I have tried hot baths, heating pad, rolling a ball to massage. I am onto cabbage leaves and will head out tomorrow for the sage tea I have read about.
They are pretty tough and I keep getting them while trying to wind down and wean.
Any other remedies? Thx.

reduce your milk supply.

I did a quick google on anti galactagogue: here's a quote from this site:http://www.iaac.ca/content/breastfeeding-adopted-child-0

Avoid the following anti-galactagogues, as they will decrease your milk supply if taken in large quantities:

Antihistamines
Decongestants
High-estrogen contraceptives (basically estrogen will decrease milk supply)
Parsley
Herb Robert
Lemon Balm
Oregano
Peppermint
Periwinkle Herb
Sage
Sorrell
Spearmint
~~~~~~~~~~~~~


For a blocked duct, try to orient baby's chin on the spot (if you can nurse lying down, you can get creative about positioning the babe or try different holds like the foot ball hold--I don't know where your soreness is.
BUT do watch it very closely, as soon as you start feeling sick, it's become infected and it's now mastitis and unless you can have baby nurse and drain the breast really well, you'll need antibiotics, don't go longer than a day in this state.

OK, if it's still at the blocked duct stage, have your baby nurse on that side first and as baby nurses on that side, massage that spot. If baby wants to nurse on the other side, that is fine but do switch back to the sore breast as a last effort to drain it more.

If it does develop into mastitis, remember that the infection is not inside the milk duct but around it so it's very safe fr baby to nurse on that side and in fact, very necessary for you since emptying that side as best as you can will help.

BTW cabbage leaves only relieves engorgement.

as far as I know, blocked duct treatment is: empty breast as much as you can while massaging the spot, orient baby's chin on that spot (so, if blocked duct is on side near your arm, the foot ball hold would be best--the chin side tends to get emptied/has strongest suck--i read that somewhere when I had blocked duct problems and the other advice I got was to go bra-less, that sometimes it's the pressure causing the problem)

If you do pump (god how I hated to pump), be sure to also massage the spot as that side gets pumped. The massaging is to encourage emptying as much as possible.


The good news is that the blood flow to your chest during the nursing months is really great so healing happens quickly. (you'll see this if you have latch problems and are using lanolin ointment)

Don't feel badly if you do develop mastitis, it's very common and often unavoidable.
I still remember the flush of the fever-like feeling I got when the blocked duct I had got worse--and this was some 9 years ago, it was that memorable and dramatic. I also felt let down by my body, once again, because nursing was so darn hard and there it goes throwing me another thing to deal with; it wasn't enough to have supply issues, latch issues AND a baby who needed to nurse around the freakin' clock, every 1-2 hrs. Oh those awesome yet overwhelming first 3 months!

keep us posted and sorry you are dealing with this.
hug
Julie

really, the most effective treatment is to empty the breast more by either bfing or pumping. And the massaging while doing those things helps. Please do watch for mastitis. Nasty, nasty and painful. I've known people who needed to be hospitalized for it.

Hugs and GL!!

Meg

And it is hard to find info on just that. I am really trying not to keep the production up, but need to empty them to keep the ducts from getting plugged.
I have a trip coming up and while I plan to bring a small pump 'just in case', I really want to wind this down.

and place it over the spot. I know you've tried hot baths, but this never gave me enough pressure on the clogs to loosen them. A LC told me to fill a diaper with hot water, and as soon as it is cool enough to touch, lie down and put the diaper over your whole breast, centered on the clog before you nurse or pump.

I agree with Laura. I had mastitis 3 times with my last baby. I think mostly due to doing too much and not resting. I also used the diapers and I think the moist heat really helped. I would do this before and after nursing. Also took lecithen as suggested by my lactation consultant. After taking that, I didn't get mastitis again.

me:43, DH 44
FSH 26
DS: born by c-sec Apr15'03, 9lbs5oz 41wks gest. (after 4 years of ttc, starting in 1998)
DD born by c-sec Oct 13 2007, 8lbs13oz 39wk gest. (after just under 3 years of ttc)
~~DS was conceived naturally the cycle following a cancelled DE IVF, using my good friend's eggs. She was on the verge of hyperstimming.
~~DD's nat conception I attribute to using OPKs like a crazy nut, eating grapefruit daily and using preseed. also 5 cycles of TCM ending 2 cycles before that lucky cycle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll try this next!

make sure you're staying hydrated. I always got more clogs whenever I was dehydrated.

I really try to drink as much water as I possibly can, but it never seems to be enough. I'll get onto this.