How to clear a clogged duct?

I need advice from breastfeeding mamas on how to get rid of a clot duct. I’ve tried everything. Even my hubby tried. It’s so painful it hurts to even wear a shirt. My baby has tried and tried nursing on that side for over 24 hrs now. Please help. I’ve never had one this bad before

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to clear a clogged duct?

Pump. Pump. Pump. And massage while you pump. It’ll hurt like crazy but when you do get it out. It’s going to feel so much better.

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Jump in the shower and let the hot water pour over it and try manually massaging and milking that side

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Massage in shower. Or massage when baby is feeding

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Has your hubby tried sucking it out? Try a warm shower and massage it, use a pump, use a massager/vibrator on the clog. If all else fails, I’d go to the Dr.

Hot showers and warm compresses

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Before nursing or pumping, use a warm compress for a few minutes and massaging helps during that time. It’s gonna hurt but you have to do it.

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I agree with the hot message in the shower. As hot as you can stand it. It hurts but it does work.

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Electric toothbrush!

hot shower and massage

Get in the hot shower and massage your breast under the hot water.

See your doctor to make sure it’s nothing worse than a clogged duct.

Massage in a hot shower. I mean massage like you’re trying to get through the breast and touch your ribs underneath and pump or nurse immediately after.

Chilled cabbage leaves.

I laid on the side of the blocked duct breast, an ice pack between the mattress and breast, fed baby and massaged at the same time, and it went!
Feel for you it’s a very painful thing!

Hot shower, hand express, and massage.

Also ibuprofen for pain

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Hot water and Epsom salt in a haakaa

Hot compress and let the milk flow…

If you have a haaka, put some warm water in it and some epsom salt.

I soaked my nipple in some hot as I could take water with Epsom salts then tried gentle massage after sometimes it took me a few soaks but it eventually Eased…. I legit just stood at rhe counter with my boob in a bowl and cried watching marvellous mrs maisel lol
Sorry your going through this momma clogged ducts ate the worst!!

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Sunflower Letchin it’s a supplement you can buy and it literally works miracles!! I breastfed twins and was in agony until a cousin of mine mentioned that…also hot showers…continue to nurse or pump with a hot compress on the affected area…also going to go out of left field here and say that leaning over the edge of your bed,couch,chair with your breasts dangling and using a (cleaned) vibrator/massager on it will also help loosen it…keep track of your health as well cause you can get really sick and feel like you have the flu…when it’s that bad it’s usually time to go to doc for antibiotics so you don’t get an infection…

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Use the shower head with good water pressure with hot water n massage it also have baby be on it as much as possible or pump and tmi if u don’t have a massager use ur vibrator on highest setting or anything with a good strong vibration lol

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A hakaa with Epsom salt water and have your husband try again with you on top with them dangling. Only thing that has ever worked for me.

A haakka with hot water and baby has to keep nursing to unclog it.

Try pumping on all 4’s I know it sounds crazy but it works. Lol
Also warm compresses.
Hope you get relief soon! :yellow_heart:

Have you tried a haaka with epsom salt and hot water? I did that will relaxing in the bath tub and it helped!

Haaka filled with warm water and epsom salt. Different feeding positions for baby may also help. Hopefully it’s nothing more serious! Good luck

I had to see a Dr for mine both times it was beyond self help and made me sick

The haaka and epsom salt! Make the water as hot as you can stand it and let your nipple soak. When I did this I could see the clog coming out.

Hot shower, self express. When I stopped breastfeeding ( abruptly bc my daughter wasn’t getting what she needed and was switched to formula ) mine were getting clogged all the time and it hurt SO bad and can cause infection. I’d sit in a hot shower with the water on my chest for 20 mins, self express and then my husband would take as much out as he could until it stopped hurting. Yes, sounds strange. But baby just latches without thinking of it hurting you. If hubby does it you can tell him if it hurts and to lighten up a bit. Also, it helped with his upset belly first thing in the morning before coffee lol.

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Did you try pumping … using an electric pump? Try massaging going in a hot shower let the water run on your breast and massage . It will be painful but that may help it to release.

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Agree with the above advice. If you spike a fever, then call your doctor because it is turning into mastitis.

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I laid down with a damp warm towel and put a heat pad on low,

I’ve read vibration helps… so something like the end of an electric toothbrush :joy::smirk:. There are also buzzy things specifically designed for blocked ducts on Amazon!

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Plastic tumbler cup with salt and water while in shower. Affix the cup around your nipples and wiggle it around. Also massaging your breasts gently from under your armpit and down towards your nipple to soften the glands. Good luck and stick with breastfeeding. It’s the best decision you made for your baby. You got this momma! :+1:

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Hot compress and let baby eat on that side more , thats what i did when i had it

Soak in tub with HOT water. Kinda slouch over side of tub so nips are soaking as well. Just kinda relax for a while. Massage breast while it’s under the water. Work it out!

