Clogged Milk Duct Popping & How To Drain Clogged Milk Ducts

Last Updated on March 28, 2023 by Jada Glover

Breastfeeding moms may experience clogged milk ducts (sometimes called plugged milk ducts) or milk blebs while breastfeeding their baby. Clogged milk ducts can be cause breast soreness and inflammation. Milk blebs can cause pain on the nipple area, causing feedings to hurt.

In this post I’ll share what to do if you get a clogged milk duct, including whether popping it is okay. Plus, you will learn how to drain clogged milk ducts.

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Is Clogged Milk Duct Popping Safe?

Plugged or clogged milk duct popping is not ideal as it could cause more inflammation in the breast. Gentle hand expression and manipulation can be effective if done correctly.

So, let’s discuss other safe and effective methods to remove a clogged or plugged milk duct or bleb.

Do Clogged Milk Ducts Cause Milk Blebs?

Yes, since a milk bleb is technically a clogged milk duct that has made its way to the surface, or near the surface of your nipple. Sometimes the skin can grow over a bleb, which will require medical care to lance the bleb and remove the milk that has accumulated.

Is Clogged Milk Duct Popping The Same As Popping a Milk Bleb?

Not exactly, but a nipple bleb is technically a clogged milk duct. A nipple bleb is a duct blocked near the nipple pore opening that has accumulated milk solids visible on the nipple itself.

Although it may seem tempting, since sometimes it looks like a pimple on the surface, do not try to scrape the top of the nipple bleb as this will cause more trauma to the area. You can take choline (preferred) or sunflower lecithin to help emulsify your milk and reduce inflammation.

You can also try a topical steroid cream to help reduce inflammation on the nipple surface, according to the Academy of Breastfeeding Protocol. But be sure to wipe it off with a tissue prior to feeding your baby.

Clogged Milk Duct Symptoms

Symptoms of clogged milk ducts include the following.

• Hard painful area of the breast – swollen with milk because of temporary poor milk drainage, but no other bodily symptoms like fever or chills (which could indicate mastitis, which has different treatment protocols).
• The skin over the hard painful area should not be reddened – this could indicate mastitis if it is.
• The plug or clog should move toward the nipple with each feeding – it should disappear within 24 to 48 hours.
• Tenderness in the area of the lump – this may be reported for several days after the lump has moved.
• The lump may come out as stringy milk or a hardened blob of milk – the milk is still safe for the baby to drink. When the dried milk solids form in the nipple, this is known as a milk bleb.

Nipple bleb symptoms may present a little different. If you are having nipple pain while your baby is latched on and actively nursing as well as between feedings, this may be a nipple bleb. The pain usually is also felt when anything touches the breast, such as your shirt, and can be felt from the nipple tip toward your back.

What To Do Instead of Popping a Clogged Milk Duct (How To Drain a Clogged Milk Duct)

If you’re experiencing a clogged milk duct, be sure not to pop it, and try these tips instead.

1 – Breastfeed In a Different Position

If one position is causing more pain than another due to excess pressure for example, start on the side with the plug to maximize flow when the baby’s sucking is the most efficient. Changing positions may help move the plug, especially if your baby’s chin is pointing a different direction at the breast.

2 – Soak Breast in Warm Water

You can do this prior to nursing or hand expression to help “loosen” the bleb or plugged milk duct. You can also get in a warm shower (as warm as you can handle it) and hand express to try to loosen and move the milk along.

3 – Gentle Hand Expression

Gentle hand expression will help try to expel the bleb or retained milk. Be careful to not cause more pain to yourself here. This is not the same as popping it.

If you notice that skin has grown over the bleb, causing the bleb not to move out of the nipple, lancing the bleb followed by expression of the accumulated milk may be the only way to solve the problem. The milk behind the bleb is usually thick.

4 – Take Choline or Sunflower Lecithin Orally Daily

Choline is a lactation critical nutrient known to help increase milk flow as it relates to mastitis and plugged ducts. Some moms have success when increasing this in their diets, especially if they are prone to milk blebs or clogged milk ducts. Sunflower lecithin is an alternative as well.

5 – Add a Probiotic To Your Daily Regimen

A probiotic can help strengthen your gut microbiome and thus, your immune system to help fight off any potential bacterial overgrowth scenarios. Eating well and taking care of your body with the best nutrition while breastfeeding can also help your body.

Can Popping a Clogged Milk Duct Cause Mastitis?

If a clogged milk duct is inflamed and causing the breast tissue around it to become inflamed and narrowing the milk duct, it can cause infection and lead to mastitis. Milk blebs can also be formed as a result of this inflammation at the surface of the nipple.

They are often associated with mastitis and can occur if you get mastitis due to the milk ducts becoming narrow and inflamed. This causes more inflammation to creep to the surface of your nipple.

When Should I Seek Medical Care for Clogged Milk Duct Popping?

If the underlying problem that is causing the clogged milk ducts is not resolved within 24-48 hours and has not moved, you should seek out lactation or medical care for a physical exam. Additional questions, especially if you’re experiencing recurring clogged milk ducts, may be asked such as:

• Why did the bleb or clogged duct form?
• Is part of the breast draining poorly?
• Are you wearing a tight bra or bra with underwire causing excess compression?

If you notice a thin layer of skin or tissue forming over the bleb, making it impossible for the milk to come out without potentially lancing it, you will want to seek medical care. If you experience bodily symptoms like a fever or body chills you may have the onset of mastitis. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, and if it is bacterial mastitis or not, you may want to seek out medical care.

How To Prevent Clogged Milk Ducts

Ensuring that you are helping your breasts move milk along is the first way to prevent clogged milk ducts. In other words, be sure you’re following your baby’s lead by nursing at the breast or pumping often. Sometimes this is as much as 8-12 times in a 24 hour period especially if your baby is less than 6 months of age.

Also be sure you are eating a healthy diet with nutrients that promote good milk supply and flow. This includes whole foods like pasture-raised animal protein, wild-caught seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, sprouted whole grains, etc. Your diet is a part of the milk equation and can help ensure proper milk flow.

As discussed previously, clogged milk ducts can be prevented by taking choline. It has properties that are known to help with milk flow, especially as it relates to clogged ducts.

Choline is also really important for your baby’s development and an important nutrient for muscles, memory, mood, and brain function. It is commonly added to lecithin supplements like sunflower lecithin. That is why that supplement is often recommended for preventing clogged milk ducts.

Keep in mind that sunflower lecithin may disrupt the microbiome and cause GI inflammation. That means there are better ways to get choline like through food or direct supplementation.

The recommended daily amount is 550 mg/day while breastfeeding. You can check your postnatal vitamin, but it probably doesn’t have enough.

You can also get choline from organic dairy, egg yolks, dark leafy greens, organ meats, chicken, and fish. If choline is not available, you can try sunflower lecithin orally to reduce inflammation and help emulsify milk.

Another way to prevent (and even treat) clogged milk ducts is to use an herbal salve made by Earthley. Milk Flowin’ salve is an all-natural, herbal salve created to help relieve clogged milk ducts.

This salve helps keep lymphatic fluids and milk moving to work out any existing clogs and prevent future ones. The best part is, since it’s edible and safe for your baby, there’s no need to wipe it off before nursing.

Be extremely careful when treating clogged milk ducts and be sure to prevent popping milk blebs.

There is a fine line between a clogged milk duct and what could be mastitis so be sure you are taking care of yourself, watching for other bodily symptoms that could be mastitis, and seeking out medical care when you need it. Avoid popping milk blebs and try to gently massage any clogged milk ducts so they move along on their own.