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Breastfeeding Challenges: Clogged Milk Ducts
Breastfeeding is not without its challenges, issues can arise throughout the time you are breastfeeding your baby. One of the most common challenges women face is clogged milk ducts. Some women will breastfeed multiple babies and never experience this complication, while others will have it happen multiple times. There are many things that can cause clogged milk ducts, and luckily it is pretty simple to self treat if you catch it early and do your best to work through it.
Breastfeeding is one of the most rewarding things you can do as a mother. Your own body is producing milk that provides your baby with everything she needs as she starts her life. Once you get over the challenge of figuring out what you are doing in the beginning it becomes a lot easier and can really help to simplify your life as a new mom. However, it is not without its ups and downs, challenges can continue to arise. Continued breastfeeding is usually the best way to over come any challenges you may face, including clogged milk ducts.
Lucky me, I just got over my first (and hopefully only) experience with a clogged milk duct. It was painful and uncomfortable but through continued breastfeeding and a few extra little tricks I was able to get over it in just a few hours. More on that later.
So what are clogged milk ducts? Clogged milk ducts are just that, milk ducts that have become clogged, they also become inflamed and sore. This happens when milk fails to adequately drain from the duct. You will likely feel a hard spot in your breast, and it will be sore or tender to the touch. Some women experience redness on the skin of their breast as well. I found it was similar to engorgement but only in one isolated spot on the breast.
Milk ducts become clogged when milk fails to drain completely from the duct. There are many causes for this failure to drain including:
- Wearing a nursing bra that does not fit properly, either too constricting or has underwire that is pressing on a milk duct.
- An incomplete or skipped feeding.
- An inadequate breast pump that doesn’t drain the breast properly.
- Any sort of illness, like a cold or the flu.
- Increased stress.
- Sleeping on your stomach (it can put too much pressure on the milk ducts).
- Or it could happen for no apparent reason at all.
Clogged milk ducts can become infected if left untreated so it is important to do what you can to release the clog as soon as you recognize it has occurred. Luckily you can pretty easily self treat a clogged milk duct. For some women though self treatment is not enough and medication is required. Continued breastfeeding is the most important part of tackling the clog so even if it is painful you should continue to breastfeed through this challenge. Here are a few things you can try to help get the milk duct unclogged.
- Frequent breastfeeding.
- Pump after the breastfeeding session to ensure the breast has been completely drained.
- Start each breastfeeding session on the affected breast until the clog has resolved.
- Massage the affected area frequently and firmly.
- Apply a warm compress prior to breastfeeding.
- Vary your nursing position, many women find it helpful to point the baby’s chin towards the spot on the breast where the clogged milk duct is.
- Some women find it helpful to get more vitamin C (drink your orange juice!).
- Rest (I know, not the easiest thing to do with a baby).
The things that I found most helpful were frequent breastfeeding, always starting on the affected breast, pumping after the breastfeeding session to make sure it had been drained, massaging the area, and using a warm compress. I noticed the clogged milk duct when I went to bed one night and was able to get it unclogged by midmorning the next day.
There is a risk of infection with a clogged milk duct so keep an eye on things, if you begin running a fever or have flu-like symptoms call your doctor. If you are unsure if what you are experiencing is a clogged milk duct call you doctor or go see a lactation consultant. You should also call your doctor if you don’t seem to be able to get the duct unclogged with the self treatment techniques, you may have an infection or another issue going on.
Have you ever experienced a clogged milk duct, or any other breastfeeding complications? What worked for you to help get things moving again?
Thanks for contributing this post to this week’s Carnival of Family Life, hosted at Modern Sage — Practical Living Blog. The Carnival will be live tomorrow, so please stop by and peruse all of the wonderful
articles submitted this week!
I had a clogged duct which led to an infection. I used hot compresses and ice packs and a cephalosporin antibiotic which, 20 years ago, a physician who was involved with LaLeche League recommended.
