I've just pumped for the 2nd time and blood started coming out - slightly freaking out

[fhdl34]

Obviously I've now stopped but what damage have I done? Can I still feed off that breast? I think I'd read that you can damage your ducts if you express incorrectly.
A little of my BF history. EBFing DD who is 18 weeks today, I expressed for the first time last Friday just to have a go and today was the first time I've done it since. Got an ounce out of the other boob and just thought I'd have a go on that boob as well. How did this happen? Was the pump positioned incorrectly? Was I pumping too hard or for too long? DD won't feed again now till morning, am I okay to let her feed off that breast in the morning? I've never had so much as a blocked duct, am I now more at risk of it? I've searched kellymom but nothing is coming up about expressing and blood.
Am now really worrying I've messed this all up. Why the bloody hell did I try and pump. I'm really conscious of my boob now, it's not bleeding now, there's just a few diluted drops on the pump (I assume it's mixed with milk as it's pink. If I feed off DD from it will she be drinking some of my blood? How long will it take to heal? Sorry, I know I'm freaking off. Off to see if any of the BF helplines are open :(

I think the NCT helpline is open until 10pm - 0300 330 0771

Thanks, the BF helpline shut 15 minutes ago, just trying them now. Arghh, it's a message service, am leaving one. Really want to know before she wakes in the morning.

And in my very non-expert opinion, I'd try not to panic - I doubt you've done any real harm - have you maybe got a little cut on the skin or something? If so, it might be a bit sore while it heals, but I can't think how it would cause a problem otherwise.

Normally it's fine for babies to breastfeed even if expressed milk has blood in it. Be warned that if baby is sick then it may look like it has blood in it, but that's from you.

Blood can come from all sorts of things including cracks, blockages, mastitis and other random things. Knocks and bumps can cause it too if there's some bruising inside the breast. There was a study (which I can't find sorry) that showed that a proportion of expressed milk contains blood and not always from and known source. When you're just bf you'd normally never know, as you don't see the milk.

I hope you get to speak to someone in RL soon.

I think it will be fine... have a read of this and see if it helps.

Try tgese

and tgese

There's definitely no cuts on my boob, when I took the pump off, there were just a few drops of pink, definitely blood on the shield part, it hasn't gone through to the milk, I must have just done it. I'm trying not to panic, I just don't want to risk any blocked ducts or the like. Hope I've not caused too much damage. Left a message on that number you posted, thanks very much. Hopefully someone will ring me back and I'll also phone my local breastfeeding charity in the morning. I think I won't bother pumping again until I've been to a BF cafe, too scared to now. Just found a link on LLL website that says babies can drink breastmilk with blood in it so I would assume that means DD is okay to feed off that boob. It's aching but I'm sure it's in my head because I'm worrying. Hoping tiktok or someone will come alond and tell me to stop being so silly and it's all okay.

Thanks all, BF helpline closed at 9.30pm, not open again till morning, left a message on the NCT BF helpline posted by redkites.

Crikey thanks for the link, I'll feed her off it in the morning and hope all is okay.

I've been scared about pumping for ages, that's why I've never done it. I was too worried about damaging myself. I think I'll leave pumping again until I've seen a BF counsellor at a cafe, we have a local BF charity that assists at our BF cafes in the area, they might have someone willing to help show me how to do it without causing further damage. I'm so mad with myself, I feel like I should know how to pump.

It can be really hard to see a small crack in your nipple, but the suction of expressing can draw what seems like massive amounts of blood from a tiny nick. I had a bizarre experience this week while expressing at work, put the pump on as usual then looked down and saw it was full of cherry-red blood! My 7mo must have nicked me with his sharp wee teeth, I hadn't even noticed until the surprise carnage much later on! And a few hours later I was back to not being able to see the cut again (and the next day there was no blood while expressing, I watched the pump like a hawk!)

What sort of pump are you using? I mainly use the manual attachment for my electric pum as it's gentler. I've alwaysbeen told that using the pump is like feeding - it shouldn't hurt, and if it does you should reposition.

I've honestly never heard of anyone sustaining serious breast damage from using a breast pump, and lord knows it feels like I've experienced or heard of most breastfeeding-related horror stories! I'm really sure you're fine but understand the worry.

I had something similar happen to me a few times and I found that if I tipped the first bit of expressed milk away that had blood in it, cleaned out the bottle and started again it would be fine and I could then express as usual but the next time I expressed it would happen again!
Don't forget La Leche, they were so helpful over the phone, just Google them for the number and all the best.

This happened to me every time I tried to express. Every time and with both babies. I never found an explanation. It made me feel really faint and wobbly. I just took it as natures way of telling me that I wasn't meant to express and stopped trying.

Just to reassure you, I fed as soon as I needed to afterwards with no ill effects.

One of my nipples was cracked and started bleeding when DS was feeding, he was gulping down milk and blood before I realised, he was absolutley fine and not sick so your DD should be fine to feed from that boob.
Sorry, don't know about the pump/boob thing, just wanted to let you know that you should be able to feed her fine.