Berkeley Parents Network: Lump on Breast While Nursing

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Lump on Breast While Nursing

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Burning lump on the tip of my nipple

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Burning lump on the tip of my nipple

June 2000

I am a nursing mother (baby 10 month old, now). About two months ago or so I noticed a little lump on the tip of my nipple. I've seen three doctors, they all said never had seen anything like it. I Put atlet's foot and vaginal cream on it - didn't help. This lump is growing rapidly and is painful with a burning/shooting sensation (like yeast infection), specially after nursing. It looks like a blister or overgrown skin. I have reduced nursing quite a bit on this side to see if it would go away but it is not getting better. Has anyone experienced such a thing? What can be done? Could this be related to doing so much pumping? Can a lactation consultant help? Any idea would be helpful.

I am not certain (without looking at it) that it is the same but it sounds like a little blister-thing I got a few times. I went to a lactation consultant and paid $75 to have her tell me that my son has too short a tongue and ... Her big bosses had (coincidently) both watched me nurse my son a week before when I was a "model nursing mom" for their training class of about 25 lactation consultants. Everyone commented on our great nursing technique.

I figured out that the little blister would appear when I had been nursing my son in bed and was too tired to hold my body at the angle needed for correct positioning. I was so certain of my thesis--and so desperate to be able to stop it from happening--that I actually puposely made it happen once. I never followed up with a Dr. or lactation consultant to verify my findings. Sojeila

This sounds like it might be a plugged nipple pore, or a "bleb." They are extremeley painful, and persistent. There are several things you can do to try to remedy it. Please feel free to call me (I am a La Leche League Leader, and would be taking your call in that capacity) at (510)234-1300. Lyla

I would call a lactation consultant or la leche league leader right away. I know you can try 1-800-LALECHE, or go to their website, . Another site I know of with Q & A stuff that might help is . I think there are also non-laleche league lactation consultants available by phone at 1-800-lactate (or something close to that!). Jessica

I have had two similar conditions you might mention to you doctor. If they have never "seen anyting like it" you might try another more experienced doctor.

First, with a vigourous nursing child, I had blisters and peeling pieces of skin at the tip of my nipples, which became raw and painful, sometime even resulting in secondary infection. You are right to ease up on that side, but it's a delicate balance it you want to keep your milk flow consistent.

You might want to consider having your breast check by a specialist who has seen cases of chronic areolar mastitis (see Dr. Susan Love's Breast book). I have had this condition for the last year (7 years after last nursing), where I developed occasional (3-4 times a year) infections in the skin glands of the areola. The bacteria can accumulate, causing painful abcesses, and sometime draining fluid. Because it is hard to get rid of, and thus can be recurrent, often the treatment is longer than usual doses of antibiotics. Good Luck

Something similar happened to me, and it turned out to be a plugged milk duct. Reducing nursing actually made it worse. Once I started nursing more often on that breast, it went away. A lactation consultant could probably help you as well, or you could call someone from La Leche League free of charge. Lyla from LLL at 234-1300 has been very helpful.

I also had a lump on the tip of my nipple. Turned out to be a cebaceous (sp?) cyst, which was easily and painlessly removed. Although the doctor said he'd never seen one in that location before, and thought he hadn't gotten the whole thing (expecting it to come back), it did indeed go away and hasn't returned. The doctor who found it (a surgeon who I went to because of a breast infection that thankfully didn't need surgery) thought it was a plugged milk duct and offered to remove it and, as I said, was very surprised with it being a cyst. Good luck! Laurel

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