In nurse-midwifery school in my well-woman courses, the point was made
pretty strongly that fibrocystic changes in breasts were just part of a
normal variation among women, sort of like having a uterus that tilts
backward instead of forward, not a disease. Maybe it is nitpicking on my
part, but if this is so, than I think we should be careful not to bandy
about the term "fibrocystic disease" as it promotes misconceptions. On
the other hand, I think the post about shooting pains in the breasts
being related to caffiene intake is interesting as many women who are not
breastfeeding notice increased breast tenderness and lumpiness when
using caffiene, as well as increased premenstrual-type symptoms. Now I am
curious. Has anyone noted a connection between milk blisters or full milk
ducts and the presence of fibrocystic changes? It seems to me that most
of the women that I have worked with who have complained of these sort of
problems have tended to be older mothers and fibrocystic changes also
become more common as women get into their thirties and beyond.
Comments, anyone?

Ione Sims, CNM, IBCLC