Warning when pumping with breast implants!!!

[twinmumofboys]

Hello all,

I'm a first time mum of twin boys who were both on 1st June 2023. I just wanted to share my story as I had no idea what happened to me could happen to me!

From the start, I wasn't producing enough milk so I was combination feeding. My partial breastfeeding turned into mainly expressing and feeding breast milk in a bottle. Anyone with twins will understand how difficult breastfeeding two can be! Particularly as my babies were premature and I was recovering from a c section. Feeding from a bottle meant my husband could share the load and allow me to rest.

I got my first bout of mastitis about 4 weeks in....oh the agony! After that, I decided that was was slowly going to reduce breast milk and increase formula. I just couldn't bear being miserable and in pain any longer. I thought it was going away, but then it came back about 10 days later. The antibiotics didn't work 😭

I started the second course of antibiotics and things got progressively worse. My temperature was so high, I had an incredible fever. I kept asking doctors and nurses for advice, and I was constantly told to keep pumping. I had blocked ducts, and was advised to use a hand pump with Epson salts.

By about day 6, I had no relief and I woke up with my right breast swollen so much that I couldn't move my arm at all. I knew something was really wrong. I went to a&e and was admitted. I barely had any milk coming out at this point as I had been reducing expressing significantly. I advised the doctors of this but but still I was told KEEP PUMPING. I followed their advice, after all, they are the experts?

As mentioned in the title, I have breast implants. They are 5 years old and well and truly healed. The implants are under the muscle too, so shouldn't be impacted by breastfeeding at all. After 3 nights in the hospital on a drip full of antibiotics, doctors has no idea why my breast was still so swollen and getting worse. It was now so bad that I could feel the swelling in my neck. I was so ill. They sent me to get an ultrasound to see what was going on.

The ultrasound was done by the breast surgery team. During the ultrasound, the doctor said my breast tissue actually looked fine. I didn't even look like I was someone who was reducing milk. What they did find was fluid that was build up around the breast implant. 360ml to be exact, which he aspirated there and then. I asked what the cause was, and at first they had no idea as it shouldn't be connected with mastitis.

After a few more days, doctors told me that they believed they figured it out. I did initially have mastitis in the beginning, but I was on the mend. The cause of the seroma around my implant was due to excessive trauma, which had been the result of using a breast pump too much! They believe that the hand pump was actually the most likely culprit. I had basically damaged the implant capsule, slightly pulling it away from my flesh.

Since then, I have had to have a further 170mls aspirated and I am still swollen. I have taken medicine to stop my milk production completely. I may have to have my implant removed if the fluid doesn't stop coming back.

Just writing this as a warning as although it's rare, it can happen. I had no idea, and I would hate for any new mum to have to go through this!

Thanks for listening ☺️

[Ohyeahyousay]

Yikes! That sounds excruciating! Very glad they found the cause. Wishing you the best x

[matchamate]

Eek! That sounds so painful. Best of luck

[FloofCloud]

Sounds awful! Is this something the medics have seen before or is it bad luck?

[BeverlyBrook]

Did the people who were advising you to use a breat pump know you had breast implants?

As I don't think it's recommended.
Hope you are on the mend and it all settles down.

[twinmumofboys]

Unfortunately yes, they did know and still didn't think that is what it could be 🤦😭 all the doctors said they had never seen it before, they had to research it themselves as it's so rare! if a breast implant swells up its usually very soon after surgery, not 5 plus years. Just my luck!!

I never read anything it was told that I shouldn't with breast implants, maybe I totally missed it but I recall even the surgeon saying it won't interfere at all with breastfeeding/pumping as they are under the muscle. Just wish I knew before as I probably would never have attempted breastfeeding in the first place.

On the mend now though 😃

[twinmumofboys]

Bad luck I think 😔 but people should be aware anyway!

[twinmumofboys]

Thank you ❤️

[twinmumofboys]

Thank you 😊

[Laurenwx]

Hiya!

I think I am going through exactly this right now. I’m waiting on my breast clinic referral appointment. One boob completely hard and swollen, no difference when I feed 8 week old baby.

The pain was excruciating but has eased. I still can’t lay down properly and always been to be propped up due to discomfort.

What was the outcome for you?

xx

[twinmumofboys]

Oh no!! I'm so sorry to hear you are going through the same thing, must not be as rare as doctors think then! I quite literally feel your pain. This was one of the worst experiences of my life.

I wish I could tell you that it all was fine after this, but my inflammation markers were still very high. They kept treating me as an outpatient for weeks after I was discharged. I stayed on antibiotics for about 15 weeks in total, which would have been longer if I didn't beg my drs to allow me at least a break off antibiotics, as they were making me so ill.

I go in for ultrasound and MRI's every two months still, just to be absolutely sure there is nothing underlying that warrants the removal of the inplant. So far, everything is looking good and there isn't any more sign of damage to the implant or breast capsule. Unfortunately, the I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome last month, and I am convinced this was one of the main contributing factors due to the stress and physical pain.

I don't want this to cause you any major worries, whilst I can't speak for your own health, I suffer with other ailments that means when I get sick I REALLY get sick. There's a very good chance you will recover a lot better than I did. I really hope all goes well got you xxx

[KeeeeeepDancing]

Surgeons are not breastfeeding experts.
Sadly so.
In my breastfeeding training we learnt that it is possible to bf with implants but to be very careful and ideally not pump.

You would think that breast surgeons would have to have some form of training in breastfeeding knowledge.

I hope everyone is ok

[JanewaysBun]

Oh gosh how awful sorry to hear.

I pumped with implants on the specific advice of the NCT BF lady, i asked her and she said it was fine (in my case it was)
Thank you for getting the message out!

[twinmumofboys]

So true, I've very much realised this year that you can't always rely on any drs diagnosis or prognosis! They are human at the end of the day and making their best guess based on their medical understanding, but like you said, they aren't breastfeeding experts and they can be wrong. Thank you for your kind words of support 🙂 xx

[KeeeeeepDancing]

@twinmumofboys

So true, I've very much realised this year that you can't always rely on any drs diagnosis or prognosis! They are human at the end of the day and making their best guess based on their medical understanding, but like you said, they aren't breastfeeding experts and they can be wrong. Thank you for your kind words of support 🙂 xx

How are you doing now? Has it all settled down?