Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Please Help!!

Almost every morning when I wake up...after sleeping 5 or 6 hours my breasts hurt like I have plugged ducts. It is often very difficult to empty them in the morning and once time stringy milk came out. It's painful to pump too when it is like this. Is there something I can do to prevent this? I've heard lecithin can help. Is this true? I don't want to have to pump as often at night as I do during the day? But should I? Maybe I'm not drinking enough?

Lecithin may help (it does help with plugged ducts)and of course staying hydrated is always good. How often are you pumping in the daytime? You may need to not go as long at night until things even out a bit.

Thanks for the quick reply. It is so painful sometimes I just want to give up. Have you experienced or heard of the stringy thing? I feel like the plugged ducts is effecting my milk supply because it won't come out or I'm in so much pain I can't relax. I was up to almost a half an oz per pumping session from both breasts...now it seems to be less. Has a person's supply ever decreased and just dried up? I'm worried as you can tell. I'm pumping every 3 hours on most days unless my supply drops and then I sometimes pump more frequently. I've noticed too that if I pump for longer than 20 mins I can get quite a bit more. Over the holidays I had a couple days where I pumped much less due to busyness and I got a plugged duct then. Guess I can't be lax about pumping regularly. I never had this problem with my bio kids even with a much larger supply. Guess it goes to show how much more efficent babies are then pumps.

Emily

That is true on the efficiency. I haven't experienced the stringy, but thicker or almost clotted. I would say get some lecithin and give it a try it sure won't hurt. With the pumping try pumping for 10 take a small break and do massage then pump for 10 more. That should help to get the milk out.

Have you tried warm compresses before pumping in the morning? You can put a couple of wet washcloths in the microwave and get them ho (not too hot!) and try and relax with them on your breasts for a few minutes, then massage a bit, before pumping.

The inflammation from plugged ducts can cause a decrease in supply. It is only temporary!

Dear Emily,

If your milk was stringy more than once, it may be time to visit your doctor. This could be thrush or a sign of infection or both or nothing. But one thing is certain, if your milk is stringy, your breasts are telling you something.

Stringy milk is often the result of a blocked duct or bleb but this is usually temporary.

The pain may be due to overnight engorgement. Are you pumping before bed and first thing when you get up? That can help. Lecithin is a great help for this sort of thing (Dr. Newman recommends 1200mg 3 or 4 times per day) and having a cracker or something else to eat as you pump in the morning helps to activate the oxytocin pathway via the gut which can help with let down.

Please keep us posted on your progress. Good luck!

Best, Lenore