Nipple piercing and breastfeeding

I have had a question about this issue put to me several years ago and
replied that there may be scar tissue from the piercing and suggested that
this may cause blocked ducts while breastfeeding (at the nipple site). I was
not sure what other damage piercing could do to the nipple (nerves, duct
openings, blood vessels etc in the area). I suggested that the mother with a
pierced nipple would remove the "nipple ring" and clean the site before
breastfeeding. Another suggestion I made was to encourage the mother to wait
until she had completed her breastfeeding before piercing if she had not yet
had her nipple(s) pierced (hoping that she would then not want to do it
anymore).

Ellen McIntyre, South Australia
see you

Ellen McIntyre
Dept of Community Medicine