Plugged Duct

I never had a plugged duct in my early nursing weeks, but mid way through 7 months I knew exactly what it meant to have one. I believe I got it because my Aya had been eating more solids during the day, but I had continued to pump the same amount of milk for her while away at work. However, it was a three day weekend-the first of the school year-and I was able to exclusively nurse without pumping. By Saturday night I felt really full, and by Sunday afternoon I realized I was still really full on one side even after Aya nursed. It was feeling uncomfortable, hard and stuck. I tried massaging the area and continued to put Aya back on the breast to see if she could nurse it out. It didn't work instantly, but with one last suckle, Aya had unplugged the duct and out poured the milk. It was like turning on a faucet. It made me laugh. Aya wasn't interested at all, so since we were on a road trip and not at home, I gently hand expressed into a sock. After about 5 minutes I wrung out a whole lot of milk! Again, I laughed.