Avoiding Clogged Ducts and Mastitis

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For those who are breastfeeding – including those who pump – clogged ducts and mastitis are often an annoying and painful part of the process. For me personally, clogged ducts were frequent when I was nursing my first son. At that time, heat and massage were recommended and I would spend days trying to work through a clog. It was always so painful, and in retrospect, I realize I was often unintentionally making the situation worse.

With my second son, clogged ducts were something that I really wanted to avoid, and I worked with Brooke Azevedo, BS, IBCLC from Brooke Knows Breast, LLC to proactively prevent and manage them. I was so pleasantly surprised by how well ice and an anti-inflammatory work together!

For this post, we asked Brooke to share some essential insights on managing clogged ducts and mastitis. She goes even deeper into these topics in our Breastfeeding 101 class, offered both in-person and on-demand.

What causes clogged ducts and mastitis?

It’s helpful to work with an IBCLC to find out why the infection/clogged duct occurred.

Some things that can cause plugged ducts/mastitis:

  • Aiming to “empty the breast” instead of feeding the infant “on demand”
  • Overuse of breast pump
  • Use of nipple shield
  • Saline soaks, castor oil, or other topical products
  • Deep massage of the lactating breast
  • Breastmilk “oversupply”

How to treat a clogged duct or mastitis

For clogs/mastitis, both can look very similar. Both can cause fever, red breast, pain/lump in breast. 

Fix it with the BAIT method: 

  • B – breast rest: no extra pumping or breastfeeding from the affected side, just continue to pump/feed as you normally would
  • A – anti-inflammatory (Advil/Motrin) around the clock
  • I – ice: apply ice to the affected breast for 5-10 minutes every hour during the day
  • T – Tylenol as needed for pain

24-48 hours of the BAIT method should show improvement if done consistently. Avoid heat and aggressive massage. This method has also been shown cure mastitis, too! It’s not just for clogs/plugged ducts.

If you are struggling with frequent clogged ducts, it can be helpful to reach out to an IBCLC. We can recommend some really great ones, including Brooke, on our Recommended Providers List.

Source: https://www.bfmed.org/assets/ABM%20Protocol%20%2336.pdf