Breastfeeding a baby comes with several challenges, and one of them is having clogged milk ducts. Breast milk flows through various ducts, thus, if a duct is blocked, there’s a possibility for your milk to be hindered, and the flow will reduce. When a duct is clogged, a small lump will appear on top of your nipple; the bump might seem red and can be painful. Though there are several ways to get rid of clogged milk, “How Do You Know When a Clogged Milk Duct Is Unclogged” is a question that normally haunts some breastfeeding mothers.
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Clogged milk ducts serve as discomfort for mothers, and it’s necessary to get rid of them as soon as possible. Here, you’ll see the causes, symptoms, and remedies of clogged milk ducts. You’ll also see how to prevent it for your comfort and easy nursing. Besides, there are some causes of clogged milk ducts that some mothers might not see as a threat. Clogged milk ducts happen when mothers indulge in these causes, and they include;
Causes of Clogged Milk Ducts
The main cause of clogged milk ducts is the failure to empty the breastmilk either one reason or the other. Some of the reasons that can cause you not to empty your breastmilk fully are
1) Inability of the baby to latch onto the breast
If your baby has latching difficulty, then it’s possible she doesn’t get to feed on breastmilk as she’s supposed to. Thus, latching difficulty in your baby can lead to clogged milk ducts.
2) Irregular feeding session
When your feeding session isn’t regular, your baby won’t get the chance to empty your milk fully. In case you’ve got a feeding schedule, missing or skipping one schedule can lead to clogged milk ducts.
3) Tight clothes
Wearing tight bras or clothes can restrict breastmilk flow, leading to some milk getting stuck in the ducts.
The above are the things that can cause you to have clogged milk ducts, so it’s best to note them and try to stay away. However, some nursing mothers don’t know when their milk ducts are clogged. Thus, here are the symptoms of clogged milk ducts.
Symptoms of Clogged Milk Ducts
1) Small lump that’s sore and painful but becomes less painful after nursing.
2) Small and a tiny dot at the opening duct of the nipple.
3) Breast milk becomes thick and grainy.
These symptoms will assure you that you truly have clogged milk ducts; then, you’ll have to do something fast. But don’t fret as you’ll find some remedies to get rid of clogged milk ducts in this article; however, you can only ask “How Do You Know When A Clogged Milk Duct Is Unclogged” when you’ve tried the remedies for some time.
There are several remedies for unclogging your milk ducts, and most of them are quite simple. Find them enumerated below.
Remedies for eliminating clogged milk ducts.
1) Look for the right position while breastfeeding.
As known that latching difficulty is one of the causes of clogged milk ducts, it’s imperative to find the right position during breastfeeding so that your baby can latch on well and drain your milk.
2) Continual nursing
Another way which you can use to get rid of clogged milk ducts is continual nursing. It’s necessary to offer your baby the affected breast so that they can feed on it to relieve the clogged milk, although it can be painful a bit.
3) Heat
You can use heat to relieve clogged milk ducts by placing a cloth in warm water and applying it to the affected breast before feeding. You can also make use of heat by taking a warm shower before feeding, be sure the water hits the affected breast to stimulate milk flow.
4) Pressure while feeding.
Applying pressure on the lump before and after nursing can eliminate clogged milk ducts.
5) Diverse breastfeeding position.
Again, breastfeeding your baby frequently can eliminate clogged milk ducts. Hence, you can try out different breastfeeding positions to feed your baby and drain your breastmilk. You can try positions like cradle, crossover and football.
6) Wear loose clothes and not-too-tight bras.
As said before, tight bras and clothes can restrict the stimulation of breast milk. Thus, it’s vital to wear loose clothes and not-too-tight bras for easy breast milk flow through the ducts. Check out the Hoffish nursing and maternity bra on Amazon. It is roomy and specifically designed for breastfeeding moms.
9) Lecithin Supplements
Lecithin supplements are perfect for making your milk less thick for easy flow. However, it’s advisable to talk to your doctor before taking the supplements. The supplements will reduce milk thickness and make it easy to pass through the ducts, thereby eliminating clogged milk ducts.
8) Schedule an appointment with your doctor if the lump gets bigger and painful.
In case you’ve tried several remedies to eliminate clogged milk ducts, and you don’t see any changes, it’s better to see your doctor. On average, clogged milk ducts run for about two days, and it can lead to mastitis, a bigger infection if care isn’t taken. Thus, the need to see your doctor after trying some remedies without results.
Conclusion
“How Do You Know When a Clogged Milk Duct Is Unclogged” haunts some nursing women, especially after trying clogged milk ducts remedies. Clogged milk ducts hinder the flow of breastmilk, and it appears as a sore and painful lump on the nipple. It is, no doubt, a discomfort to breastfeeding mothers.
Although having clogged milk ducts is a bit normal during breastfeeding, you’re bound to make harmless mistakes. Thus, this article shows some of the causes, symptoms, and remedies of clogged milk ducts. So, read it to understand everything about clogged milk ducts and their remedies.
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