Lisa Marasco and I seem to be thinking along the same lines about the breast
pain that can accompany moms who have low milk supply.  But I need to
acknowledge that this is not a new thought.  I heard it from Mike Woolridge,
whose landmark articles on nipple pain (Midwifery, 1986 2:173) describe two
mechanical reasons for the phenomenon:  inadequate teat formation that
causes distortion (pressure wounds) on the nipple, and inadequate flow rate.

Of course, I also have a similar cohort of women with deep breast pain and
chronically sore nipples who have too MUCH milk.  Their infants may also be
driven to distort the shape of the nipple, pinching off the excessive flow.
They may also suffer from chronic low-grade inflamation of the breast due to
residual milk sitting there that the baby can never fully drain off.

Barbara Wilson-Clay BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
http://www.lactnews.com

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