Hi I’m wondering if anyone has experienced similar or any ideas what this could be.
My DS is 9mo and I have exclusively breastfed. Prior to breastfeeding I had extremely small beasts like AA size. I think this causes me to become engorged more easily as my breasts just don’t have much capacity for milk (although they have increased a lot in size since breastfeeding!)
Anyway, when I’m badly engorged my breasts are really lumpy, like sacks of gravel almost! I know this is normal so not concerned about that.
However there is one particular lump I am worried about.
It appears if I’m in any way full, before I’m engorged and before other lumps appear. It’s the same lump in the same spot since I’ve started breastfeeding, and it’s gotten bigger in size over time. It was probably a pea shape initially it now it’s more oval, like the top of a thumb and it protrudes and is very clearly visible when my breasts become full.
I think as it’s the same lump, that when I’m not engorged it’s still there but it’s just harder to feel/find but that it gets pushed to the surface when my breasts fill up if that makes sense. It’s completely painless and I haven’t had mastitis or any tenderness.
I was referred to the breast clinic in Nov and they gave me an ultrasound and said that because I was breastfeeding it was hard to see anything. They said that they couldn’t spot anything concerning and that if I still have the lump 2 months after I’ve stopped breastfeeding then to go back.
That eased my mind for a while but I decided to go back to the gp in Feb as I felt this lump was getting bigger. Got referred again but this time I felt dismissed in the appointment. My breasts weren’t full so it was hard to find the lump, the consultant said she couldn’t feel anything worrying. I tried to explain that it really appears when I’m full and even tried to show her a photo but she didn’t look at the photo and said it’s probably breastfeeding changes and the anatomy of my breast. I didn’t have a scan at that appointment. She also said if it’s coming and going that it’s a good sign - again, I don’t think it’s that it’s coming and going, I just think it gets pushed forward when I’m full, she didn’t really listen to this when I tried to explain.
I told her that I wanted to continue breastfeeding as long as possible if I can but that I was concerned as I was told that the milk was blocking visibility in my previous scan. She said I should continue breastfeeding as long as I want and to not be worried.
So I guess I’m wondering:
- Is this type of painless lump just a normal breastfeeding change?
- Should I go back to the gp as they haven’t actually been able to tell me what this lump actually is?
- Should I stop breastfeeding so that if the lump remains they can actually see what it is in a scan?
I’m tempted to go private as I’m really worried but we can’t really afford it. I just want someone to be able to tell me what the lump is. I appreciate that the doctor at the clinic knows what to look out for but I would have really appreciated if she could have at least looked at the photo or had a check when my breasts felt fuller so she could have understood what I was talking about.
Surely if it was a blocked duct there would be pain and I’ve had gotten an infection by now?