You might need to take a hospital trip… especially pending on where it is… also if it breaks loose,yikes… can cause major problems. I was an EMT for 14yrs and worked in and emergency room for a bit. Wish you the best… for future advice, take low dose aspirin. One of those nice things native Americans gave society.

Heat, massage where it hurts, and keep nursing. Try dangle nursing, too.

Try to pump it out if you can. The baby’s saliva reacts with your breast and will cause you to make more milk, if you pump instead it will still stimulate milk production but not as much as the baby nursing.

Try eating a few slices of fresh pineapple. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory. Watch for a fever and heat coming from your breast as that could indicate that it’s turned to mastitis. Take an ibuprofen and try using a vibrator or massager to break it loose. It sounds weird but it definitely helps.

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Warm compress and a vibrator, Motrin and no bra or a sleep bra. And if it doesnt get better in 2 days of so, the Dr

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Mine took several days. I was told hot showers and hot compresses, nurse on that side as much as possible and lots of massage. Every time before I would pump or nurse I would do a hot compress and massage. Id massage while pumping also. It hurt but it helped. Sunflower lecithin is supposed to help too…I bought the liquid version because I don’t do well with pills but I couldn’t tolerate it.

Turn the shower on let the water get very warm. Once it’s steamy let the water hit your clogged breast. Give it some pressure down wards. Massage it in circular motion… They have a hot and cold thing you can buy to to help w the pain. Take Tylenol. If it gets bad to where you are running fever please see a doctor. I promise this will pass.

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Soak it in hot water, then nurse immediately afterwards, and massage the clot while baby is nursing. Cabbage leaves in your bra work too, but use them with caution as they can severely reduce your supply. Once my clot was so bad that I was feverish, so I put cabbage on there overnight, and was better in the morning!!

I’ve heard of pumps and letting husband if they willing to do it to get it out

Sunflower lecithin pills, you can find them on Amazon. Take 1/day to prevent clogs. When you have a clog take 2 in the morning, 2 at night.
I took 1/day my entire time pumping (exclusively pumped for 9months) and I never had a full on clog and I over produced. If I felt a clog coming on I doubled up on pills and the clogs never stuck

Massage it out under hot shower. If you have a pump, pump on that side.
You can also use a vibrating toothbrush against the duct.
If no luck, definition get to GP if you can. Xx

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I used a manual pump in a hot shower when this happened to me. Also lots of manipulation with the hands as well.

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Sounds weird but you can take your vibrator if you have one and massage it and use a hot compress

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Dangle nursing always worked for me. Feels silly doing it but it works.

I’ve had this happened to me before with my last baby and omg it was the worst pain ever!! But believe it or not I couldn’t take the pain and it was so unbearable I ended up squeezing it like a pimple :persevere::weary:the amount of relief that came afterwards was the best​:flushed::smiling_face:idk but hopefully you’ll get better soon

If its not clearing and starts to feel hot then go in asap bc if it turns to mastitis that crap is reoccurring. My one spot that clogged, turned mastitis was finicky the rest of the time I breast fed. Even when I quit it hurt for a while til I guess I dried up finally. Not worth it :weary: go get seen if needed.

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Honestly massage it and let your husband help you suck it out. It honestly works I’ve seen multiple videos of husbands helping their wives doing that. Plus my husband has helped me before too

It’s awful I had the same I also had ductal thrush which was unbearable pain .
Just be persistent, constant massaging in the shower or bath and you can try massaging using hot flannels. You can do this! :slight_smile: the joys of motherhood x

Dangle nursing. It’s the only thing that helped me. It was so bad I cried every time my little tried to nurse. :weary:

I vaguely remember my mother telling me to buy a soft nail brush or baby tooth brush to properly clean the nipples after feeding. Heat applied will help with pain but redness/swelling/raised temp will need a Drs visit

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I have only had it one time and I put a heating pad on for a few minutes and massages the spot really good while I was pumping, until I felt it release!

Massage the breast and affected area, try to hand express milk from the breast, soak the nipple in Epsom salt and a splash (very small amount) of ACV and warm water (not hot) for 5-10 mins 3x per day, use a small hot pack to get some heat on the affected area, if none of these work within 72 hours follow up with you dr. I have breastfed and have had clogged ducts many times. They suck a lot. Praying for you and hope you feel better.

Hot water compresses. And hot bath or shower. It also helps with increase milk production

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I had 2 blocked in one breast so bad I caught mastitis. My kids dad eventually had to try to help me get it out (tmi) but I was desperate. Eventually I got some medicine and also an electric pump and would pump as soon as baby was off the breast til it came loose. It was AWFUL.

Have someone suck on it really hard… I heard that actually works

I got one and led to mastitis. Dr told me to dangle feed.

Cabbage leaves for the win!! Get them nice and cold (the cold feels SO good!) and put them in your bra. Change out when the leaves get warm. I even used to sleep with them in when my girls were waking less during the night to prevent clogging.

I also did 2 surrogacies and this is how I was able to relieve the pain and clogging from not nursing.

Good luck Momma! I know you’re in pain :pensive:

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Try it with a Haakaa!

