OK, I just got a phone call that has me stumped.  Mom of 5 month old, well
nursing baby....about a week ago, began to experience numbness of the left
nipple which has progressed down the breast (think 6:00) to the chest wall,
and is now moving progressively around the bottom part of the breast towards
9:00.  It is numb 24 hours a day.  She feels no pain when baby breastfeeds --
she feels basically nothing.  Pins and needles in the breast.  Denies
surgery, nipple or breast trauma.  This has been going on for a week.  Says
that the nipple looks slightly white when baby is done nursing but turns pink
again within less than a minute.  No severe pain -- just a bit of tingling --
and then numbness.   Just today it started in the nipple on the left breast
and it is beginning to move down the breast towards 6:00.

She saw her OB who didn't have a clue and said "See your MD" -- so she's
making an appointment w/ her MD -- but then someone said, "Call Jan"  so
.....  but I don't have a clue either.

She hasn't tried putting hot compresses on the breast to see if that helps -
but the puzzling thing is, there really isn't any pain, and it is numb
unrelated to feeds.  No different before, during or after.

Ideas, oh wise ones?

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- Wheaton IL-- sunny & warm here!Lactation
Education Consultants
www.lactationeducationconsultants.com

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