I have had a clooged duct 2 times. The first time, it was for no apparent reason at all. I massaged it, took warm showers, and nursed nursed nursed! I developed Mastitis which was utter torture. It feels like the flu. I ran a 104 temp and felt terrible. The duct unclogged after a couple of days, but the mastitis lasted about 4 days with antibiotics from my doctor. My second clogged duct I have now =(, It is on the opposite breast and was caused b/c of a missed feeding. NEVER MISS A FEEDING! I have tried everything in the book to no avail. I just bought a warm-patch and applied it to the affected area. We’ll see how that works. All I can say is NURSE.
i experienced clogged duct several times and it was horrible! i am pumping my milk every feeding because my 12-week-old baby wont breastfeed anymore..no milk coming out when pupming but my breast is so hard.. i tried everything..warm/cold compress, massaging, warm shower, soaking my breast in warm water with epsom salt, name it, i tried it but no luck.. im so afraid in developing a mastitis..it came to a point that i became so frustrated that i want to wean and stop breastfeeding even i can produce a good amount of milk (4-5 oz. for both breast per session, enough to feed my son)..
i asked my husband to suck my breast until the clogged ducts cleared.. if my baby wont nurse, let your husband do the job and whew.. it was a relief! it may sound weird and funny but it works for me.. clogged ducts are all gone!
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I just had my fourth kid 6 months ago, and breastfed all my kids. This was my first clogged duct, and after going to the lactation specialist and reading ALL the material, I read something about a ‘blister’ on the nipple. I looked and there was a very small white blister like looking spot and I popped it gently with a sterile needle, and immediately milk started coming out in a stream! that was all this was, a small blister like thing that was blocking one duct on the side of my breast. Thank goodness!
Calloway Mom,
Wow, that’s so interesting. It is amazing how it can sometimes be the tiniest little thing that causes the problem. Thanks for sharing.
THANK YOU Calloway Mom!!! A good 1/4th of my breast was clogged and hard as a rock for a day and a half… I would have NEVER noticed or thought to try that but that is all it was! Popped a tiny tiny white blister a it all came out!!! I’m sooo happy right now!
So THAT’S what that is! I too had to little white blisters on my nipples; I thought they were the result of friction caused by my baby suckling from a clogged duct. I seem to have problems with clogged ducts 2-3 times a week ( I think because I’m still demand feeding instead of scheduled feedings and I’ve gone back to work and only get to pump once while I’m there). I just place a heating pad on for a couple of hours while I watch TV or read a book and then I nurse my son in different nursing positions. I notice that once the ducts become unclogged, he starts gagging slightly and swallowing harder. Once when he removed himself he was squirted with milk! Boy, what a relief when they finally become unclogged!
Dawn,
Oh, I know it is such a relief when the clog is finally gone!
THANK YOU!!!! This was my 2nd clog ever…my first one was a few months after my third baby-and it became a life-threatening situation for me…it became infected and gave me a terrible fever, I have thyroid problems that get really bad post-pardum. Because of the infection, it put me into a thyroid storm (which is life threatening) and I was in the hospital for days. They had me using a massive pump and it took days to finally unclog-and as it took so long, the milk became a thick mucus that went like a string into the pump…it was bad.
I want to thank you so much for sharing about the blister thing..,I just had my 4th baby and had NEVER heard of that before!! I have had a clogged brest for nearly 2 days (during the holidays too!) and was getting really nervous about it (and that we are traveling out of town tomorrow!)…I would never have noticed such a small blister on the end of my nipple (in the center) if you had not said something! I got a needle with my baby laying next to me screaming in anger over another frustrating nursing experiane and muttered, “the things I do for you!” as I carefully poked the white blister from the side. I squeezed and a thin stream milk started coming out. I tried nursing and he still seemed frustrated, so I poked the needle at the blister a bit more trying to make a larger opening and the milk came out more easily. Right now my brest is completly empty and my baby just fell asleep content for the first time in two very sleepless and frustrating days!
I am so, so, so grateful to you…you don’t even know how much!
Thank you!
May God bless you!!!
Tarena
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! We didn’t find any other site with info on the blister but sure enough that was it!
Thanks! Popping the little white blister was a great trick – instant relief! I’ve been so sore all day and the nothing else seemed to be working at all. I was finally able to get the 2 oz. out that were stuck inside!
Thanks a ton..great trick!!worked like a charm!!am sooooooooooooo relieved!
