Breastfeeding my two children from birth until they approached their first birthday will forever be one of the most amazing things I have ever done.
However – while breastfeeding might be the most natural thing in the world, it is also hard work. And it can be anything but easy at times – and even flat out horrendous too, like this video of painful breastmilk clots will no doubt prove.
This story, I think we can all agree, is the latter. So if you’ve got a weak stomach, you might want to look away now.
New mum Tyler Marie Oates recently took to social media to share her extremely painful breastfeeding horror story, detailing how clogged ducts led to mastitis – which eventually turned septic. And if you are wondering just how painful blocked milk ducts can be (I'm not – I've been there!), just take a look at these images of the huge breastmilk clots she eventually passed.
I know! Yikes!
Taking to TikTok, Oates explained:
“In case your significant other doesn’t believe you that a clogged duct hurts, show them this,” the mum-of-one wrote in the video captions. “I went septic from mastitis and this was one of the many clots I passed.”
The video – understandably enough – attracted tons of comments from horrified women – and men – many who swore off having children after viewing the clip.
“I’m literally shaking, crying and throwing up,” one person commented.
One woman even revealed things got so bad, her husband had to help her with her breastfeeding clots.
“My husband sucked mine out. He gagged so bad, he was not expecting blood. Bro, when it came out I felt such relief!”
What are blocked milk ducts?
If you’re a breastfeeding mum and your feel a sudden, sore lump on your breast, but you feel ok, it’s probably a blocked duct, according to
Raising Children. The lump isn’t actually the clot, but the milk backing up behind the blockage.
Clogged milk ducts can happen when your baby does not fully drain the breasts when eating. This might have happened if a feed was dropped or skipped, or if your baby prefers one boob to the other, and is better at draining that one. Wearing a bra that is underwired or too tight can also cause blockage.
Here is what can help:
- Take a hot shower and massage the lump and breast
- Use a warm compress against the lump to try and soften it
- Frequently drain the affected breast
- Make sure baby is in a good feeding position and get them to feed on the affected breast often
- Try hand expressing
- Use an ice-pack or cold cabbage leaf on your boob after feeding to help with the pain
If the blockage isn’t clearing within a day, or you start to feel flu-like symptoms, you need to see a doctor to check for mastitis.
