Cyst Aspiration

Can you wait until you are done nursing? I had a cyst on my knee and it is not comfortable having it aspirated but afterward, there is not much pain at all. You need to ask the doc these questions about if it affects nursing but I would also ask what caused the cyst. I had mine aspirated and 2 months later it was back b/c I did not fix what caused it.

If at all possible, I would just wait until you are finished nursing.

I had a cyst when I had my 2nd child, at age 38-1/2. I was sore and thought it was an enflammed milk duct but when I went for my 6 week check up (at 5 wks), my Dr. sent me to a specialist. The cyst was painful so the aspiration was no big deal. Problem was, they couldn't find anything to send to the lab, except milk. By then, I had started to wean my son, as it was painful to nurse and I had gone back to work F/T. I wound up having the cyst surgically removed and when they biopsied it, they said I had (something-or-other I couldn't pronounce)commonly found in 20 year olds. I just wanted to know if my boobs were like a 20 year olds, why weren't they perky anymore?
Hope they don't find anything!

I did have a cyst aspiration a couple of years ago, but I wasn't breast feeding, though. The aspiration was not painful. I don't even remember being sore afterward. It was weird hearing them talking through the aspiration and not feeling a thing. It was very quick. It only required a band aid and some Tylenol. I don't know much about breastfeeding, having never done it as an adoptive mom, but I wouldn't think this quick needle procedure would cause problems. Good Luck.

Dear C.,

Hello. It is wonderful to hear that you are still nursing exclusively while working part time. Kudos to you! With the recent discovery of the cyst in your breast and the impending needle aspiration, you must be concerned about the procedure and how it will affect breastfeeding.

I am a breastfeeding mother of four children (ages 7 3/4 years, 5 years, 2 3/4 years, and 8 months). I am also a La Leche League Leader in Wilmington, NC. I have some recent personal experience with mammography and ultrasound while exclusively nursing. It was discovered that I had two "questionable" masses in my left breast, neither of which was palpable. The ultrasound report indicated that one might be a solid mass (which was not a definite finding) and the other might not even be be a mass. I went to see a surgeon, who said that ultrasound is not very accurate in lactating women, because of our dense breasts. Mammography alone is also not definitive in lactating women. He did not indicate that I needed an FNA (fine needle aspiration), but he requested a follow up in 3 months, which I have an appointment for already. Since I did not have an opportunity to nurse my baby on the left side prior to the ultrasound (she fell asleep on the right side), it could have been plugged ducts or a galactocele.
But due to this experience, I did some research and found some information that I would like to share with you.

According to The LLLI Breastfeeding Answer Book by Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, and Julie Stock, MA, IBCLC, "fine needle aspiration is a quick, nearly painless procedure, which can be performed in a physician's office with the use of a local anesthetic. Breastfeeding would not need to be interrupted. This procedure can sometimes be used to avoid a biopsy."

In fact, it would be a good idea to bring your baby with you to the doctor's office or medical facility, so that you can nurse the baby while you are waiting, keeping the amount of milk in your breasts at a minimum when you see the doctor.

One of the posssible complications of an FNA is a milk fistula in one of the ducts. I do not have statistics on how commonly this happens, but I don't have the impression that it happens frequently. Perhaps nursing before the procedure could reduce the chances of this happening.

If you don't feel comfortable waiting for the fine needle aspiration (because you really don't know exactly how long you will nurse your baby), then it seems quite reasonable to go ahead with the procedure. Good Luck to you, and God bless you and your family.

Warmly,
J. Hernandez
LLL of Wilmington
____@____.com

I"m glad you asked this cause I go see a surgen on the 17th for the same thing. I'm also worried and I"m going to talk to the surgen about it. If its going to affect my milk then I'm not going to have it done till I'm finished breastfeeding. You need to ask your dr about it too. Sorry I couldnt be more help but its good to know this happens to other women.