Weird/personal Nursing Breast Question - Help!

I had that too. Mine was mastitis and a clogged duct. Go quickly before you get the flu symptoms. They more then suck. hehe : )

I had this with my last baby and the bump on the nipple is most likely a milk blister which is related to a pluggled duct. Here's my favorite site for troubleshooting breastfeeding problems/questions: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html

I've had many plugged ducts and had the milk blister for the first time with my 4th baby (as I mentioned before). The site I just pasted in here for you will tell you how to deal with the milk blister. For the plugged duct, you can check the site, but I also wanted to add my tidbits of knowledge. The best thing I've found is to massage the tender/hard area of the breast in a warm shower for a few minutes each day, and I also nurse on the plugged breast first with each feeding to let my baby help "unplug" the duct; the baby can massage the areola and empty the breast better than a pump can. I would nurse on that side for 5-10 minutes, then have your baby nurse on the other side for every feeding until the problem resolves. Try varying your nursing positions too--this helps the baby empty the breast better until the duct issue is resolved. Nurse your baby through the night and day, and try not to skip feedings. Engorgement has been the #1 cause of my plugged duct problems and nursing frequently has greatly diminished this trouble. To prevent plugged ducts, I have nursed one side each feeding (like you are), but I nurse approximately every two hours instead of every three hours, and this has seemed to help as well (which means neither breast goes more than 4 hours before being emptied). Lastly, make sure your bra fits you right; you may need to avoid underwire bras as these can restrict milk flow and contribute to duct issues.

If you are feeling achy, feverish, or have flu-like symptoms, these are signs that your plugged duct has turned into mastitis, and you should call your doctor/lactation specialist and treat that right away with antibiotics. To help prevent thrush as a result of antibiotics, take a probiotic supplement and eat plenty of yogurt...just don't take them at the same time as your antibiotic. Avoiding high-sugar and carbs also helps prevent yeast infections during a round of antibiotics. Sugar/carbs feed yeast, so avoiding them for a short time will starve any yeast that tries to form.

Blessings to you and your family!
J.

It's strange to ask questions when it's you're third time around, isn't it!?! I'm on my third and I feel like a 1st time mom sometimes because I don't remember what to expect, and each child has been SO different!! Anyway - you'll have to cry your way through nursing/pumping that side, sorry to say. I've had to do it before to fend off mastitis. I would recommend pumping the side that your baby doesn't nurse on since you're going 6 hours in a stretch, but still switch off which side you nurse each time since baby does a better job "clearing you out" than the pump does.

Hope you feel better soon!

id definitely get it checked out asap. if you cannot hand express that particular spot then it may not be a blocked duct. Good luck and I hope it is just a blocked duct!

Sounds like a plugged duct, which can turn into symptoms similar to mastitis. Nurse more often on that side (always start on that side) and try to change positions, this might help unplug it. Use wet heat before nursing and if it hurts too much than pump.

What helped me is to use a bowl or sit in the bath and submerge my breast in the warm water and try to express some milk at the same time.

Here are some other things that can help:
Massage the affected area
Nurse every two hours on that side
Wear loose clothing and loosen your bra
Get a lot of rest

You could see a doctor and you may get antibiotics, but it is not necessary to take them until you've had a fever for 24 hours.

i don't mean to scare you, but see a doctor NOW! Although cancer doesn't usually "hurt", there is at least one form of breat cancer that can be seen on the skin of a breast. It would be far better to go to a doctor and know then wonder. Hopefully, it is just a milk duct that is infected close to the surface.

I would probably go see a doctor or at least a lactation consultant or LLL leader. I've never heard of such a thing happening so I would want someone else's opinion. I don't generally go to the doctor unless I have to and even so I would probably see someone in your situation.

Best wishes!
~B.

You have a plugged duct. I had MANY when I first started nursing my daughter. They can lead to an infection, so try to sort it out now. We used hot compresses, and nursed on that side as much as possible. I know its REALLY painful, but you have to get it open, so the milk can come out. I would put as hot a compress as I could and then pump until the I could see milk coming out of the duct. It was a real challenge and I often thought about stopping nursing, but eventually they stopped. Try to make sure your pump is immaculately clean, that you don't wear underwire bras, and that you nurse evenly on each side. I also used those "soothie" gel pads- they're spendy, but worth it. Good luck! You'll make it!!

Sounds like a clogged duct, possibly a developing milk blister if it is very close to the surface. I had that too when my daughter was only a few days old.

I did not feel like a trip to the doctor, mine got better by nursing as often as possible, always starting with the breast that has the blockage. Also if you can find a nursing position so your baby's chin points towards the blockage.
I also gently pumped (with a handpump) the blocked side, gently massaging the blocked duct with pumping.
In between nursings and while pumping I also applied a heated pillow to the breast. My blocked duct resolved in about two days, came back a week later and again was done in two days. No problems since.

If you start feeling sick, like the flu, have a fever, or the breast gets hot and swollen see a doctor right away.
Good luck!

Could it possibly be a blocked milk duct? I had that once, and it appeared as a large-ish bump near the surface, and was warm and tender. Heat and moisture can help if this is in fact what's going on. If you have a detachable shower head, spending a little time with the water as hot as you can stand concentrated on the area may help (at least it did for me). The heat plus some massage cleared mine up by the next day.

If that doesn't work or if you're still concerned, I would consider seeing your doc, or call the La Leche League folks - they may be able to give you a better idea of what your body is doing.

