How to resolve blocked milk ducts after weaning
Our 1-year-old has been weaned off breast milk for a little over a week now, which was completely her doing. My wife has been dealing with the engorgement since then, which she says has subsided. However she noticed a hard lump in her breast. We think it's a blocked milk duct and not mastitis. From reading about mastitis, she thinks it should be much more painful, and she isn't presenting with a fever or chills or anything like that.
Most of the treatment for blocked ducts or mastitis involves making sure you continue to breastfeed in order to drain. Of course, our problem is our daughter is weaned. My wife doesn't want to express her milk, as this will set her back as far as stopping milk production... we think.
What we should do? If it is just a blocked duct, will it simply clear on its own?
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Try massaging the lump with a vibrator or electric toothbrush. As you do, work it towards the nipple and express or even pump some milk to help get the clog out. Hot showers or compresses can help, too. It’s worth extending her milk production a little to avoid an infection.
Try a warm compress on the knot for a few days, several times a day. She can also try to GENTLY massage the knot towards the nipple; if it's a blocked duct, the warm compress should loosen it up, and then she can massage it out of the nipple.
If she presents with a fever or pain, or anything that seems like it could be an infection, make sure she heads to the doctor post-haste. Mastitis is SUCH a pain.
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