Duct

I think I experience my first blocked duct yesterday.

For the first time in a long time, I woke up with one boob feeling really 'full'.

It's a timely reminder of exactly why I don't want to be pumping for The Bubby when I return to work - if she is still on day feeds, we will be transitioning them to formula feeds (I'm happy to do morning and evening feeds with her).

I fed her off that side first and then pumped afterwards - I got 100ml or so out, but it didn't feel right still.

After two more feeds, and before we headed out, I headed to the ensuite to try to manually get some more out - the pump doesn't feel as 'strong' as I would like, so figured I could take a few minutes and try to sort it out myself.

I put pressure where it was uncomfortable and had only done two or three 'expressing's when I felt/heard a 'pop!' and then watched as milk just streamed. I only had my hand on the sore spot, and it was going by itself for over a minute (I started counting the seconds because I couldn't believe what was happening!) - I could also feel the sore spot deflating.

It got to the point where I was a bit worried I'd hit something else - it didn't look milk coloured as it was coming out - who knows what I thought it could have been.

Luckily, that seemed to be it. I was a bit worried because I have a touch of the head cold that The Toddler brought home from daycare, and a headache, and I know that mastitis starts off feeling like a cold that rapidly disintegrates. But The Bubby slept from 930-730 (for the first time in a loooooooong time) and I woke up feeling no worse than I did last time.

I hope that's the closest I ever come to it.