Just a quick blog this morning but something I think will be relevant to many of you. Blocked ducts, certainly not something we want to encourage, but will all this hot weather, you may not actually have much of a choice.
Blocked ducts develop slowly over a period of days but this can be brought on a lot quicker in certain conditions, especially in the heat that we are currently experiencing.
Who is likely to develop blocked ducts?
- Moms who are suffering sore nipples – If your nipples are sore, your baby is not positioned well and will not be draining the breast properly.
- Moms who are using lanolin oitments as a prophylactic treatment when not needed – only use on nipples that are cracked and bleeding. Using these ointmens will promote cell growth over the pore if used incorrectly which will in time lead to blocked ducts and possibly mastitis.
- Moms who have too much milk – Your baby may be doing a good job, but if you are producing more than he or she needs, your breasts will not be empty at the end of a feed.
- Moms who are not drinking enough water – Remember that you need to drink enough water to hydrate both yourself and your baby. If you are not well hydrated, you milk will become more sticky, leading to blockages more quickly.
- Moms who are expressing too frequently to ‘resolve’ other problems – the more you express the more you will produce. Don’t express to soften the breast before baby feeds, this will only make things worse. If you are expressing after feeds to get rid of a lump, make sure that you are doing all of the above first and then call me and I will show you how to decrease your supply safely.
If you are in a jam, grab a Mastitis Guide and follow the care plan in that so that your symptoms don’t progress into anything nasty.
Call me if you have any questions.
Much love,
Geraldine
I appreciate you for posting such a creative website. this blog is not only useful but also very inventive too. There are a limited number of professionals who can write technical stuff that creatively. Keep posting !!