My advice is to get it looked at. I had mastitis and it absessed (sp?) and I still have the scar. It was incredibly painful while the absess worked it's way to the surface- hard to wear a bra and I'm large chested so find it essential. You have to keep nursing or pumping through it (at least what I had) because if the milk backs up that's supposed to be even more painful. I made the mistake of trying to self-diagnose- even tried to tell a phone nurse support what was happening. I should have just recognized that it was painful and seen the doctor. You ought to see the medical supplies I had to keep on hand to keep it clean and bandaged! That's my response from not taking care of myself! Good luck!

I had this with both my kids, but in the nipple area with my son. it was sore to the touch and bumpy. It is most likely a clogged duct (unless it's red, hot, and you feel fluish). I found that it happened more when the length of time between feedings were long. You might want to try a warm compress and massage before/during nursing or pumping. If you can pump that side, do so right after you get out of the shower and pump until empty. Mine lasted a couple days after I started doing those things. you should feel a little relief after a few feedings/pumpings.

Is it red? Is it inflamed at all or is it hot? These are all signs of infection.

If it is just tender and swollen it could just be a clogged duct. Try warm compresses on it.

If you in any doubt see your doctor though you don't want to mess around with mastesis!

Congrats on your new addition!

Amie
http://www.modestmilk.etsy.com

call an advice nurse!!!!!!!

Hi H.,
I dont' want to freak you out or anything, but I think you should see a doctor right away. I've heard of a new different kind of breast cancer that appears on the breast as a bug bite, and some doctors have evn told thier patients to ignore it, but you shouldn't. get it checked out and get a second opinion if you need to. better safe than sorry i think. I don't mean to be negative, I'm sorry, I just wanted to let you know...
good luck!

Hi H.,

I am so sorry that you are experiencing this. I wonder if you might have a plugged milk duct or something, but I would say it would at least warrant a question to the nurse for your insurance company, or most local hospitals have "Ask-a-nurse" lines, that might be able to assist you for now.

Best of luck, and, please let us know what happened.

T. Nelson CD

Yes, you should see a doctor and yes you should still breast feed or pump from that breast. Is your breast warm/hot to the touch on any part of it? The bump could be a clogged duct, and this can lead to mastitis pretty quickly. I had mastitis one time and it crept up pretty quickly, somewhat similar to what you are describing. I did nothing for a few days because it wasn't really painful - then bam! I had a fever and felt miserable! The treatment is simple antibiotics if you do have mastitis, and it should resolve pretty quickly. (With me, the whole episode only lasted about 4 days.) The doc told me that continuing to empty the breast is imperative to prevent a big painful blockage. I was told the breastmilk is still safe for the child, but if you are concerned until you see the doc you can "pump & dump". Since its Saturday, do you have a walk-in clinic with Saturday hours?? Do you have a fever? Once my fever came on, I felt pretty miserable, so hopefully you can get seen before that happens! Good Luck - I know the booby questions can be embarrassing :-) And I commend you for juggling 3 little ones!

Hi H.,

I had a lot of problems with my second child and Mastitus. You will feel the pain deep down in your breast when it is infected. It sounds like you have a clogged milk duct. The advice nurse told me to massage it while in a hot shower or bath. If you are in the shower direct the water flow directly onto the problem area. There are two different advice lines that I know of around the Fairbanks area. One is with FBKS Memorial Hosp ###-###-####), and the other is with Tanana Valley Clinic ###-###-####). I hope this helps you. :)

Stefany

I would most certainly see a doctor,just to be sure - it could just be a clogged milk duct and nursing would help that. You really should nurse on both sides each time... if your baby nurses 10 minutes, then do 5 minutes on each side - but for the time being a little more on the side with the bump. If you are not noticing that breast feeling very hot and you are not running a fever it might not be mastitis but the clogged milk duct (I had this with one of my kids). Drink lots of water too, that is very very important.

best wishes.

J.

I agree with the other mom's, it sounds like a clogged duct, which can turn into mastitis if you don't clear it up quickly. It is perfectly fine to continue to breastfeed on that side and it will actually help,...that is if it doesn't hurt too much. I had a clogged duct with my first child. I had it close to my underarm, its swelled, ached and breastfeeding hurt until it was gone. My doctor told me to take showers as hot as i could stand and let the water run over the affected breast for a few minutes, then massage the tender spot as hard and as long as you can handle. Try to get some milk out in the shower in between the massaging, and then as soon as you get out, apply a cool compress. A damp cool rag works just fine. It only took about 3 days for it to completely clear up, and I did it just as it was suggested. Try to wear a snug sports bra as often as possible, it helps a lot with the discomfort, ecspecially when you are laying down. Good luck, I know what your feeling.

You may have a clogged duct. Nurse and pump more on that side. It will unclog sometimes you even may have to pinch it like popping a zit. It will hurt while doing it but feel much better afterward. The milk may be very thick like a zit when you first get it unclogged too.

Mom of 8 and nursed them all.

A.

This happened to me while I was nursing too. Nurse more on that side. I know it hurts! But baby can help get that duct unclogged if that's the problem. Also a warm shower and hot compress. It will probably take a couple days but it should start feeling better. If it's not feeling better by Monday or takes a turn for the worse, call your doctor.

H.,
Continue on nursing on that side and put a hot pad on that breast. It probably has a little infection. Last year I kept getting breast infection's and if you do see red on it that is blotchy, you should call your doctor. They hurt so bad and you dont want it to go into a full infection or you will be very sick. I also have three children so good luck.
L. H.

I had the same thing happen to me, i had this smaly bump on my breast, what i did was give it time to see what will happen to it, if it got worse i was going to go to the doctor, thankfully it went down, but it did hurt for a few days even when he fed of it, but i do beleive it got better from him feeding off it (it cold have been a clog duct). If it some to worse after a couple of days i would get it check.