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Infant feeding

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Breast clinic appointment waste of time?

3 replies

midori1999 · 07/12/2011 16:28

Had a breast clinic appointment today after my GP referred me due to recurrent mastitis.

The nurse was very nice and said the GP had also queried whether the implant I have in the affected breast was leaking/ruptured. I told her that the GP had asked me if I thought it was leaking and I had told her that I had no reason to think so and that leaking or ruptures were very rare. The breast clinic nurse agreed.

However, they then scanned me and the sonographer then went and got a consultant and radiologist to come in and scan me. They spent ages looking for a leak, didn't look at an area the nurse had noticed was tender and came to the conclusion I had some 'capsular contracture' (sort of like thickened scar tissue) around the implant. They weren't sure if mastitis could have caused this. I know it can cause it and it wasn't like that prior to a particularly bad bout of mastitis a couple of months ago. They then sent me back to the nurse for my results. Hmm

A consultant then examined me with the nurse and started talking about how as my surgery had been cosmetic they wouldn't reoperate unless there was a medical need to do so. I pointed out to him that I wouldn't expect them to operate on me at all and as far as I was concerned I was there to find a reason for the recurrent mastitis. He then told me breast implants can't cause mastitis, which is not what I've read/heard at all.

To make things worse he then asked how long I planned to BF for and when I said at least two years he said ' at least two years?' as though that were astounding! I replied that that was the recommendation, yes.

I then asked again what the cause for all the mastitis might be and the nurse said it could be the way I BF and to go to a BF support group! Well yes, only I do and the latch etc has been checked by several people and it seems fine to me. I'm also very conscious of feeding 'properly' from that side.

So, really I am none the wiser. What normally happens at a breast clinic? Or is that it?

OP posts:
tiktok · 07/12/2011 17:28

midori, strange as it may seem, breast clinics and breast surgeons only very rarely know anything about breastfeeding. I have had personal experience of this, and have heard from many women of weird and uninformed 'stuff' they have been told. It doesn't surprise me in the least that their eyes popped out of their heads when they heard you planned to bf for 2 years or more....you'd think they would have heard something about this, but no!

This is way outside my knowledge zone (mastitis linked with breast implants) but could it be that the implants are kinking a duct or two, and that this is causing milk to 'pool' - leading to inflammation and then (possibly) infection?

marzipananimal · 07/12/2011 21:16

Have you looked at this list from LLL of possible causes of recurrent mastitis? It might help you figure it out. I've had mastitis 7 times (with one DC) so I sympathise!

midori1999 · 11/12/2011 17:28

Thanks for the replies.

marzipanimal, I had looked at the LLL page some time ago, but it was helpful to read through again. I think the most likely causes of the recurrent bouts are either, wrong anitbiotics/not a long enough course so the infection is never completely clearing or my breast surgery. However, anaemia could be a cause I suppose and I haven't been checked for that.

tiktok Thankyou. I think you are right in that the implants can kink/put pressure on milk ducts, therefore causing problems, but no-one I speak to in RL seems knowledgable about this.

I have found out there is a BF clinic near me at one of the hospitals. I am not sure how this will differ from a normal BF support group? I do attend a BF group that is HV run, I will ask her if she has heard of the clinic and if I can self refer and if I can take myself along and see what they say. I will also get them to check latch etc again just in case, as I do have some persistent cracks on that side that don't go, but I felt they were more 'scarring' than anything else as I had dreadful cracks/bleeding on that side at first. I am extremely particular about getting DD latched on that side and so although I want to rule that out (again!) as a possibility, I really don't think that's the cause, although of course I am no expert and could be wrong.

I am also pretty sure the mastitis is coming back. My left breast felt a little sore the day after the breast clinic, which I put down to all the examinations/scanning. It's got steadily worse since then though. I will also speak to HV at the BF group about what the GP can do re cultures of milk, longer courses of antibiotics etc and see if she has any other suggestions.

I have to admit, this is really getting me down now and although I am not going to let it stop me BF (and it would take nerves of steel to stop anyway as I'd no doubt get horrific mastitis! Smile ) I would really like a solution. I have three other children to look after too and the GP will be closed over Christmas/NY if it comes back again then.

Sorry for the long posts, thanks again.

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