Hello, Jane.
       You wrote:
<<I have a 5 week PP Mom that had a breast bx on Friday.  She is having a
large
amount of breastmilk draining from her incision.  I would tend to think that
this is probably normal.  How long should she expect this to occur?  Does it
increase her risks for infection?  How should she care for this incision? And
is there any other information I need to pass on to her?  Thank you for any
help with this situation.>>
       The first time I ever came up against a ductal breast surgery (in that
case, a mom had had a duct removed because it was infected--mom didn't talk
to me until after the surgery had been done already), I told the mom that I
couldn't see any problem with the leaking (other than the mess) because the
breastmilk contained antibodies that would prevent infection in the incision.
 But I also told her I'd do some looking at get back to her.  To my surprise,
Lawrence's book (BREASTFEEDING: A Guide for the Medical Profession) said that
because the incision would remain damp for such a long time during the
healing, infection was possible.  She suggested a low-dose antibiotic until
the incision healed.  I called the mom back and told her what I'd found.  Mom
called me back several weeks later.  She told me she had decided to keep
breastfeeding (same physician who removed the duct also told her not to
breastfeed or pump--can you just imagine what that engorgement would have
done to her stitches?!), and had decided against the low-dose antibiotic.
She said that she leaked for about two weeks, and then the incision healed
and the leaking stopped.  She did not have any trouble with infection.
       I have since dealt with two more moms who have had incisions on
lactating breasts.  Both made the same decision, both reported that it took a
couple weeks for the incision to stop leaking and both reported they had no
trouble with infection.
       Not a scientific study by any means, but thought you'd like to know
about these experiences.
       Dee Kassing, BS, MLS, IBCLC







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