Milk in the mammary glands after the cessation of lactation. Galactorrhea: excretion of colostrum outside of feeding; elevated prolactin levels; parlodel

: Hello! In fact, the safest way for the mother's body is gradual decline lactation. It takes about two to three weeks for the milk production to fade - during this time the breast will stop engorging. And although a small amount of milk in the breast can remain for a long time, there is nothing wrong with that. This or that degree of discharge from the mammary gland (including white drops, transparent drops, a trickle, etc.) can remain normal for 3 years after any (ending in childbirth or interruption at any time), and after any period of breastfeeding. This condition is maintained by self-palpation of the nipple (during this manipulation, the level of prolactin increases by 8-10 times), by taking various medicines and some substances, even wearing a tight bra, excessive stimulation of the glands during sex, and a number of other factors. In addition, the age of the child at which the weaning occurred, how many attachments the child was weaned from, how the weaning went (sharply or gradually), even psychological features mother. As for the spontaneous separation of milk from the nipple (the so-called "leakage") - it can normally occur within 3-6 months after the last application and is most often provoked trigger factors oxytocin reflex (hot drinks, baths, thoughts about a child, etc.). The reason for consulting a doctor may be the situation if milk continues to flow from the breast by itself (not with expressing movements!) 3-6 months after the cessation of feeding. It should also be noted that the release of milk in drops when pressing on the nipple and after 3 years from the moment of weaning is not in itself a basis for the uncontrolled prescription of drug lactation blockers. In some cases, the discharge persists for more than three years, even for a lifetime, and is not always a guarantee of any pathology hormonal system or mammary gland (however, the decision on further examination is made by the doctor based on the examination data, when assessing the totality of factors). The reason for a visit to the doctor may be the appearance of violations menstrual cycle, change in the nature of discharge from the mammary glands, secondary. At the very beginning, when the mother stops feeding the baby, the breasts can fill up with milk, become hot and painful. Your task is to monitor the condition of the chest. It can be full, but should be soft. It depends on the number of feedings, how many you have finished. The more feedings you had before weaning, the more often and longer you will have to pump. Then the main goal of the mother is to reduce the production of milk and alleviate discomfort. Regular pumping (by hand or with a breast pump) will be required as soon as the breasts are full. You need to express your breasts only to a feeling of relief - if you try to empty it to the last drop, this will only contribute to increased milk production, because milk is produced in response to breast stimulation. Cold compresses or breast wraps (juicy cabbage leaves or gauze soaked in cool whey) can be used to reduce breast swelling and milk discomfort. Infusions and mints help reduce milk production. Physiologically, involution can be divided into two stages. The active stage begins with the cessation of feeding, when the level of prolactin decreases markedly, cell destruction begins. And the remodeling stage involves the destruction of the alveoli. This final restructuring takes several days - the holes on the nipple close, milk is excreted from the nipple with great difficulty, the breast is soft and “empty”, the composition of the fluid remaining in the breast is specific: many anti-infective factors (macrophages, phagocytes, leukocytes, etc.), which is similar to the composition colostrum. Finally, the mammary gland becomes non-nursing 40 days after the last feeding. glandular tissue begins to be replaced by fat, and the mammary gland returns to the state of the breast of a “mature virgin”. A few more tips: - Do not consume dairy products. - Wear a tight but not tight bra. - Avoid situations in which thinking about feeding can trigger a rush of milk. - Do not bandage your chest. - Contact a consultant breastfeeding, a doctor (mammologist or obstetrician-gynecologist) and stop lactation under his control. All the best!

Good morning.
I apologize for not answering for a long time, due to the pre-holiday hustle and bustle, now is a very busy schedule.
Spontaneous separation of milk from the nipple (the so-called "leakage") - it can normally occur within 3-6 months after the last application, triggered by prolactin and oxytocin reflex triggers (hot drinks, baths, thoughts about the child, etc. ).
This or that degree of discharge from the mammary gland (including white drops, transparent drops, a trickle, etc.) can remain NORMAL FOR 3 YEARS after ANY pregnancy (ending in childbirth or interruption at any time).
About prolactin - this analysis is done to exclude galactorrhea.
If you are concerned about the following:
Constant or intermittent discharge from the nipples, similar to milk, without traces of blood;
Allocations can appear both on their own and as a result of pressure on the nipple;
One or both breasts are affected;
Absence of menstruation or irregular periods;
Headaches and/or blurred vision
Prolactin analysis.
Donate blood from a vein:
Eliminate for 1 day sexual intercourse and thermal effects (sauna), for 1 hour - smoking. Since the level of prolactin big influence render stressful situations, it is desirable to exclude factors that affect the results of research: physical stress(running, climbing stairs) emotional arousal. Therefore, before the procedure, you should rest for 10-15 minutes in the waiting room, calm down.

