Philippa Thomson suggested
>One thing worth thinking about in the instance of sudden engorgement at 5
>months is whether the woman has done any unusual exercise involving the arm
>and breasts.  My sister, some months after weaning, suddenly started
>leaking furiously and she found that her breasts filled up. She had bought
>a knitting machine, and the action of moving her arms across her breasts
>had obviously stimulated her nipples, which caused milk production to come
>back.

I'm home sick today; I received a call from a woman who was so agitated
(about what sounds like a plugged duct) the medical staff handed her a
telephone so she could call me. Turns out an MD told her a horror story
about her own "painful induration while lactating" that involved lengthy
work-ups and immediate weaning. (Don't you love it?) Anyway, this lady
returned to employment a month ago. Baby is 5 months old. She has been
pumping "only once each workday."  Up until now, she told me (sounding
really annoyed at me--like it was my fault!) things had gone well. But,
today, besides the localized tenderness she was aggravated that her milk
supply had suddenly increased. "Why do you think this happened?" she
demanded (yes, demanded is the correct word)"if I am going to be engorged
like this--well, I'll just have to quit!"

"Have you done any unusual upper body activity?" I found myself asking, and
I related the knitting machine anecdote. There was silence at the other end
of the phone. ("Uh-oh" I thought "Now she knows I'm nuts!") Finally she
spoke: "Wow." she said "I had to do exactly that--well, not a knitting
machine, but that kind of motion." She related that she had moved "a
million" boxes at the office, spent a long time bending forward, stretching,
packing/unpacking.

Thank you, Philippa! Not only did this lady hang up with a list of things to
do tonight for her plugged duct, she assumes I'm really smart--or psychic!
(The nurse at the office related the last part to me).  :-D

Keep on posting, 'netters!

Margery Wilson, IBCLC