My Experience with Clogged Ducts

As a first time breastfeeding mom, I had no idea what I was dealing with when I started feeling a hard lump in my breast that was tender and painful. I quickly learned I had a clogged duct (or plugged duct) and started researching, calling my doctor, and asking my mom friends how to get rid of it as fast as possible! In this post, I’m going to help you determine if you have a clogged duct and provide you with some at home remedies to help unclog it FAST. I’ve had a handful of clogged ducts while breastfeeding (I breastfeed for almost 14 months) so I know how frustrating and painful they can be but just know you WILL get it out! It took me almost 3 days to get my first one out and about two hours to get the last one out. I’ve become a pro at eliminating these things!  

What does a clogged duct feel like?

We all know that full, uncomfortable feeling when you need to express your breast milk, right? Your breasts feel hard and SO full! Normally, after you feed or pump that feeling goes away and the tissue becomes soft since you emptied them. When you have a plugged duct, there is a spot (sometimes a wedge-like shape) where that hard and full feeling just doesn’t go away. It can be painful, tender to the touch, and usually only affects one breast. This can happen gradually so you may not notice at first. To determine whether it’s just a plugged duct or if it’s mastitis (a more serious condition that can be caused by a plugged duct), refer to KELLYMOM. This is my go to resource for anything breastfeeding related! If you aren’t sure or feel like you have symptoms of mastitis, please give your doctor a call as soon as possible.

I didn’t notice when I got a clogged duct for the first time until I started feeling symptoms of mastitis, a slight temperature and flu-like body aches. We were taking a walk one evening and I all of the sudden felt achy, weak, and SO out of it. It came out of nowhere and I thought for sure I was coming down with something until I noticed the hard lump in my breast the next day and put two and two together. I immediately went to my doctor to see what was going on and she confirmed it was a clogged duct that would turn into full blown mastitis unless I got it out ASAP. So I was on a mission to get this thing out no matter what!

Will a clogged duct resolve on its own?

In my experience, no it will not. You need to unblock it as quickly as possible! I list some at home remedies below you can start doing right now to help release it.

What is the the fastest way to get rid of a clogged duct?

 

Heat

A hot shower and a heating pad are your best friends! Apply heat before each feeding or pump session to help loosen up the clogged duct. Take a very hot shower and massage the plugged area toward your nipple to try and release it. Apply a good amount of pressure, I found using my knuckles and really digging in helped speed up the process. It’s not fun but it works!  

Massage & Vibration

Just like I mentioned above, massage the affected area in the shower and out of the shower (basically non-stop). Apply heat, massage, and then nurse. When I got tired, I asked my husband for help! Not the most romantic thing but hey you gotta do what you gotta do, right? I also used a hand held massager with vibration and placed that right on the affected area after I applied heat which helped. I can’t remember where but in my research I read how vibration can help break up the clogged duct so I gave it a try.

Frequent Pumping

I pumped the affected side right after every feeding to make sure I fully emptied the breast. I put it on the highest setting for about 5-10 minutes.  

Dangle Feed

Yes, it’s a little awkward but I was given this advice by multiple people so I tried it! The idea is to hover over your baby and nurse to let gravity help unblock the duct. I laid my baby on the bed, got on all 4’s, and tried my best to feed him. Anything to help! KellyMom has some pictures on this page showing the position in more detail.

Nurse on the affected side first

When you first start feeding, your baby is hungry and uses the most force to nurse so you will want to start on the affected side first in hopes he or she can unblock it. Of course, don’t ignore your other breast or let it get too full, make sure you are emptying that as well. I was always afraid I would develop a clogged duct on the other side if I didn’t empty it completely!

Nurse Frequently & Empty Completely

For most of my clogged ducts, my baby was already feeding every 2-3 hours so I didn’t have a problem feeding frequently but if you are used to going longer in between feedings, consider either pumping in between or feeding more often if your baby allows. I did get a clogged duct while I was trying to wean which was difficult because I didn’t want to nurse as often to let my supply to go down. Instead, I pumped and hand expressed in the shower in between feedings to get it out.

Rest

Your body is doing a lot of work trying to get rid of the clogged duct and avoid mastitis so give yourself a break Mama! Make sure you get as much rest as possible and you are eating nutritious food to help your immune system.

For other ideas and more detail, check out this KELLYMOM page.

How long does it take for a clogged duct to go away?

It’s different for everyone. In the beginning, it took me almost 3 days to get my first one out and it was so incredibly frustrating! Once I was able to better understand what was happening and figure out the techniques that worked best for me, I got my time down to two hours. I made it my MAIN focus and even though it wasn’t pleasant and at times painful, I kept doing all the at home remedies until it released.

How do you help prevent a clogged duct?

It’s hard to tell what causes it but here are some things you can do to try and prevent it from recurring.

Avoid Engorgement

It happens to all of us, we may not be able to stay on the same schedule day in and day out but try not to let this happen too often and make sure you aren’t frequently skipping feedings.

Alter the side you start on at each feeding

In the hospital, the nurses continually reminded me to switch the starting breast at each feeding to keep things even and make sure both breasts were emptied properly. When you are a new mom, remembering details like this is next to impossible (at least it was for me) so I kept an ongoing note in my phone to refer to for each feeding. There are a few apps you can use too if you prefer that.

Wear the Right Bra

Make sure it’s not too tight or constricting. I’m extremely picky when it comes to bras and it took me a lot of returns to find one I liked. Finally, I found this Motherhood Maternity Nursing bra and fell in love, they are SUPER comfortable and fit perfectly.

Concluding Thoughts  

Breastfeeding came with SO many ups and downs for me (you can read my experience in this blog post) and unfortunately, clogged ducts was one of them. My hope is to help you get rid of your clogged duct ASAP by sharing my experience and knowledge with you. Just remember, use heat, massage, vibration, and frequent nursing/pumping to help release the milk. Of course, this advice is all based on my experience and does not substitute for doctor’s advice so please consult with your doctor to determine the best way to heal.

*As per FTC Regulations,I would like to let you know that I do have an affiliate link in this blog post. The links provide me with a small percentage of commission but do not cost you anything extra. 🙂