Reddit Thread Reveals the NSFW Way Moms Are Clearing Their Clogged Milk Ducts
Welcome to parenting—a place where everyone has an opinion on, well, just about anything. It starts early, too, with much of that unsolicited advice centered on how you choose to feed your baby. Though breastfeeding is often hailed as the best option (formula is great, too!), the process of feeding your baby with your body can do a number on you.
Clogged ducts and mastitis, a painful breast infection that may include side effects like body aches and a fever, are two common problems lactating people experience.
Clogs can lead to mastitis and also hurt, so clearing them ASAP is crucial. One Redditor enlists her husband's help in unclogging her ducts, and she's wondering why it's such a taboo topic. She went on the breastfeeding subreddit to vent.
"What is with all the negativity for having your husband clear milk ducts?" wrote u/sinontherocks, noting that she has her husband suck her clogged milk out. "It saves you from mastitis, a hospital bill, going to the doctor, and a round of antibiotics."
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The original poster (OP) went on to compare it to sexual activities other people engage in, wondering, "What's the difference?"
"I just don't understand what the shame is about," she continued. "When I get a clogged duct, I scream for my husband. I'm not fooling with hours and hours of boob torture and devices if I have help. Though it will help to loosen it up a bit. And you can even make it sexy and get it on after. /end rant."
The post has gotten more than 100 comments in less than a day, and other Redditors are also very over the shaming.
"I don't get it either… Just do what works for you. My husband would do it if I asked, but I've never asked because if the boobie monster can't unstick that clog, I doubt the non-professional will get it out," a top commenter wrote.
And another said having her husband help her was game-changing for her breastfeeding journey. But she did have a particularly uncomfortable moment once—and not from the clog, or from her husband's assistance.
"If it weren't for my husband helping me with my clogged ducts, I don't know how many times I would have had mastitis," she said. "One time though, when he was helping me, my mother-in-law walked in—hard to explain."
Yeah, that's just a tad awkward.
Others didn't come to judge, but they also weren't personally fans of having their husbands assist them. They offered some other methods for getting out clogs.
"I had a clogged duct, and I saw how much a 'breast massager' cost. Quickly dawned on the idea of my vibrator. 10/10," wrote one commenter.
"I find the best way to clear my ducts is either in a shower or using hot compresses and intense targeting squeezing at the base of the impacted duct," shared another.
Hey, whatever works. Clogs are rough. Here are a few expert-backed ways to treat (and prevent) them, as well as mastitis:
Empty out. Make sure to drain the breast completely when feeding. If you feel a clog forming or already have one, massage the affected area as the baby nurses or you pump.
Make some menu changes. Try to reduce sodium and saturated fat in your diet if you have reoccurring clogs, La Leche League suggests.
Supplement. Taking a 1,200mg capsule of sunflower lecithin four times per day might possibly prevent chronic clogs, according to the Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation.
