Treating blocked ducts while breastfeeding

Enjoying motherhood will reach its heights only when you experience the heavenly feeling of breastfeeding. ‘Breast milk is the best milk’ is not just a saying. It is an ultimate truth. Breast milk will help keep your baby meet all their requirements for growth and development. Breast feeding is considered as the best method to increase the bonding between the mother and baby. But, there are certain conditions that may make breastfeeding a nightmare.

Blocked ducts are one among those problems that will make you stay away from breastfeeding. It can be due to early stages of mastitis or an actual blockage in your duct. Blocked duct may be presented with certain symptoms like a lump in your breast, red and swollen patch on the skin or pain.  A backup of milk in your breast is the most common reason for blocked ducts. You are most likely to experience this in the early weeks of breastfeeding.  

Treating blocked ducts during breastfeeding is important to ensure that your baby is getting enough milk. But, how to treat blocked ducts during breastfeeding may remain as a question. Here are some important tips that you can use for treating blocked ducts while breastfeeding.

Express the milk: You can use a breast pump to express extra milk from your breast. Don’t allow extra milk to remain in your breast once you finish feeding your baby. This is one of the practical ideas for treating blocked ducts while breastfeeding.

A warm compress: You can keep a towel dipped in hot water on your breast. This will help relieve the pain due to blocked ducts. It will make expressing milk easy and thereby help in treating blocked ducts while breastfeeding.

Gentle massage: If you are confused about how to treat blocked ducts while breastfeeding, here is an excellent solution. Gently massage your breast where you find a lumpy area during feeds, in the direction towards your nipple.

Adequate fluids: Drinking enough water will help you not only for producing enough milk, but also for treating blocked ducts while breastfeeding. Make sure that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

Medications: There are medications available for treating blocked ducts during breastfeeding. But, it is important to remember that you cannot take all medicine while you are breastfeeding. So, never try self medication. Consult a doctor.

Warm shower: Taking a warm shower and allowing warm water to fall on your breast will help you get rid of the pain. The continuous flow of warm water will make your task of expressing milk from the breasts easy and effective.

Vary feeding positions: There are many breastfeeding positions that you can try. This will help you treat blocked ducts while breastfeeding. It will help you find out the best position for your baby to get a better latch.

Feed frequently: You may experience infrequent feedings due to breast pain, return to work, pacifier overuse by baby or baby’s sleep schedule. Feeding your baby frequently is one of the important tips for treating blocked ducts during breastfeeding.

Medical advice: If you continue to experience pain and discomfort even after trying all these tips, seek an expert medical advice. Your doctor can give a better solution for your confusion about how to treat blocked ducts while breastfeeding.