Breastfeeding and Abnormalities of the Breast

There are many possible breast problems that breastfeeding mothers may face. Most breast issues are common and are not a cause for concern.

Slightly uneven breasts are normal when you're breastfeeding.

1.      One breast may be dramatically larger than the other, and you may be making much more breast milk on that side. When one breast doesn't make very much breast milk, but the other one does, the breasts will look uneven. But, as long as your doctor says it's safe, and one breast can make breast milk, you can breastfeed your baby from that one side. It's also very possible to make a healthy supply of breast milk with just one breast.


2.      One breast is bigger than the other because your baby has begun to favor one side. Your baby can develop a breast preference for many reasons. When a baby prefers one side over the other, breast milk production can slow down in the breast that the baby doesn't want and cause that breast to appear smaller.  

If you have hypoplastic breasts, you were born with them. It's a breast issue where the glandular tissue in the breast does not fully develop.


Your breastfeeding breasts may feel lumpy, especially when they're really full. There are three general categories that breast lumps fall into:
1.      Benign breast disease: benign means not harmful. If you have a benign breast lump, you may feel swelling and tenderness, breast pain in your breast.
2.      Fibroadenoma: a tumor in the breast tissue that is not cancer.
3.      Breast Cancer: Only a small percent of breast lumps found in breastfeeding women turn out to be cancer.

Some of the breast problems that can arise during breastfeeding include: 
1.      Plugged Milk Ducts: hard, tender, lumps that form in the milk ducts and block the flow of breast milk. Plugs typically clear up in less than a day with frequent breastfeeding or pumping to the remove breast milk from your breasts. 
2.      Mastitis: inflammation of the breast tissue.
3.      Breast Engorgement: one of the most common breastfeeding problems. It's caused by an increase of fluids in the breasts including breast milk, blood, and lymph.
4.      Breast Abscess: a rare complication of a breast infection.
5.      Nipple blanching: can be very painful.


If you see any of these breast changes, see your doctor for an examination. Early detection of breast problems can lead to successful treatment. 
1.      A Dimple In the Breast: a wide, shallow dimple in the breast is a sign of skin retraction.
2.      Fixation: bend forward and examine your breasts for any unevenness, distortion. With invasive breast cancer, fibrosis "fixes" the breast to the underlying muscles.
3.      A Change In the Direction of the Nipple: if the nipple looks as if it's being pulled in a different direction, it could be a sign of breast cancer.
4.      Prominent Venous Pattern: it's normal for breastfeeding women to have very visible veins on their breasts, especially when the breasts are overfull. However, if the veins are only protruding on one side, it can indicate certain types of breast tumors.


When you're breastfeeding there's normal nipple discharge:
1.      Breast Milk: may be watery and it can be a variety of colors from clear to white to green.
2.      Blood: The idea of blood coming out of your nipples probably sounds frightening. But, when you're breastfeeding bloody discharge from the nipples can be completely normal.


Abnormal nipple discharge can look similar to normal nipple discharge. So, if you notice any changes, it's always best to talk to your doctor, what you've noticed and she'll examine your breasts.

The skin on your breasts is susceptible to a variety of problems including: 
1.      Thrush can appear deep in the breast.
2.      Herpes: The herpes virus on the breast can show up as small red bumps, fluid-filled blisters. You should not breast-feed if you have active herpes lesions on your breasts.


You can recognize any potential breast problems by learning about what's normal for your body and examining your breasts regularly. 


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