Susan Love's Breast Book makes the point that there are lots of  tales about
a connection between caffeine and breast pain, but scant documentation.
Again I say:  If we are to be taken seriously as lactation specialists we
must always verify information we pass along.  There are numerous ideas
which pervade our field which are unproven but persistant and often
presented as holy writ.  When these beliefs are stated as fact and create
situations where mothers must give up something in order to breastfeed, we
create barriers to successful lactation.  This perpetuates the idea that it
takes sacrifice to nurse, or that normal living and normal diets mean you
won't be able to nurse your baby. There are many reasons breasts hurt:
ill-fitted bras, muscle ache from increased weight, thermal sensitivity,
muscle tension from holding baby's weight, mastitis, chronic plugged ducts,
active babies who punch and pummel, poorly positioned babies, hormonal
changes, even a type of arthritis, breast cancer, to name a few.

There is no such thing as fibrocystic breast 'disease'.  Some women have
fibrocystic breasts, and occasionally a cyst is removed for some reason --
like pain, or it looks funny when visualized.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE, IBCLC
priv. pract. Austin, Tx
Owner LACTNEWS On-Line (the Conference Page)
http://moontower.com/bwc/lactnews.html