Biomaterial for research must be taken on an empty stomach. Between the last meal and blood sampling, at least 8 hours should elapse (preferably at least 12 hours). Juice, tea, coffee (especially with sugar) are not allowed. You can drink water.
About the hormone itself:
Prolactin is produced in the pituitary gland. During pregnancy, it is also produced in the endometrium. During pregnancy, prolactin maintains existence corpus luteum and the production of progesterone, stimulates the growth and development of the mammary glands and the formation of milk. This is one of the hormones that contribute to the formation of sexual behavior. Prolactin regulates water-salt exchange, delaying the excretion of water and sodium by the kidneys, stimulates the absorption of calcium.

Daily secretion of prolactin has a pulsating character. During sleep, its level rises. After awakening, the concentration of prolactin decreases sharply, reaching a minimum in the late morning hours. After noon, the level of the hormone increases. In the absence of stress, daily fluctuations in levels are within normal values. During the menstrual cycle in the first phase, the level of prolactin is higher than in the second. From the 8th week of pregnancy, the level of prolactin rises, reaching a peak at 20-25 weeks, then decreases immediately before childbirth and increases again during lactation.
By the way, scientists from the Kimmel Cancer Center have found a mechanism by which the hormone responsible for milk production blocks the oncogene that makes breast cancer more aggressive. (I wrote in the topic about excommunication that long-term preservation breastfeeding protects the mother from breast cancer).
You can also ask me questions about the analysis, but it's better to write in a personal, since the matter is confidential

Galactorrhea is considered to be the excretion of milk or colostrum after cessation of feeding, when more than four or six months have passed. This period of time is considered the norm, and if the discharge continues, you should consult a specialist. What could be the reasons for normal and abnormal colostrum discharge after lactation?

Read in this article

Causes of galactorrhea

The production of milk and colostrum during and after lactation is regulated by a complex of hormones and a number of glands. internal secretion. The main of them is prolactin, and its release into the blood plasma is controlled by the hormones of the pituitary and hypothalamus. This delicate balance can easily be upset. The main reasons for such violations are:

• injuries or neoplasms of the pituitary-hypothalamic system;
• side effects of some combined oral contraceptives;
• pathological process in the ovaries;
• damage to the adrenal system;
• liver or kidney failure;
• taking decoctions of certain herbs (for example, anise or fennel);
• side effect of other drugs (antidepressants, antihypertensives);
• type underwear, unnecessarily tight bra or irritating fabric;
• dysfunction thyroid gland.

The main difference between normal and pathological galactorrhea is that the normal one lasts six months after the cessation of lactation and is associated with an increased content of prolactin in the blood, and the pathological one is associated with one or another disorder in the body.

milk in mammary glands after cessation of lactation can also appear regardless of all of the above factors. This galactorrhea is also called idiopathic. Its reasons are not completely clear. It can occur at any age and even in men. Treatment consists only in a pathogenetic decrease in the concentration of prolactin in the blood plasma.

Clinical signs of pathological galactorrhea

Galactorrhea is characterized by the following clinical symptoms:

• Violation of the menstrual cycle (delays, irregular periods);
• Neurological manifestations in the form of dizziness, headache, disruption of the senses;
• Decreased libido;
• Discharge opaque, yellowish;
• Hair growth in atypical places (chest, face, and so on).

Thus, pathological discharge milk or colostrum after lactation is characterized by a rather bright clinical picture mainly due to hormonal imbalance. It is important to understand that such a process affects several body systems and may not be associated with the place of external manifestation.

For staging differential diagnosis using a range of laboratory and instrumental research. The main examination includes: ultrasonography breast and pelvic organs, mammography, blood test to determine the level of thyroid hormones and prolactin, computed tomography brain.

Abnormal secretion of colostrum after cessation of feeding can have four levels of intensity. At the first level, the liquid is released only when you press the breast in the nipple area. The second level - milk or colostrum itself is allocated in drops. The third level - the liquid itself is released medium intensively. And finally, at the fourth level, colostrum is spurted out.

The intensity of the release is also important. diagnostic value, as it allows you to determine the cause of galactorrhea in a number of doubtful cases.

