One day you wake up with a painful lump on your breast that may be red and warm to the touch. You may notice a milk blister (it looks like a white head on your nipple) as well and find that nursing on that breast suddenly is very uncomfortable and painful. Alas, you may be suffering from a clogged milk duct.  

Getting clogged milk ducts is one of the challenges that breastfeeding mothers face.  This condition is aptly named because they are exactly that—milk ducts that have gotten clogged and inflamed.  They are caused by many possible reasons.  Improper latching or too much pressure due to ill-fitting nursing bras or sleeping on your tummy could be some of the possible causes for clogged milk ducts.  Other reasons could be missing feeds for long stretches or stopping breastfeeding suddenly, or just plain stress.  One or more milk ducts can get clogged up and the pressure of the milk that cannot pass from that duct causes pain, swelling and inflammation.

The good news is that getting clogged milk ducts is not a serious condition in itself.  If treated at home early on, they can be managed and be removed in a day or two.  Allowing the clogged milk duct to progress though may lead to a more painful condition called mastitis that needs medical treatment.

Here are a few ways to treat clogged milk ducts when they arise.

 

1.    Nurse, nurse, nurse
It may be painful and uncomfortable but nursing is the best thing for clogged milk ducts.  The baby’s sucking is powerful enough to suck out the plug and the relief once this happens is immediate.  Don’t worry about baby ingesting the plug—this is nothing more than milk that has thickened and blocked the milk duct.  It will not cause any harm.

It is also best for you to offer the breast that has the clogged milk duct first.  The sucking of the baby is strongest in the beginning and it’s that which can dislodge the milk plug that causes the clogged milk duct.

Some people even say that nursing with your child’s chin directed at the clogged milk duct is even more effective.  It may need some acrobatic moves to do this but it is worth a try—especially since having clogged milk ducts can cause a fair amount of pain and discomfort.

If you pump milk instead of nurse, pump as often as possible.  Though nursing is much more effective than a breast pump in removing clogged milk ducts, using the pump often is the next best thing.  What is important is that the breast is emptied and the pressure from the clogged milk duct is relieved.

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