HI, I have just had a lump removed along with my nipple and a bit more. Was breast feeding at the time it was diagnosed so had to stop - feel quite gutted about that. Terribly worried that I might have been giving my baby ‘dodgy’ milk. He has been quite a sicky baby since birth. He’s on formula now which is giving him a bit of a runny tummy. Just wondered if anyone else in the same situation and what brand of milk you swapped onto.
Found the lump during late pregnancy but was initially told it wasn’t anything to worry about, a recent follow up showed it was breast cancer. Anyone else is the same situation?
Have been there! Diagnosed last april when baby was 8mths. Had to stop breast feedin her that night…terrible wrench! I went onto Hipp Organic follow on milk as felt at least it was organic!! she tolerated it fine as she was having a cup a day anyway.
Have done chemo and rads. There is no proof breast cancer goes through milk and it is felt that even if little cells did, the stomach acid would kill them.
It took 9mths for me to get a referral and my lump was obvious in pregnancy but trebled once i gave birth.
Baby is now 17mths and there is light at the end of my tunnel!
Any questions just ask.
S
Hi Kerryann
Sorry you’ve had to join us on here but welcome!
Please don’t worry about having passed anything bad on to your little one - I asked about this when diagnosed seven months ago, and was told that I couldn’t have. My baby boy was nine months then and I had literally just finished breastfeeding when when I felt the lump. He went on to SMA Formula 1 and we had no problems with it. He is now a strong, healthy 16 month old and now has SMA Formula 3 Toddler Milk as his night time bottle.
I think being diagnosed with BC when you have a baby is really tough, so please feel free to message me at any time or ask any questions. I had tumour removed (stage 2) and then lymph nodes removed which were all clear. I didn’t have to have chemo, but had four weeks radiotherapy as an inpatient (as hospital was a four hour round trip from my home). The hardest part about that was simply being away from the baby.
I am now back at work doing a phased return, and trying to get on with a ‘normal’ life. I do have to say that my baby got me through the past seven months as I knew I had to keep going for him, and there’s no time to sit down and feel sorry for yourself when there’s a little person needing fed or cuddled.
Let us know how you get on, and keep smiling : )
Shenagh xx
Thanks both, you have made me feel less alone. Glad to hear that you and your little ones are doing well. I wish you much luck in the months ahead. Would be delighted to chat about your experiences, or just about being mums! I haven’t worked out how to message yet, but hopefully I will soon. Take care.
Hi Kerryann,
I had just stopped feeding when i was diagnosed. My GP said even if the cells did go through they would just be dead cells by that point and harmless. I worried too as my daughter has always been a little sickly.I found a lump in her neck last month and rushed her to the doctors terrified, her glands were up because she had a cold, how embarrassing!! I Put her on Heinz nurture when i’d finished breast feeding.And it upset her tummy for a couple of weeks. I was told by health visitor that was normal as it was a complete change.
How are you coping with been diagnosed and been a mum to a little one. I think i was more frightened for them than me when i was diagnosed. It didn’t seem fair to them. Luckily they’re to young to understand the implications, one is eighteen months and the older one is nearly four and loves telling any one. ‘Mummy only has one booby now, the doctors humpty dumpty’d her’. Mortifying every time but quite funny.
You are not alone in your worries, Hope your oping okay.
Debs
Hi, I found my lump just as I started weaning my daughter onto a bottle when she was almost six months old. She wasn’t putting on weight n I think my milk had started going as had happened with my other two children at the same stage. I think I may have only noticed the lump coz my boobs were aching n engorged etcn I was trying to relieve them a bit. It was hard to stop feeding her completely but not as much of a wrench as I was already giving her some bottles, I use Aptimil coz that’s what i used with my other two. If my milk hadn’t started to go it may possibly have been a while longer before I even noticed the lump so I’m glad that my boobs let me down if that makes sense? I’ve had a mastectomy now n had my 2nd course of chemo last week n thankfully seem to be doing ok as does my daughter who is a very happy healthy n cheeky ten month old. Xxx
mornin , hope you dont mind just reading your posts , and your fears for little ones, interesing point re stomach acid would kill cancer cells passed via milk, i also was told , that the best treatment would be domestos as it has been proven in lab that it also kills cancer cells, they just need to work out how to put it in the human body.
maybe the cure is nearer to home than we think
heres hoping , wishing and praying
keep warmxx
Hi all,
I too was diagnosed whilst breastfeeding - my baby was just 8 weeks when I found out. Moved her to aptamil eventually, but continued to breastfeed from the other boob throughout two surgeries (this was quite stupid of me in retrospect but I felt so guilty about giving up - crazy really). So so long as you are confident in your surgeon you can still keep feeding - but bear in mind that there will be a lot of milk around in the surgery (it is hard for the brain to stop producing milk from one and not the other and I only had about a week’s notice to stop on that side). Also though, my lump was 8cm wide and still I only had a lumpectomy (I have big boobs, yes) - luckily the malignant bit was only 2.5cm, but my point is that they should easily be able to remove a lump that size without any bother - if not, I’d ask for another surgeon!.
