Help - Have I got breast cancer???

[2under2soon]

I'm currently 23 weeks pregnant. Last night I woke up with a very painful left breast. It still hurts now, but less. It hurts most, when I lie on the side of the breast.

I can't feel any lump or any difference in appearance to my right breast. It just feels tender and painful to the touch and feels slightly engorged, although when I look in the mirror it doesn't look bigger than my right breast.

Last night my left breast was leaking as well, I don't know what it was, it was just a tiny bit of liquid.

The sensation reminds me a bit when my breast pump broke after my first pregnancy and I wasn't able to pump for a longer time than my breasts were used to.

I'm so scared now, I convinced myself that I have breast cancer. I am so scared that I will die and leave my children behind. The new baby and my 14 month old toddler wouldn't even be able to remember me :(((

So what do I do now? Do I book a private mammogram? Do I go to A&E?

My GP is generally dismissive about things, so I don't think it's a good idea to call him. He won't take me serious.

I'm so worried that I couldn't go back to sleep last night.

Would be so grateful for any advice xx

Aww bless you. It all sounds absolutely normal pregnancy hormones to me. Please don't worry xxx

You need to start with your GP. So what if he is dismissive - you have to be insistant.

Or yes, you could get a private mammogram.

I doubt very much that it's suspicious and is likely to be changed related to your pregnancy. However speak to your midwife for reassurance

Reading between the lines, you’re probably too young for mammograms to be the first line investigation even if they did think it was a tumour, and being pregnant they would also make it less likely (as it’s an X-ray). GP sounds like a good idea if you’re worried, but if you become unwell (with signs of infection) over the weekend then 111 would be a good option.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

It might be related to pregnancy (which I hope), but I didn't have this in my first pregnancy.

Sorry to be graphic, but when I massage the breast that hurts and press on the painful bits, a yellowish substance keeps coming out of my nipple. It looks a bit like colostrum.

When I massage the other "normal" breast, there is no liquid coming out xx

When did you stop breastfeeding your 14 month old?

No don't go to A and E. This isn't an emergency. It sounds like an infection of the milk ducts and anti biotic would clear it, if it doesn't go on its own. You can get mastitis even when not breastfeeding.

Book a phone appointment with your doctor and list your symptoms. They will likely start with assuming it's an infection and treat that.

Symptoms of mastitis;
Pain, tenderness
Swelling
Sometimes redness or thickened tissue
Feeling generally unwell.

@SmileyClare

When did you stop breastfeeding your 14 month old?

I never breastfeed in the traditional sense of the word. I expressed my breast milk and gave it to him in a bottle.

I stopped when he was 3 months old and gave him formula week from then on.

You can leak from your nipples in pregnancy, even quite early in pregnancy. It's usually colostrum.

Your gp will probably minimise your breast cancer concerns based on your symptoms because it sounds likely to be early milk production or an infection (mastitis)

You could ring 111 if you develop a high temperature or feel worse today. I hope it clears up soon