast first when your baby is more willing to feed.
- Remove your underwire bras or anything too tight – like a sports bra.
For more information on breastfeeding and how to get the most out of your experience, we suggest you check out:
