Blocked milk rays: Causes, symptoms and treatment

Many mothers who breastfeed their babies get blocked in the milk rays, but do not know how to promptly handle abscesses, mastitis affects health and living conditions. 

Intrusion is where breast milk is trapped inside the breast ducts. This phenomenon can make it difficult and painful to breastfeed as well as pump milk for storage.

If not resolved quickly, jet blocking can lead to larger problems, such as mastitis or stopping lactation altogether, leading to infection.

Cause blocking milk rays

There are many causes of blockages in lactating women, such as:

New birth:  After giving birth, some people experience clogged milk. Milk already has a lot in the breast but still cannot flow out to breastfeed. The buildup of milk results in tight breasts and can cause a mild fever.

Excess breastmilk: Most of the time, the cause of blockage is due to excess breast milk in the breast due to the baby not fully feeding or you do not suck the excess milk after the baby is full, leading to remaining milk, causing a blockage.

Breasts are under pressure: Wearing a bra that is too tight, a tight top, or carrying your baby in front of your chest can also cause the rays to become clogged. In addition, sleeping on your stomach and exercising can cause a similar situation.

Less pumping out: If you pump out less or not all the milk, you may experience clogged milk. The weak suction power of the machine that cannot suck all the milk out can also cause you to block the milk jet.

The baby is not latched correctly:  When a baby is not latched properly, he or she will not be able to drink enough breast milk produced. Therefore, the remaining milk in the breast is the cause of the blocked milk jet.

The mother does not breastfeed regularly: Due to a certain reason, you do not breastfeed regularly or pump out all the milk in about 5 hours to 1 day. This can also lead to a blocked jet of milk.

Stress:  Mood can affect the daily activities of the body. Milk production is not out of that either. Stress slows production of the hormone oxytocin ¹ , which helps your breasts release milk. So let yourself relax. If your baby is asleep, take a nap as well. When you are too tired, ask your loved one to look after the baby so you can go outside to breathe fresh air and regain your spirits.

Signs of blockage of milk

Whether you are in the early stages of breastfeeding or have been breastfeeding for a while, a blocked jet can happen at any time. You may notice stiffness and discomfort in some areas of the breast. In addition, blockages also have symptoms such as:

Mild chest pain or pressure

Small raised nodules on the chest

Red, swollen chest

Some areas of the chest feel unusually warm to the touch.

How to cure clogged milk at home

With a blocked jet of milk, the first thing most mothers do is stop breastfeeding to prevent pain. However, this is completely wrong. The most effective way to cure the blockage is to maintain breastfeeding. Breastfeeding your baby often will help reduce this a lot, or you can also use a breast pump to clear blocked jets.

You are breast-feeding but begin to feel tightness, discomfort in the chest area, gently massage your breasts while your baby is suckling or pumping breastmilk. In addition, experts also encourage you to rest a lot, add more water to make the milk more regular.

Besides, you can also apply the following measures:

Breastfeeding on the chest is painful first:  If the breasts are not too painful, you should breastfeed your baby on the blocked breast first because this time the baby will suck with the strongest force to suck breast milk, thereby helping to clear the breast. clogged milk jets.

Applying a warm compress  around your breasts can help the milk flow more evenly.

Change positions:  If you regularly hold your baby while feeding your baby, you can switch to holding the ball or lying down. This will help the milk in the rays be sucked out.

Massage:  Experts recommend massaging the sore chest regularly and regularly. Start with the udder pointing into the nipple. Applying a warm compress before breastfeeding can help unclog the milk jets, help relieve pain and swelling.

Diet: Keep drinking plenty of water , and added foods have the ability to enhance resistance.

Rest:  While it can be difficult to take a break from taking care of your baby all day, it is very important. When your baby sleeps, try to take a nap with your baby. In addition, to save energy, you can keep frequently used items near you, such as diapers, toys, bottles ... If possible, ask a relative to look after your baby to rest. .

If you have applied the above methods but it is not effective, you can refer to the breast drain blocking service of a reputable company. With advanced machinery and equipment and scientific treatment process, you will clear the breast milk quickly and effectively.

Preventive measures for mothers

To prevent a blockage of the milk jet, you can follow the tips below:

Breastfeed regularly or use a vacuum to pump out all the milk , not to leave any remaining milk in the breast after each feed.

Use comfortable, loose bra or clothing

Drink a lot of water

Get enough rest, if you can, do some meditation or exercise

Try to keep the spirit happiest and most optimistic.

Experience of curing milk rays in folk

In this situation, consider taking folk remedies or eating the following foods to improve the situation:

1. How to cure clogged milk with clover leaf

Using polyscias fruticosa leaves to help block the flow of milk is a folk trick used by many mothers. You can apply the following remedies:

Putting polyscias fruticosa leaves:  You take about 100g of fresh clover leaves with 50g of fish lettuce leaves, wash them, drain them into a mortar to crush, apply on chest. This topical medicine will help you feel comfortable, and your breasts are less sore.

Drink water with clover leaves:  Use about 150g fresh clover leaves, wash, drain, put in a kettle and cook with about 250ml of water, boil for 7 minutes, get water, drink. Pour about 250ml of water into the kettle, cook as before to get the second water to drink. You should not only drink water polyscias fruticosa leaves, should drink alternately with water. Drink in about 3 days, the blockage of milk will improve.

Pork spring porridge cooked with clove leaves:  Pork trotters stewed with papaya or pumpkin or peanuts, black beans or stewed with lentil leaves ... for a long time, many people have heard each other as beneficial food . How to cook pork spring porridge:

Fresh clover leaves about 150g or 30g dried clover leaves, wash, boil for about 15 minutes, take water, remove the leaves.

Legs, shave clean, pour boiling water, chop to taste, put in a pot with about 150 washed rice, water cooked into porridge. Porridge cooked, the legs are soft, you season to taste it to your mouth. Eating this porridge for 2-3 days will help to clear the milk rays.

Lettuce leaf soup with pork ribs or meatballs:  If you do not like to eat spring roll porridge with clover leaves, you can use clove leaf soup to cook with lean ground meat or young ribs. In addition to improving health, this soup also helps eliminate toxins. Processing:

Ground meat marinated with crushed purple onions, minced with a little fish sauce, seasoning seeds. Non-fragrant onion, add water to boil, wash each meat ball into. Meatballs are cooked evenly on the surface of the water, remove fresh clover leaves, wash them, soak them in dilute salt water, drain, cut into pieces. The leaves are ripe, seasoning to taste, turn off the heat.

If using young ribs, you chop the ribs into pieces, wash them, pour boiling water, put them in the pot to cook until soft. Ripe ribs, put clover leaves in, boiling soup season to taste to taste, turn off the heat.

Boiled clove leaves:  In addition to filling, cooking porridge, and soup, you can boil clover leaves and eat like a boiled vegetable when the postpartum milk is blocked.

2. Use cabbage leaves

This is a trick that many people use as a warm compress and gives a positive effect.

How to do: You take 3 cabbage leaves, wash them, cut off the hard stalks, soak in dilute salt water for 2-3 minutes, scoop out and drain. Drain cabbage leaves in boiling water, take out to reduce heat, use the leaves to apply on sore breasts. Cabbage leaves cool, replace with other leaves.

3. Cure the clogged milk with sticky rice and yeast

Busy uses 2 cups of hot sticky sticky rice mixed with 2 pureed yeast tablets. Wrapping the mixture in a thin, soft towel and covering the breast that is clogged with milk and then gently rubbing is also very effective.

4. How to cure clogged milk with jackfruit leaves

Jackfruit is a very popular fruit tree in the countryside. Mothers living in rural areas can use jackfruit leaves to clear the block of milk if they encounter this condition. Here's how to do it:

You pick 1 handful of jackfruit leaves (half young, half old), washed, dried, dried. Heat jackfruit leaves over the heat to place on the blocked breast area, then gently rub clockwise from the inside out towards the nipple. Cool leaves are replaced with other leaves. When the milk is flowing, feed the baby immediately. Doing this for 2-3 days in a row will help unclog the flow of milk.

5. How to cure clogged milk with dandelion leaves

Use 1 small handful of dried dandelion leaves (about 10g), rinse, put in a kettle to boil with 500ml of water to drink to help clear the milk. If fresh leaves are available, use about 50g each. You wash the dandelion leaves, soak it in dilute salt water, drain it, put it in a blender with 250ml of pureed filtered water, filter for drinking water, the residue used to cover the sore breast. Every day should only drink 2 times, about 3 days.

Alternatively, you can use dried or fresh dandelion leaves to cook porridge with non-glutinous rice. Eat this porridge twice a day.

You can find dried dandelion leaves in drugstores as finished tea products.

After you have applied the above methods but have not worked well, go to the hospital for medical assistance. Blockage can be a sign of mastitis and should be treated with antibiotics if an infection is present.