BF mommies... clogged milk duct/plugged milk pore...

Ever get one? Just had my first two days ago and remedied it. Just wondering how long it took/takes for the tenderness to go away.

It happened one afternoon where during and after a feeding I got a crazy burning stabbing pain in my left boob. Not sure what it was at first, I did not do much. By one or two feedings later, I realized something was really up. There was an almost golf ball sized very tender lump in my breast. So I grabbed this little BF booklet that I got in the Enfamil free diaper bag from the hospital to read out about clogged milk ducts which is what I'd figured it was. It saved my life!

I iced my breast for a little while. Then went into the shower to let warm water on it. While soapy, I gently massaged behind the clogged duct/lump. It also spoke about a plugged milk pore in your nipple that could be the culprit and to look for a white head looking "bleb" on my nipple. I had that. So it suggested using a sterile needle (I held a large embroidery needle under a lighter flame) to remove the blockage (it does not hurt). When I poked the tiny "bleb", I heard a tiny faint hiss like there was trapped air and then milk started to ooze out. It worked.

Within two feedings, the lump was gone. But I still had great tenderness. It is getting better with each feeding but still quite tender/sore/painful. Should it have been gone by now or could I still have some other issue or another smaller clogged duct that I cannot feel? The book did not mention anything about when the pain should go away.

Thanks for any input!

Re: BF mommies... clogged milk duct/plugged milk pore...

i have had them a few times... i found that the gerber heating nursing pads helped as well as messaging the area and frequent pumping (i pump exclusively) or frequent nursing... the heating pads were really the big key item... bought them at target and even used them when i was engorged....

Re: BF mommies... clogged milk duct/plugged milk pore...

The soreness lasted for a few days for me. I was all freaked out thinking that it wasn't gone. But, i had a two week stretch where I got a whole bunch of them and they all remained sore for a few days.

My midwife told me to try standing over a hot (as hot as you can stand it) bowl of water and drop your breast in. She said the gravity helps to draw out the clog. I haven't had one since then to try this trick.. knock on wood!