Janice describes a second-hand question she had about
>  One bump was near the nipple, the other out towards the edge of the areola.  He describes them as looking like pimples, and once they raise she is able to pop them.  The substance that comes out is hard like a small black seed or rock.  

Is it possible that it is a pimple, or more specifically, a large 
blackhead?  After all, skin on the breast is just skin.  In the 
"Breastfeeding Atlas," there's a picture and discussion of a pimple on 
the nipple shaft itself.

Here's a description from an acne website:
> Blackheads, also known as open comedones, are follicles that have a 
> wider than normal opening. They are filled with plugs of sebum and 
> sloughed-off cells and have undergone a chemical reaction resulting in 
> the oxidation of melanin. This gives the material in the follicle the 
> typical black color.
I know someone who battled with severe acne who had large occasional 
large blackheads on the trunk that could be pressed to yield up a dark 
lump, like a black sesame seed.

Does the mother have acne in general?.  It's hard to say how to treat 
this, since in general the oils on the breasts and areolas are 
protective, and stripping them away might be irritating.  (Although acne 
shouldn't be scrubbed the say some of us went at it as teenagers) 
Perhaps the Atlas has some suggestions -- don't have my copy here. Maybe 
a low-concentration benzoil peroxide wash, avoiding the nipple itself 
and stopping at any sign of irriation?  Maybe it would be best to get 
some input from a dermatalogist.  Possibly if it's not painful or 
constant, the mother isn't interested in treating the problem too 
aggressively, as long as she has some idea of what it might be.

Margaret Wills, LLLL, IBCLC, Maryland

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