I have had a couple of small clots while breastfeeding and they went away with the more popular methods… This morning I woke up with a clots filling half my breast! By the late afternoon, there was a white spot on the nipple. I read here to try popping it and I was unsure…
I worked like a charm! I popped it and pumped and it is almost completely cleared! thanks
Ive had 2 clogged ducts. My baby is almost 4 months and both times this happened within the last month. I thought it was because I had gone back to work and was feeding him less and pumping more. I thought maybe it was because I had been sleeping more at night since he’s sleeping longer stretches. I thought maybe I was sleeping on my stomach and causing the clog from the pressure. But then I noticed my nipple was hurting too much for him to even nurse. I had a blister – white head looking thing on my nipple and realized milk couldn’t come out because the hole was blocked. This has happened twice now because the blister came back! I read that other women are having the same experiences on here and nowhere else is this found on the internet!!! If it is as common why aren’t there more stories or info to be found about it on the net?
I’m not sure. Sometimes I think we woman have to share our stories before the info gets out there.
thank you, thank you, thank you! I just washed up and squeezed like a zit, out came a little dry milk, I hooked up the pump and have gotten out 2.5oz so far and its still coming. What a relief!!!
Hi! My daughter is 8 months old and I just experienced my firt clogged duct. It took me forever to realize what it was. All of the sudden my daughter wouldn’t nurse from that side. She’d try (and it hurt like heck) and then start screaming.
I didn’t know what was going on so I tried pumping just because she wouldn’t eat from it but nothing came out. I got more out of the breast she just ate from than the one that felt engorged. I thought it was wierd that it only felt engorged in one area on the bottom side of my breast. I thought maybe I was drying up, but then I thought that didn’t make any sense since I felt engorged.
I didn’t know what was going on so I just went to bed in a lot of pain. I went all through the next day trying to get her to nurse on that side. Finally it dawned on me that it could be a clogged duct. So I looked it up online and sure enough that’s what it was. So I started alternating warm moist compress, pump, compress, nurse (in different positions), compress, pump, etc. Finally after a couple of hours of that I noticed that I could hear my daughter swallowing! After she got her fill I pumped and milk came shooting out. I got 2 oz out on top of whatever my daughter got.
It’s such a reliefe to have that milk out!
I noticed the white blister type thing as well. My husband suggested we try to pop it, but I didn’t think it sounded like a good idea. Now I know to try that if God forbid there is a next time.
One quick question. Is it normal for it to still feel a little sore for a while afterwards? I’ve been keeping the hot pad on it when I can and nursing more often than usual to make sure that I got the whole clog.
Adrie,
I’m glad you found the info you were looking for and now know what to do next time, god forbid!
Yes, it is normal. I had two clogged milk ducts and both times my breast felt a little tender and sore for about a day afterwards. My nipple would also hurt for a few nursing sessions after as well.
Hope that helps.
calloway mom, thank you!!! i was in so much pain. i nursed and nursed and put heat on it and nothing worked. as soon as i popped it milk started coming out, i pumped and got 2 1/5 oz.
thank you so much!!
Thanks a ton.
I have already suffered from masitis times and have been on antibiotics for 2 weeks. Now at my 2 month old baby..it happened again..i was dreading the same thing when i found this little wonder website with other mom’s experience…and sure enough it worked like a charm
)
i owe you guys tons…for sharing!
thankyou soooo much.
i am so glad i found this site because i have been suffering in pain with a clogged duct 4 the 2nd time since breastfeeding!!! this happened when my daughter was about 8 months and the lactation specialist said 2 do anything BUT pop the white blister/pimple. her method of hot compresses and frequent feedings despite the pain worked but those methods were long and drawn out. this time around, i thought i pretty much knew what to do so i didnt even bother to call the specialists, i repeated the same step from last time, running piping hot water (as hot as i could take it) over my breast while i showered. this time around the pain seemed worst so i found myself taking more frequent showers just to get a lil relief delivered by the hot water. but its after 4am and i cant sleep because of the pain so i figured what have i got 2 lose, lets search the net n c what i find! and what a blessing it is that i found this. i popped the white blister and instant relief and instant milk poured outta my breast. i can finally get a decent nite’s rest!! im so happ, im ecstatic, close tears because of the relief. yea the nipple is still a lil sore n will b but its worth it…id trade that pain 4 what i was just experiencing seconds ago in a heart beat!! cant believe the solution was so simple!! keep doin what ur doin, i LOVE THS SITE!!!!!!!
