Re: Coagulated milk from last pregnancy???

[Guest guest]

How many weeks is she?  Could it be colostrum? LLLL IBCLC in Los Angeles

[Guest guest]

Who diagnosed this and on what grounds? - EdenAtlanta Breastfeeding ConsultantsSent from my iPhone

Hi ladies,

A doula friend asked me a questions about a prenatal client of hers. Apparently, she has coagulated milk behind her nipples, from her last nursing baby, and her OB has her worried that she may not be able to breastfeed this time around.

Have you ever heard of this? If so, what should she do before the baby is born?

THanks!

Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC

Owner, San Diego Breastfeeding Center

[Guest guest]

Years ago, a mother in this area began leaking *black* drops during her pregnancy. Freaked all of us out, I can tell you. But she had an old doctor, and he said, No worries! He said it was just leftover breastmilk and other fluids that had sat in the breast since the previous nursing experience, and her body was now cleaning out the breasts. He told her all would be fine by the time her baby was born. Well, we all sort of held our breath until that baby arrived, wanting to believe but worried because we had never heard of such a thing, and that liquid was freaky *black*! But he was right. Eventually that black discharge did stop and she had a supply of "regular" colostrum and then mature milk and nursed her second baby just fine.

So, if her doc is right and it's coagulated breastmilk, I bet her body will take care of the problem before the next baby arrives. Since it's in both breasts, and in the same location in both, it's unlikely to be a galactocele or abscess or any other such trouble.

But how was it diagnosed? Has the physician done a galactogram? This can only be done if there is actual discharge, because a thin cannula is threaded into the duct that is discharging. This test is sometimes run to diagnose a papilloma, which is a benign breast tumor that can irritate the lining of the duct and cause bleeding, especially when milk runs over and around it during letdown. If there is no actual discharge at this time, has he run any other tests? If not, he's really just guessing what it is and even if "it" is really coagulated. How does he know it's not just regular milk that hasn't dried up yet? How does he know it's not colostrum forming with this pregnancy, and that's where her storage areas are?

Dee Kassing

Hi ladies,A doula friend asked me a questions about a prenatal client of hers. Apparently, she has coagulated milk behind her nipples, from her last nursing baby, and her OB has her worried that she may not be able to breastfeed this time around.Have you ever heard of this? If so, what should she do before the baby is born?THanks!Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLCOwner, San Diego Breastfeeding Center

[Guest guest]



yup - sounds 'normal' enough...it is likely colostrum - was she leaky with the last pregnancy? lg volumes of colostrum prenatally? maybe it is just some 'regular' old discharge - you know ductal ectasia that always makes people nervous cause it is often green or grey or blackish; looks scary but is benign. does she have palpable lumps? can't imagine that she would have bilateral abscesses in pregnancy with no other symptoms- that would be rare and no fun at all! can she hand express or does it leak? maybe the OB should just worry about the area from the bellybutton down and she should speak to an LC regarding issues from the bellybutton up....could it be that her breasts are just experiencing normal fullness?

just curious..when did the last baby wean? any idea?

beth BA IBCLC LLLCL

Ottawa

Re: Coagulated milk from last pregnancy???

Years ago, a mother in this area began leaking *black* drops during her pregnancy. Freaked all of us out, I can tell you. But she had an old doctor, and he said, No worries! He said it was just leftover breastmilk and other fluids that had sat in the breast since the previous nursing experience, and her body was now cleaning out the breasts. He told her all would be fine by the time her baby was born. Well, we all sort of held our breath until that baby arrived, wanting to believe but worried because we had never heard of such a thing, and that liquid was freaky *black*! But he was right. Eventually that black discharge did stop and she had a supply of "regular" colostrum and then mature milk and nursed her second baby just fine.

So, if her doc is right and it's coagulated breastmilk, I bet her body will take care of the problem before the next baby arrives. Since it's in both breasts, and in the same location in both, it's unlikely to be a galactocele or abscess or any other such trouble.

But how was it diagnosed? Has the physician done a galactogram? This can only be done if there is actual discharge, because a thin cannula is threaded into the duct that is discharging. This test is sometimes run to diagnose a papilloma, which is a benign breast tumor that can irritate the lining of the duct and cause bleeding, especially when milk runs over and around it during letdown. If there is no actual discharge at this time, has he run any other tests? If not, he's really just guessing what it is and even if "it" is really coagulated. How does he know it's not just regular milk that hasn't dried up yet? How does he know it's not colostrum forming with this pregnancy, and that's where her storage areas are?

Dee Kassing

Hi ladies,A doula friend asked me a questions about a prenatal client of hers. Apparently, she has coagulated milk behind her nipples, from her last nursing baby, and her OB has her worried that she may not be able to breastfeed this time around.Have you ever heard of this? If so, what should she do before the baby is born?THanks!Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLCOwner, San Diego Breastfeeding Center

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for this information, ladies. I don't know much beyond what

the doula told me, as they are not clients of mine and i don;t even know the

OBGYN they are talking about. It sounded weird to me, which is why I thought I

would pose the question on the group to see if anyone had ever heard of this

before.

I will do some more investigation to get to the bottom of this.

Thank you so much!!!

Warmly,

Robin

> Hi ladies,

>

> A doula friend asked me a questions about a prenatal client of

hers. Apparently, she has coagulated milk behind her nipples, from her last

nursing baby, and her OB has her worried that she may not be able to breastfeed

this time around.

>

> Have you ever heard of this? If so, what should she do before

the baby is born?

>

> THanks!

>

> Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC

> Owner, San Diego Breastfeeding Center

>