About the mom with the painful nipple bleb. I Have seen this several
times, it is sometimes referred to as a calcium type plug. Warm
compresses and pumping with a full size electric piston type pump at
regular intervals seems to remove these very well. Actually I believe
better than breastfeeding alone. Something about that pressure from the
pump actually pulling the plug out. My Co-Leader had one of these that
persisted for several months and several treatments until she tried this
and then it came out after about a week of pumping on the affected side.
It probably would not of taken so long but it had been in there giving
her pain and repeated infections for 6 months before we met. When it did
finally start to come out it came in pieces much like pieces of orzio
pasta. It did bleed some. She likened it to giving birth through her
nipple. Please ask this mom if this bleb was proceeded by any vigerous
upper body exercises. At this point, all the mom's I've seen seem to
have this incommon for some reason. One was doing repetative hand over
hand rope climbing all weekend, she was teaching it.
DEE Keith, IBCLC,  LLLL,  Mother of ten BF children.