However, do not forget that often normal is taken for pathological galactorrhea. physiological excretion milk or colostrum after stopping breastfeeding. In some cases, considering individual characteristics women, the discharge can be observed up to six months. Therefore, you should consult a gynecologist only if you have at least two of the above symptoms.

Treatment of galactorrhea

Treatment of pathological galactorrhea consists in finding out the cause and the corresponding effect on the primary affected system. For each disease, this is a narrow range of specific drugs. For example, in the case of identified hypothyroidism, a replacement is prescribed. hormone therapy and if the problem is kidney failure, again, its causes are clarified or hemodialysis is prescribed.

If galactorrhea is due side effect medications taken, they should be discontinued. If we are talking about combined oral contraceptives, find an analogue or a drug of another line is not difficult. When antihypertensive drugs or antidepressants, the situation is similar, today they are presented in a fairly wide range.

When a mother stops putting her baby to the breast, milk does not stop producing immediately. Especially many problems arise if for some reason the feeding of the child is stopped abruptly. The chest is poured, it starts to hurt, seals and even an abscess may occur in it. This usually occurs 2-3 days after HB clotting, and is most often limited to tolerable pain, tingling, and slight inflammation. If the baby was applied actively, then problems can begin already on the first day. To prevent serious health consequences, during this period you need to be very careful about the condition of the breast.

What Not to Do

A lot is connected with the folding of the GW various methods traditional medicine. Some of them really help. Some are useless. But there are also frankly harmful and even dangerous ones. Sometimes a recipe is passed down from generation to generation, but the reason for its use is lost. And they begin to use a seemingly good method in such a way that they get harm instead of good.

If more than six months have passed after childbirth, then it is practically useless to drink hormones to reduce lactation. The fact is that at this time the production of milk is regulated by the emptying of the breast: how much milk is gone, so much comes. A hormonal pills harmful to the body, for example, Bromkriptin can lead to myocardial infarction. Dostinex also has unpleasant side effects. So don't experiment with hormonal drugs independently, without a doctor's prescription.

Bromocriptine mesylate (Bromolactin, Krypton, Parlodel) is a drug that suppresses the production of prolactin. In the US, it is not used to suppress lactation due to the possibility of dangerous side effects, including peripheral vasoconstriction, hypotension, myocardial infarction, convulsions, stroke, and death. About little things like headache, nausea and vomiting, compared to the above, you can not even mention it.

Cabergoline (Dostinex) is used to suppress lactation in Russia and several European countries. It is made on the basis of ergot extract. Side effects common and unpleasant: headache, dizziness, fatigue, nosebleeds. In this state, it is extremely difficult to take care of the baby, so it is necessary to discuss with the doctor whether the use of the drug is necessary.

Often recommended by grandmothers and even some midwives, the method of bandaging the breast is useless and dangerous. Once upon a time in the villages, the breast was bandaged not to stop the flow of milk, but to show the baby that the breast had disappeared and there was nothing more to suck. Bandaging does not reduce the amount of incoming milk, but worsens the blood supply to the mammary glands, and increases the likelihood of pain and mastitis.

You don't need to warm your chest. An exception can only be made for warm shower to relieve pumping and pain during them.

There is no need to starve and not drink. You need to eat as usual. Lactation is not caused by the amount of fluid you drink, but by prolactin, so fluid restriction is completely useless. Studies have shown that if a woman drinks more than 2.5 liters of water per day, this significantly reduces the likelihood of developing lactostasis. You just have to avoid hot drinks for a while, as they provoke milk rushes. Dietary restrictions also do not contribute to a decrease in the amount of milk; only complete exhaustion reduces lactation.

What do we have to do

Usually discomfort after curtailment, HBs last no more than 2-3 weeks. If you turn off the feeding slowly and gradually, then no pain may not be at all. But if the pain is still there, then it cannot be ignored.

