Yesterday was Wednesday, so I was in Picayune--talking with pregnant mothers
about breastfeeding.  One mother I talked to was in with her 10-onth-old and
due again in June 1998.  I need your input on this.  The mother stated that
when she was about 8 months pregnant (with the 10-month-old) that blood and
green stuff started leaking from her breasts.  Her doctor examined her and
told her that her breasts were undeveloped, her milk was contaminated, and
she couldn't breastfeed (I can hear you AAARRRRGGHHHHing, Jack).  She said
the doctor had a word for her "condition" but she couldn't remember what it
was.  (Aside: Mother will be going to a different doctor this time.)  The
blood and green stuff, she said, continued until she was about 4 months
postpartum.  (No, no biopsy was ever done; it was just a can't breastfeed
kind of thing, you know.)  Anyway, I sent the mother the information about
blood in the milk from the Bf Ans Bk, told her that it would not necessarily
happen again, that if it did it didn't necessarily mean she couldn't
breastfeed (She said, by the way, that she had wanted to breastfeed and would
like to if possible with the new baby.), and that I would see what I could
find out from you guys.

Other factors: (1) The mother is very thin; weighs 94# at this time and is
about 5'5" or 5'6", almost as tall as me and I'm 5'6.5".  She and her mother
(in with her and very supportive of bf--bf all five of her children as long
as she could) said that she had weighed between 80# and 90# since 4th grade;
all family is thin (grandmother was thin, too).  She weighed 90# at the
beginning of her last pregnancy and 127# at the end (a good weight gain, huh?
and the baby girl was healthy-looking, happy and active, a bit on the chunky
side--definitely not thin like Mamma and Grandma).  (2) Mother had 2
miscarriages before birth of 10-mo-old.  (3) Mother smokes approx. 1 pack
cigs/day.  (4) Mother said her breasts didn't grow a lot during her pregnancy-
-but her mother said they grew enough (didn't define "enough", just said she
could tell daughter's breasts had grown).  (5) Mother stated she never felt
full or engorged after birth of baby, didn't notice milk coming in except for
the green stuff and blood which continued until approx. 4 mos pp.  (6) Mother
not exposed to large doses of radiation, pesticides, or other chemicals--re:
possible contamination.  (I tried to cover all bases.)

So, does anyone know the name of the "condition" from this description?  Any
ideas, input, info, words of wisdom?  Please email me privately and to the
list as I'll be in and out until Monday.  Email me privately at home at:
[log in to unmask]

Thanks!  Keitha :)