How does epsom salt help clogged milk ducts

I will always remember the day that I thought I had Corona Virus, but it turned out to be a plugged milk duct, hahaha. Last Saturday, I had a horrible migraine, and I rarely get headaches! That night I began feeling achy, and then a low-grade fever of 100.7 came on. By Sunday morning, I assumed it was COVID-19. Can you blame me? We are living in a time where you assume any sickness is Covid! I texted my chiropractor and friend and told her my symptoms of headache, aches, and fever. Nicole told me it sounded similar to symptoms of a clogged duct or mastitis. I never had this with Temple and had no idea you could run a few and feel like you have a cold with a clogged duct. She advised me to press around my breast for tenderness or a nodule. Of course, I noticed a large knot with a little tenderness on my right breast. Before this, I thought it was just engorged, but after these symptoms, I realized I had a clogged duct. That’s when I began googling all the things to do for a plugged duct + I asked all of you on Instagram, and you sent me some fantastic tips to try to release the clog.

I think my clogged duct was due to how well Bobbie has been sleeping at night. She has been sleeping at night for 5-6 hours before her first feeding around 3am, and I was not waking to pump or dream feed her at any time during this stretch. Mama wanted to sleep, but I guess my breast was getting a bit too full. The long sleep stretch likely caused the clog in my right boob. I am so lucky I was abtle to get it cleared within 24 hours, and it didn’t get worse bc I did not want to get on antibiotics! Anyway, I hope some of these remedies below help you!

Disclaimer* I am not a doctor, and these are only the tips that I found work for me. Always do your research and talk with your health provider. If you feel it may be Mastisis, then I recommend calling your doctor ASAP to figure out the best plan for you!

What I Did

• nurse, nurse, nurse- the best thing you can do is let baby nurse a ton to help release the clog. Aim for every two hours and make sure the baby empties the breast as much as possible. Also, massage the clog as baby nurses.
• Soak in a bath with Epsom salt added. Make sure your breast is fully covered in the water. I added two cups of Epsom salt to my bath.
• Drink tons of water and rest!
• Don’t wear restricting clothing- you want to let those boobies breathe!
• Dangle Feeding – gravity helps pull the plugged duct loose. This feels silly but worked for me! You are breastfeeding while leaning over baby.
• Haakaa/Epsom Salt- add a small scoop of Epsom salt to your haakaa then fill it up with warm water. Suction to breast and let sit for about 10 minutes. This should help pull the clog to surface. Sometimes you can see it coming out. I felt like this helped a ton!
• Sunflower Lecithin- I ordered this asap when i noticed my clogged duct. This is the #1 recommendation I received. Use code: MADA15 for 15% off!
• Heat, Massage, Pump- this was so so helpful! I would put my back heater on my breast for about 10 minutes and then massage the duct and pump with my manual pump.
• Comb- use a fine-tooth comb to rake from the clogged duct toward the nipple. This doesn’t feel good but can help break it up. I did this in the shower under hot water.
• Phytolacca Decandra homeopathic 30c- I took five pellets under tongue every 4 hours till clog was gone or your pain subsides. As always, check with your doctor and do your research!
• Pump/manual pump- After nursing, i would use my manual pump as often as I could to try and release the clog. I found that my manual pump worked best for a clogged duct.
• Massage breast in the shower under the hot water- you can hand express while doing this.

Other Tips

I didn’t personally use these other tips but will try them if need be in the future!

• Lavender essential oil massage with coconut oil- I was told by a few of you that lavender EO is helpful to relieve pain and tenderness.
• Hand pump in the shower while leaning over for gravity
• Electric Toothbrush- many of you found that using the back of an electric toothbrush on the clogged area helped to break up the clogged duct.
• Wish Garden Happy Ducts- I’ve heard this is another wonderful supplement.
• Increase vitamin C
• Cabbage leaves- it is said to help relieve engorgement and mastitis. Just be careful bc it can reduce your milk supply. Here’s an article with all the details on using cabbage.
• Lavie Massage Roller- a few of you mentioned this massage tool is excellent for a clogged duct.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that I receive a percentage of commission if any products are purchased through them. As always, these are brands and products I use and believe in. I am always grateful when you purchase through my links. Thank you for supporting me!

XOXO, MADA

Top 17 how does epsom salt help clogged milk ducts