1. If for some reason the attachment of the baby to the breast stopped abruptly, then it is necessary to imitate the gradual folding of the breastfeeding as much as possible.
2. At all times, including at night, wear a comfortable, non-pressing but well-supporting bra.
3. To reduce pain, burning and swelling, apply cold compresses. You can use a piece of ice wrapped in a towel. Good for chilled in the freezer cabbage leaves. You can pre-beat them with a hammer, roll them with a rolling pin or just crush them.
4. Because the baby won't eat anymore breast milk, i.e. mom is no longer nursing, then she can take painkillers: Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or any other.
5. If you still have milk, express regularly with your hands or with a breast pump. This should be done several times a day, gradually reducing the number of procedures. The chest does not need to be completely emptied, it is enough to express to a state of relief. In this case, lactation will be practically not stimulated, and the amount of milk will gradually decrease, and stagnation will not form in the breast. You don't have to be afraid of pumping. Only complete pumping has a strong lactagon effect.
6. Can I have a drink herbal infusions. It is believed that sage, mint and parsley help stop lactation. Just do not forget that herbs only help the process. Sage is brewed at the rate of one tablespoon per glass of boiling water. With mint, you can not only drink tea, but also add it to salads and desserts.
7. Light sedatives, for example, Novopassit, motherwort or valerian, will not interfere either.
8. Temporarily exclude from the diet those foods that caused flushes of milk.
9. If redness appears on the chest, or the temperature rises, then immediately consult a doctor.

Why can the chest hurt at the end of breastfeeding

If the breast is a little stinging, but at the same time it is soft, without seals, then this means that there is a slight inflammation, but there is no lactostasis. Such inflammation is well treated with cold. You can attach a piece of ice wrapped in a clean towel or a frozen piece of meat (packed of course). The exposure to cold should last approximately 10-15 minutes.

If there are seals in the chest, then this is already lactostasis. Minor congestion can be cleared up fairly easily with pumping, massage, and cold compresses. In more severe cases, the entire chest becomes stony and sore, the temperature rises. Lactostasis can turn into mastitis. In the most difficult cases formed purulent abscess and may need surgery.

Sometimes pain occurs due to a sudden jump in the sensitivity of the nipples. It depends on the physiological features women and not dangerous to health.

Milk secretion after curdling of breastfeeding

After the last feeding of the baby, milk can be formed in very small quantities in the breast for quite a long time, up to three years. It can occur after any pregnancy and after any period of breastfeeding. To maintain such a minimum lactation can various factors: tight bra, stimulation of the nipples during sex, taking certain medications. Sometimes women themselves provoke this process by constantly checking whether they still have milk.

Spontaneous secretion of milk from the nipples can last from 3 to 6 months. Usually provoked by hot drinks, baths, and sometimes just thinking about the baby.

The appearance of drops of milk when pressed, even after three years, is not always a symptom hormonal disorders. But you still need to see a doctor. If the secretion of milk is accompanied by a violation of the menstrual cycle or infertility, then a visit to the doctor is required.

Laktostasis after curtailing breastfeeding

If breastfeeding stops abruptly, then milk in the breast does not cease to form. In the absence of an outflow, the milk stagnates, the chest becomes stone, it starts to hurt, tingling is felt. If you let this problem take its course, then it is quite possible to wait for mastitis and even an abscess. In this case, the problem can only be solved by surgery.

As soon as the chest began to ache, and even small seals formed in it, treatment should be started immediately. You need to take painkillers. Strain after a while. You can do this under a warm (not hot) shower. If it is difficult to express on your own, then you can ask for help. This is especially true if the entire chest is stone, and it hurts even to touch it. Painkillers will help, but the pain will most likely not be completely removed.

Pumping is carried out using a fatty cream or oil, which lubricates the woman's breasts and the massage therapist's hands. The breast is decanted with gentle movements from the base to the nipple. It is necessary to decant until the seals are completely eliminated. You need to carefully work out all the slices. If a seal remains in at least one, then against the background of a general relief of the state, it is easy to bring the situation to purulent inflammation precisely in this segment of the chest.

In some cases, you may need to drink Dostinex or Bromocriptine. But the decision on the need for medication must be made by the doctor. In addition to drugs that stop lactation, you may need to take antibiotics.

When to go to the doctor

If seals have formed in the chest, and they could not be dealt with immediately, then it is necessary to consult a doctor. If the chest turns red, and the woman has a fever, then a visit to the doctor must be made without delay.

After stopping breastfeeding, milk can be released for a long time, up to three years. But if the discharge suddenly becomes brown, with an admixture of blood, then it is imperative to consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

A meeting with a doctor is also necessary if, after 3 years from the moment of stopping breastfeeding, milk continues to be secreted, and this is accompanied by menstrual irregularities, infertility, and also if the color and nature of discharge from the breast suddenly change.

The least likely pain after cessation of breastfeeding, if the process was gradual. It is even better if self-weaning occurs, i.e. the child has just grown. But even if an abrupt cessation of feeding is necessary, it is possible to curtail breastfeeding without serious consequences for health, if done correctly.