Try to express in a warm/ hot shower :shower: and use cabbage leaves in your bra

So what u hv to do is the comb u use… the wide tooth combs ones which are blunt at the tip… we use for detangling… U need to use that so from sides u need to comb till ur nipple… So its like from diameter comb on the breast till centre… keep doing that way the cloth will go… u will have pain… use a hot water bag or dip a towel on hot water… squeeze the water out then put the towel on ur breast… this will relieve u… Always babies have a tendency to feed from one breast only… the comfortable one for them… so u need to feed from both in intervals… when the baby is hungry first feed with the one the baby isnt comfirtable with… because of hunger it will suck… so u dont have any clot. okay anything u want to know do inbox me… All tricks n tips I have

If you have the Haakaa, fill it with really warm water and epsom salt then attach it to your breast. I’ve heard this works well!

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I got a needle and out in hot water with salt and made a hole for it to unblock, and it did straight away

cabbage leaves work. ve breastfed 4 babies and have had this with every one of them. Especially when I was trying to wean them off.

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Hands and knees in a hot shower. Massage from base to tip while pumping. Also lay baby on back and kneel over while baby nurses and do the same massage base to tip. A vibrator to massage isn’t a bad idea either.

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Cabbage Leaves were the only thing that worked for me. I washed one leaf and placed it directly on my breast until I felt relieved.

Press a heating pad on the area that’s clogged for about 10 min then massage the area while pumping. Might have to do it more than once but this has always worked for me. Good luck mama! Hope you get some relief soon :heart:

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Call your doctor it could turn into mastitis.

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Contact La Leche League USA

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Soak in a warm/hot bath! I had a real bad one an after the bath I pumped an massage it right out. Hope you feel better

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I happened to just went through this and both my breasts where clogged and had to stop feeding or my breasts would have been damaged, I’d go to a lactation nurse if possible, cause if they can’t get you going then that breast is down

Only try cabbage leaves if you aren’t wanting to bf anymore. They will dry you up quick.
Warn water shower and massage and massage til they are free

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I saw on tiktok where a womans husband “breastfed” to relieve the clogged duct from his wife. She said it was immediate relief. If your husband is up for it i say give it a try

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Chamomile tea mixed with salt then freeze and massage with that is the only thing that will help me

Apparently warm cabbage leaves

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Dangle feeding, warm compresses, massage… Use an electric toothbrush or a clean! vibrator.

If you start getting flu like symptoms then Dr’s ASAP. It would’ve gone to mastitis which can turn nasty real quick.

Breastfeeding yummy mummies on Facebook is a good reference place xx

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Dangle feeding, warm compresses, massage… Use an electric toothbrush or a clean! vibrator.

If you start getting flu like symptoms then Dr’s ASAP. It would’ve gone to mastitis which can turn nasty real quick.

Breastfeeding yummy mummies on Facebook is a good reference place xx

Heat. Let hot shower hit.

Take a Tupperware in the shower and fill it with hot water then clamp it to your breast. You can you a vibrating toothbrush, or anything that vibrates to try and knock it loose.

You might have mastitis you need to go to docs to see if you have and he’ll give you antibiotics

SUNFLOWER LECITHIN IS A LIFE SAVER!!! Take 3-4 pills 3x a day until it’s gone. Mine always clear up within 24 hours of taking it. I have always gotten recurring clogs and it works every single time. I really hope you see this! I want to shout it from the rooftops lol

Also keep massaging your breast, start at the base and work toward the nipple. Do it as much as you can, it’s better in a warm shower. Sometimes if you can see the actual clog you can even pull it out! I’ve also heard to put warm water and epsom salt in a hakaa and leave it on while you massage. Feed your baby as much as possible.

Do not use cabbage as you could loose your whole supply. I am almost 100% certain if you take the lecithin it will clear up!!!

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Heat, shower, pump. I feel your pain. Mine were clogged on both sides all the way in to my armpits. Swollen couldn’t even move my arms. So painful. I wish it upon no one

Sunflower lathechin and warm showers focus on that area and lots of masso

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I used a clean vibrator in a hot shower

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Warm shower and a wheatbag on the affected area. Also try nursing the baby from the other direction on that breast - so if they usually lie across your tummy, tuck them under your armpit to feed. You might need a nursing pillow to be able to get comfy. It’s weird but it really helped me.

Vibrator for the win! Worked every time for me.

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Towel with hot water. Heat always helped me with clogged ducts.

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Soak with warm water and Epsom salt in a hakaa pump, sunflower lecithin, dangle pumping or breastfeeding on all 4s to let gravity help you, changing latch position so baby’s nose is in line with the clog… good luck!!!

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Have you contacted the ob nurse?

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Sunflower lethechin powder and pump

Straight easiest way to me after trying all the usual was I begged my husband to suck it out and he did in like less than 60 seconds. Seriously best idea ever.

Hearing pad, warm compress

Warm compress, if at all possible, relax for the day. Massage/
Vibrate downwards toward the nipple. Even though it might be painful.