Good luck,
J
Jessgp my lump was 7cm wide x 5cm with cancer being 2cm in centre and i too had a lumpectomy and surgeon actually said he rarely does mastectomies unless absolutley nec as recovery is so long and hard. Got a good one i think! shame he told me my lump was 99% benign befpre the results came back! Cant win them all…!
S
Hi all, reassuring because I’m just debating whether to stop feeding her or not - she’s 9mths but I fed her bro till he was 2 and wanted to do same for her. Not diagnosed yet just doc found a lump, mammo and ultra friday - tho when I rang hosp earlier they said no mammo if breastfeeding.
I was more concerned about it passing to my baby. Everytime I feed her I’m wondering what I’m doing to her but at the same time thinking I’ve been doing this for the past 9months - goodness knows how long lump has been there - stop being silly.
So I’ve compromised and am not feeding from the dodgy breast. Hence it is engorged and leaking everywhere - yeuch.
Hi everyone,
I have had a look at your posts, hope that you dont mind. I was diagnosed with BC on Thursday this week, so still all new and bit of a shock. I am 32 and have a 2 year old daughter who I am breastfeeding. I am in the process of finding out more information on continuing feeding on the unaffected side (at the moment awaiting a mammogram and MMR on Monday) and the effect this may have on surgery. There doesnt seem to be much research on the effect of still feeding on one side on surgery and the best outcome. I would be grateful if anyone can share your experiences with me…thanks
It is possible to be breastfeeding and have an MRI scan, Mammogram and Ultrasound scan. Obviously it will be uncomfortable after the mammogram, but entirely safe.
Hi.
I stopped breastfeeding after my diagnosis. When I had my op a few weeks later I still had milk (although not much). It wasn’t a problem for the surgery. I had a mammogram while breastfeeding. It was fine, no pain, no milk squirting! Although because of my age (under 35) the tissue was to dense and the mammogram showed nothing (although I already had a positive diagnosis from an ultra sound and biopsy.) During my initial ultra sound the doctor commented on the fact that the breast looks different when you are feeding as the milk is reflective so it can be difficult to get a full picture. He had said that an MRI may give a better (fuller) picture. I was unable to have an MRI due to giving birth (just under a year ago) and breast feeding. Experts said that the scan would “light up like a Christmas tree” with all the hormones and as such the results would be illegible. I’ve been told it may be possible further down the line. Hope that helps. You should also discuss if you can feed if you have to have Chemo or Hormone therapy as that will clearly effect your whole body not just one breast. I have only recently had my op so its all new to me too - good luck.
Hi again, - sorry have just had another thought. Would it make a difference if your BC was Hormone receptor positive or negative? Are estrogen levels higher when your feeding? If so would continuing to feed have a negative impact if your BC was Estrogen receptor positive? Not sure - another one to ask the experts!
OK, now this is a topic I feel I now know a little about…although not loads!
Look at a research paper entitled “Medications and Mothers Milk” by Thomas Hale (2008). He says you can have chemo and continue to breastfeed - you just pump and dump for a certain amount of time after each cycle to get rid of the drugs and then carry on as normal until the next cycle. Different drugs stay in your system for different amounts of time. He also says that having radiotherapy whilst feeding isn’t a problem - only issue there is that the treatment can cause scaring which can stop/reduce milk flow.
I had a lumpectomy (grade 3 18mm, lymph nodes clear) in October at 16 weeks pregnant with my second child. I have recently had my 3rd cycle of EC chemotherapy. They will be delivering baby after cycle 5 and I will have a couple more cycles after the birth.
My Obstetrician, Oncologist and baby’s Pediatrician are all supporting me in breastfeeding as long as I also listen to them as well. They said that the official guidelines are to discontinue breastfeeding but that is because of a lack of research rather than anything else. They also pointed out that less chemo would be in breast milk than would travel over the placenta. They have asked me to pump and dump for 10 days after each cycle and then carry on. Thomas Hale’s research is what I told them about and after they read it and discussed it they agreed with him - apparently he’s a highly regarded American pediatrician and pharmacologist (?quite the right word?)
I started a thread on this board a few months ago with quotes from his research so you might find that handy.
Just to point out that I’m not hormone positive (or negative) so don’t know how this affects things. Obviously always listen to your health providers. What I’m trying to say is that you don’t always HAVE to stop - sometimes, it’s about getting people to believe in what you want to do and finding a solution between you.
Good luck
Faye