Madis Mom,
I’m glad you found relief, a clogged milk duct is no picnic.
Thank you for reading and I’m glad you enjoyed the site.
I’m thinking I may have a clogged duct.. I have most of the symptoms, except the white blister! Does this mean I’m not clogged??
Rinn,
No, the two times I had a clogged milk duct I did not have a white blister. A white blister is just one of the symptoms, not everyone gets that. I would try a few of the remedies like the warm compress, having the baby nurse on that side first, and pumping as well. If you don’t get relief you could call your doctor to see if it may be something else.
definitely good to hear others had a white blister. did it go away when the clogged duct cleared up? I had a clogged duct a few days ago that I think is better (no more pain)but I still have a white part (blister?) on my nipple and I don’t get hardly any when I pump on that side.
Carrie,
It could be you still have some hardened milk stuck in that duct. I would try a warm compress on that side before you pump to see if that helps.
THANK YOU! I was suffering with a golf ball size lump in my breast, warm compresses and a frustrated baby who would not take the boob, pumping getting me nothing — read through the comments here and put a needle in a tiny white bump on my nipple and BOOM the milk came out, and I immediately cleared the duct with pumping!! yeah!!
I don’t have the pimple thing, but an extremely painful blocked duct on the right side of my left breastdown towards the rib bone,any suggestions? I think I got it from a couple of skipped feedings because I didn’t want to wake my son up
Jennifer,
What worked well for me was having a really hot shower and manually compressing a bit, then using a warm compress before nursing, and pumping a bit afterwards. I think it took a couple of feedings but then it was gone. Hope that helps.
I’ve never even heard of this blister thing….but it just saved me a trip to the Dr. One small poke and it cleared the clog!
Rebecca,
Glad we were able to save you a trip to the doctor!!
I have been having trouble with clogged ducts ever since my son stayed the night with my mother 4 days ago. i am pumping with a medella harmony manual pump because ever since he came home after staying with her, for some strange reason, he refuses to nurse most of the time. he was getting breast milk over at my mother’s because i sent him with the 6 bags that i had already stored. i am totally blind so cannot see if i have those white things on the nipple that were described by most of the women who commented. i have a collection bottle with raised markings on it so that i can tell how much milk was pumped. it was consistently 4 ounces, give or take a tiny bit, yesterday. i managed to remoove some of the clogs yesterday and have noticed some improvement.however, i just recently pumped today about 20 minutes ago and have gotten 2 ounces. i cannot tell if i am getting all of these clogs out. every time that i try to massage my breasts, it hurts and no milk comes. i have taken hot showers, pumped with an electric breast pump to no avail. also when i tried to get my son to nurse about 3 hours ago, he was fine for about 5 minutes and then started hitting my breasts, squirming and fussing. am i doing anything wrong? i am about to give up. please help! sorry about the long comment.
Natasha,
Are you using a warm compress before you nurse? That helped me. Also, pumping a tiny bit, for a minute or so, right before nursing helped me as well. If nothing seems to work I would recommend calling a lactation consultant. They might be able to help you out and see if there is a latch problem or something that is contributing to the problem.
My baby is a month old and I didn’t have any pain nursing until this week. My right nipple really started hurting when she nursed, to the point of tears. The pain usually eased up after 15-30 seconds. I just figured that she was latching differently. Yesterday I noticed that my breast was really hard on one side so I pumped and then manually expressed after a warm compress to see if I had a clot. I was still able to get about 4 mls with the pump. But I am dreading using the right side so I have pumped twice again today instead of breastfeeding. I do have a small white spot, so I am going to try popping the area and seeing if that helps with the painful nipple. Thanks for the idea. Since last night, my breast has been a lot softer, just the extremely painful nipple.
