Blocked ducts - are my problems linked to weaning?

[HappyCatandIzzy]

I've been breastfeeding now for 6 months and have had a few problems with blocked ducts but they've not been regular. It has just got a lot worse now that DD is sleeping through the night and is starting solids. I wake up in pain with too much milk as my breasts don't seem to have realised she isn't waking up for food anymore. I'm now getting one blocked duct a week, not in the same place or in the same breast every time though. Can anyone tell me a way of preventing this, or any way of easing the pain when it happens? Or can anyone reassure me that this won't get worse as I increase solids and decrease milk feeds?

[moominsmummy]

only advice is to change position when bf - straight latch, rugby ball hold etc
also make sure you are not holding your boob at all when bf, but you can gently massage with flat of hand when feeding
hope gets better

[HappyCatandIzzy]

Thanks. I will try to check my position. I feel like after 6 months I should know what I'm doing, but the bigger DD gets the more difficult positioning her can be.

[pastalady]

I wouldn't worry. Cutting out a night feed is always a big one for your breasts to adjust too. Some babies have very big feeds at night and there's also the issue of night-time being the time when the milk-producing hormones activates. The brief period in which DS slept through the night at about 4 months had the same effect on me. Just remember it's supply and demand and it takes the body time to catch up. Your day feeds will probablly lessen much more gradually and you won't feel such a difference. No feeding over an entire 8 hour period of night-time, in which your milk-production is at it's peak, is going to be far different to gradually reducing your milk at feeds as she takes more solids at intervals throughout the day. Most babies also have their fussy, non-eaty days too and still take a large amount of milk.

You can also put savoy cabbage leaves in your bra to sooth them at night (keep in fridge to make them even more cooling) and reduce your milk production, but be careful not to leave them in for that long though as they have been reported to have the power to drastically reduce milk production. Google it first and read up on it. I used them to help with engorgement and an over-abundant supply and they seemed to make a real difference and were very soothing.

Hot baths with lots of breast massaging and some hand expressing helps too.I'd guess, when your body has adjusted to no more night feeds, that will hopefully be the worse over.

[Carpo]

Just wanted to add some more reassurance: in my experience (having had dreadful trouble with blocked ducts in the first few months) it just got better as DS's reliance on me as his only food source was reduced. Once the breasts get used to the reduced demand they seem to 'level out', as it were. DS is now 15mths and I haven't had a sore boob since he was about 6 or 7mths I don't think.

Hope it's the same for you!