Mother is having chronic, painful, blocked duct or mastitis in right
>breast on the outside area.  From about the time the baby is a week (he
>is now 11 weeks old).


After a suggestion on Lactnet, I recommended a mother go to a massage
therapist who is trained in lymphatic massage.  There was a softening of the
lump and she was pain-free for 48 hours.  She returned for a second
treatment and full drainage was the result.  She was truly amazed.

One thing a person who has lymphatic massage needs to know is that "gunk"
(medical term) is released and she needs to drink a lot of water, and she
may feel "off" for half a day.  I recommend an epsom salt bath to hasten the
clearing, being sure to submerge the affected breast.

I have also had good luck with stubborn plugs with submerging the breast
before feeding in a bowl of warm epsom salts water until the water cools.
(Quickly rinse the salt off before feeding or pumping.) In a large bowl of
water she disolves 2 Tablespoons of epsom salts and in the bath 1 1/2 cups.
We're not making a "normal saline solution" here.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee
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