Hi, Kika!  

Good to hear from you!  I agree, that I really miss the more thoroughly thought-out responses from our Lactnet members - who have always been amazingly generous with their time and explanations!'

I include your description as a very rich, well-described experience that we could all learn from.

My addition will not be that complete, as it was a situation a Public Health Nurse who worked with me in our county came by to discuss with me.  I did not have the opportunity of observing this, but I trust very much her description and observations.

She made a home visit to a mother who had had surgery on both her breasts, to reduce the size.  She is active duty military and at that time had not even considered having children, so the question about how breast reduction might affect her breastfeeding was not considered.  She had a breast reduction that resulted in a scar around most, but not all, of both breasts.  However, she reported that the nipple-areola complex of one breast had lost all sensation, whereas the other one retained sensation.  However, she was encouraged by WIC to offer her the breast with sensation when she delivered, as babies have been known to do just fine with the production of one breast.

The mother delivered, and began breastfeeding by offering the breast that allowed her to feel her baby at the breast.  However, she decided to also offer the other breast as well, but always started with the sensitive breast.  What amazed the nurse (and me, too, when she described it to me) was that as the baby went to both breasts, mom reported she could nurse her baby and hear swallows, and feeding/satiation signs.  One time the nurse took the scale with her and took pre-post weights.  Baby was getting almost as much milk from the breast with little/no sensation!  Mom was transferred a few months later, but by then she felt very confident she would be able to continue breastfeeding from both!   

I wish I knew more about what happened next, but it has created in me a desire to encourage mothers who have breast anomalies to "try it" and see how things go.  One never knows!

Jeanette Panchula
Vacaville, CA

PS - Give your family my regards - was just showing off some pictures of our trip to Spain to friends...  We had planned a trip there in June of 2020 with our oldest grandson, now in 2nd year in University, studying Aeronautical Engineering - but COVID...well, you know!  Now he wants to know about going in the Spring of 2022!  Si Dios Quiere...who knows!?

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