My co-Leader began having sore nipples at 2 mo with her current pregnancy. One was sorer than the other and kept getting sorer. She thought at first it was a plugged duct, but nothing seemed to reduce it. She's now 7 months pg. Yesterday she showed me the "lump". It was more like a large welt that went from 5 to 7 on her left breast, below her nipple. My first thought was varicose vein, which was confirmed by her doctor later that day. Since it isn't a plug and it hurts like crazy to nurse on, she's going to wean from that side, tho her 3 year old son thinks "weaning is stupid" (you should hear him discourse on gentian violet). Anyway, do keep varicose veins in mind, at least in pregnant women. This differed from a plug in that it wasn't radial but circumferential. It felt to her very much like a lump or thickening, and she couldn't see it well herself to see that it was more rope-like than blob-like. When her breast hung naturally, it looked like you'd expect a varicosity in thick tissue to look. Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL Ithaca, NY