I too suffered from recurrent plugged ducts.   In my case I have very nodular
("lumpy") breasts.  My theory is, perhaps in the early months of breastfeeding,
when the milk ducts are most enlarged, the nodules press in along the milk
ducts.  When enough of the milk fats coagulate, they become blocked in areas
where the nodules press in, causing a blockage.  Through dedicated, nightly
massage and hand expression in the bath/shower, I could usually unblock things.
Sometimes it would be stringy, coagulated milk fats, sometimes, hardened milk
crystals, which sometimes got stuck in the nipple pores.  Sometimes it was very
painful to dislodge.  I did not find lecithin helped me.  Time helped.  The
second 6 months, things improved.  The first 3 months were the worst.  After a
severe bout of mastitis when my first baby was 3 weeks old, I learned how to
keep the problem manageable.  Sometimes, I would be on the verge of mastitis,
felt the symptoms coming on, I would massage and express until the blockage was
released and the symptoms immediately subsided.  I've had this with all three
babies, and each was a different kind of feeder.  It improved with time,
because, over the long haul, the breast does seem to decrease in size, as do the
ducts.

So I think, Dayna, you may be on to something when you mentioned enlarged ducts,
if breast lumps press in and can cause a blockage.

By the way, when the breast was clogged or on the verge of mastitis, the milk I
expressed looked, yellow or green.  I would express until the milk flowed white
again.  Once I photographed a sink full of clogs, so people would believe how
bad my problem was.

Eileen Martell, LLL Leader, London