A mastectomy does not always end breastfeeding. After one breast is removed, the remaining breast can work independently and may produce enough milk for a baby.
A mastectomy can change a woman’s body, but it does not necessarily mean the end of breastfeeding. For women who have had one breast removed, the remaining breast can continue to function independently and may produce enough milk to nourish the baby.
This is possible because each breast works independently. Prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production, reaches both breasts through the bloodstream, while the signal to produce more milk acts locally. When a baby feeds more often from one breast, that breast is emptied more frequently and can produce more milk. A single breast can therefore produce enough milk for a baby within the body’s normal range.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
World Health Organization. Global nutrition targets 2030: breastfeeding brief. Breastfeeding
)
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Breastfeeding After Mastectomy: What Women Need to Know
Some women think that something of the cancer or cancer cells will reach the baby through the milk. But breast cancer is not an infection and cannot be passed on through milk. Neither does feeding increase the chance of the disease returning. In fact, studies have shown that breastfeeding is associated with a modest reduction in risk of a woman getting breast cancer.
In case a woman is undergoing cancer treatment, then caution must be exercised.
Chemotherapy drugs are transferred to breast milk, so feeding during chemotherapy is not safe. Tamoxifen and other hormone treatments are also incompatible with feeding and suppress production of milk.
The effect of radiation therapy depends on the type of radiation. Standard external beam treatment leaves neither the woman nor her milk radioactive. But as it causes scarring in the ducts, an irradiated breast will usually yield little milk. However, the untreated side will produce milk normally. Scans using radioactive tracers may require milk to be discarded for the period of treatment. The oncologist and pediatrician are the right people to guide in this regard.
Coming to nipple-sparing surgery, while the procedure preserves the natural appearance of the breast and some sensation, the operation removes the milk-producing tissue behind the nipple.
Whatever the technique, a breast that has had a mastectomy will almost never produce milk. This is to be considered by women with an inherited gene fault that significantly increases risk of
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Is the Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?
This must be judged by the baby’s physical development with signs such as steady weight gain and meeting the growth milestones.
Do not let feeding delay a check-up. A lactating breast is naturally lumpy, and blocked ducts and mastitis are common and almost always harmless. However, in case of a lump that has not reduced in a fortnight, or a red patch that doesn’t respond to antibiotics, a mother must undergo an ultrasound scan.
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Low Milk Supply After Mastectomy: What Happens Next?
Sometimes one breast may not produce enough milk for the baby’s needs, particularly if it has undergone irradiation. After surgery on both sides, feeding may not be possible at all. Mixed feeding and formula milk are then options.
Many women may feel the loss of the ability to feed as a grief quite separate from the cancer. This can happen years later after recovery when they have a baby. Counselling can be beneficial in this case.
If a woman is planning a baby after breast cancer treatment, she must speak to her doctor about feeding beforehand to understand what to expect.
Reference:
- World Health Organization. Global nutrition targets 2030: breastfeeding brief. (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09382)
Source-Medindia