hello lisa. yes i have been using warm compresses before nursing as well. i think the trouble is that he likes the bottle better because he can get his fill quicker having been on it for 24 hours over at mhy mom’s. he was fine with nursing before .e going over there but ever since he has gotten back, he really does not want anything to do with it.. my husband suggested exclusively pumping since our son will not take the breast most of the time anymore. the trouble is that we have been supplimenting with formula which we swore that we would never do because of these clogs. i am not talking one clog either, i am talking multiple clogs on each breast
Natasha,
If you do pump and give him a bottle make sure to still offer the breast at every feeding to help reintroduce him. It is possible for young babies to get nipple confusion. I would still recommend talking to a lactation consultant, I they could be a big help to you.
hello lisa. i did what you suggested along with really concentrating on massaging the breasts and they finally unclogged. milk squirted across the room a few times! i was able to pump 6 ounces after that. this morning, my son took to the breast without any problems. my son is finally content. he actually was gulping which was a very welcome sound to hear! i pumped a further 6 ounces after he unlatched. so now i hav 12 ounces in the fridge i hope i will not run into this problem again because removing clogs for me is even more painful than having them in the first place.
Natasha,
I’m so glad to hear that. I guess he was just refusing the breast because of the clog. It’s great to hear things are more comfortable for you now and your son is back to nursing. Getting rid of stubborn clogs is no fun.
I think I had a clogged duct (all the symptoms were there) and I kept pumping that side, and it just kept getting harder. I usually get about twice as much milk from my left side, so I really didnt notice it when my right side was hardly giving any out. I tried massaging it last night, compressing with my fingers, starting at the outermost part of the hard part and working my way towards the nipple. I dont see a white blister or pimple like thing (should this be there only when I am pumping or all the time???) but this morning, I felt something sharp while pumping and suddenly tons of milk was coming out. When you actually “pass” the clog, did any one else feel a sharp feeling?
Carrie,
There won’t always be a white blister, that just happens sometimes. I did feel a sharp pain while my daughter was nursing when I had a clog and it seemed to be gone afterwards. Often clogs are caused by dried up milk stuck in the duck so it was probably that being passed. I’m glad to hear you finally got rid of the clog, it is such a relief when it goes away.
I woke up with a sharp pain in one of the breasts and when I felt it with my finger noticed some hard tissue at that spot. When I pressed hard on it I notices the milk drops came out of the nipple from one spot and when I felt that milk it was a little sticky and not water like. I figured it was milk which was clotted. I pressed hard on that spot and then the pain vanished after a while but again started feeling it the next night. Is this because of clogged duct. Have anyone experienced this. If so how can I clear this. Do I need to see a doctor?
Archie,
It does sound like a clogged milk duct. Use warm compresses, pump and breastfeed often on that breast to help clear the clog. If you get more pain and a fever then call your doctor as those are signs of infection.
HI, I think I also have a clogged duct. I feel engorged on my right breast and when I pump I don’t get as much milk out as I do from my left. I feel the lump in my breast and i’ve tried hot showers and manually expressing as well as the pump and massage. I am trying to wean my daughter off the breast but if i skip feedings I’m afraid of getting a clogged duct. I even tried looking for the white blister everyone’s talking about on here but I don’t know if i have one.. are they right on the nipple? and if so, how big?
Eli,
Women often get engorged while beginning to wean so it may be just the weaning that is causing the discomfort.
However, it can take several days to release a clog so I would keep trying the hot showers, pumping and warm compresses. Also, try to get your daughter to use the right breast first at each feeding.
As for the white blister, not everyone will have one. I didn’t when I had my clogged milk ducts. If you do have them they are fairly small, pimple size usually, and right on the nipple.
OMG! I was in so much pain yesterday, which was very inconvenient as we are painting our house, and this blister thing was just the trick. I had been wearing just a tank with a built in bra to loosen things us and wearing a heat pack and puming and massaging and nothing seemed to work.I was just headed to the shower to see if that helped. I found this just as I grabbed my towel so I took a pin and pump with me. I figured I would have seen a white bump but when I looked, there it was! Tiny little thing. But it did the trick. Thanks so much. I was able to sleep with no pain.
Tandi Ann,
I’m glad you were able to get some relief. There is nothing like the relief when a clog finally goes away.
See kellymom.com for info on the use of lecithin for recurrent clogged ducts. I think this supplement reduces some of the fat in the milk which is often responsible for recurrent clogs.
Kim,
Thanks for the tip.