I'm currently breastfeeding my third child Warren, who is now 7 months old. So I'm no stranger to blocked milk ducts. I probably have had about 1 per month every month I have breastfed. With the first two kids I didn't know about essential oils, so I used all the other natural methods to get relief, such as feeding first on the side that is irritated, making sure milk is completely drained at each feeding, angling baby's tongue to be on the sore spot, hot showers, hot compress, etc.
I have now been using essential oils for a few years and they have become my go to for any ailment we face. So for my first blocked duct this time around, I immediately looked up what might help, and came across references for Lavender and Melaluca. I tried them, applying on location, and within a couple hours the pain and tenderness was gone! It was amazing how fast it worked. The only other thing I did was pay attention to baby's feeding position, making sure his tongue was facing the block. I continued to use this treatment to effectively nix all my blocked duct issues, and it worked perfectly until last week.
Last week I noticed soreness on one side, and immediately applied Lavender and Melaluca. This time however, the trouble spot was on the top, inside of my boob, so I could not for the life of me figure out how to angle baby so his tongue would be in the right position to properly drain the offending duct. I think this was the only reason it wouldn't clear up right away.
So it kept on for about a week and kept getting more and more sore. 2 nights ago it had gotten to the point that I thought I was going to have to go into the Dr. in the morning. And I really hate visiting the Dr. I kinda feel like I'm giving up at that point, like I don't know what else to do except ask for drugs that I'd rather not take. But I was desperate. I had tried everything, but I think the position of the block in this case made all the difference, as it was never able to be completely drained. It probably also didn't help that Warren is teething and has a stuffy nose, so he would frequently pull off in the middle of eating.
The pain was constant and excruciating, it was red, swollen, and hard as a rock even when empty. I was feeling really bad as well, fatigued, not sleeping well, and just not feeling good overall. I looked up symptoms for Mastitis, which I've never had before, and sure enough- it lined up exactly with what I was experiencing.
I figured I would try one last time with the oils, so I tried some Deep Blue on it during the day- this helped with the pain quite a bit. (NOTE: using Peppermint can reduce your milk supply- use with caution!) Last night I put on Lavender and Melaluca, as I have been, then added Cypress, Oregano, Frankincense, and Helichrysm. Within a couple min I noticed a tingling, almost burning sensation. Not in a bad way, just like I could feel something happening. So I went to bed, and I was completely shocked when I woke up this morning and had NO pain, redness, or swelling whatsoever! It's completely back to normal. I'm not sure if it was a certain one of the added oils or the combination, but something definitely worked.
I am constantly amazed at what these doTerra essential oils can do. Even after I have used them and fixed so many problems, I am still shocked when a new one works. I don't know why, I should just expect it by now. :)
Here are the oils I used and why:
Lavender: Pain, Calming, Inflammation, Infections, Anticoagulant
Melaluca: Pain, Inflammation, Infections, and it also breaks down the protective layer that bacteria
form around themselves, making them easier to kill
Cypress: Circulation, Relaxing, Infections
Oregano: Hugely Antibacterial
Frankincense: Enhance effectiveness of all other oils, Immune Stimulant, Inflammation, Infections
Helichrysm: Regenerative, Pain, Inflammation, Infections, Anticoagulant
Lavender and Melaluca work great for a blocked duct alone, but if it progresses to mastitis, or doesn't get better with those oils alone, try adding in the others.
