Claudia wrote about a mom whose breast is severly scarred by a long-ago burn, with no intact nipple, and asks what to expect when the baby is born. Claudia, you can figure this out from what you know about normal breast function. Where she has intact glandular tissue in the affected breast, she will start making milk (unless there is some other reason not to make milk...hormonal, for instance). Then, in the places where the milk can't get out--just as if the ducts had been severed and scarred by surgery--she will have tender, hard swelling in the breast. Eventually, through feedback inhibition (FIL), the glandular tissue will stop making milk, the milk will be re-absorbed, and lactation will cease on that breast within a few days. Meanwhile, if the other breast is undamaged from the burn, lactation and breastfeeding should proceed in the normal way. She should nurse on the one side, keep a careful eye on the baby's output and weight, and fend off any "helpful" offers of supplementation from people who forget that twin and supertwin mothers can make enough milk for multiple babies with two breasts, so she has no reason to think she can't make enough for one baby with one breast. She can try applying cold compresses or cabbage leaves to the affected breast while she waits for the pain and swelling to go away. (Although I know there's no evidence that cabbage works, I think if it feels good there's no reason NOT to do it.) She can take anti-inflammatory meds and analgesics for comfort. She can gently massage lateral part of the affected breast in the direction of her axila, which might possibly help lymphatic drainage...but this should be done only with the lightest of fingertip pressure. Good luck to her! Chris Chris Mulford, RN, IBCLC LLL Leader Reserve Working for WIC in South Jersey (Eastern USA Chair, Workplace Bf Support Committee, USBC Co-coordinator, Women & Work Task Force, WABA *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET email list is powered by LISTSERV (R). There is only one LISTSERV. To learn more, visit: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html