BREAST CARE FOR EXPECTING MOMS
Q:My breasts have changed so much during pregnancy, and I hear from friends that there are more changes to come. I’ve always been a bit paranoid about breast cancer, as I lost a dear friend to it. I never skip a self-examination. But now, I don’t know what I’m feeling anymore. Everything feels like a lump. Please give me some advice on how to examine my breasts for cancer during this time?
A:Linda says: Breast examination is important, and self-checks should be done daily, preferably in the shower or bath, when your body is warm, or as you moisturise your skin. It should be a natural part of your regular routine. A quick gentle massage can help you recognise what feels normal and help you identify any part that is not usual. Doing your breast care, and getting to know the equipment, so to speak, should only take about 20 seconds on each breast. In the shower or bath, under the warm water, massage your breasts gently with tissue oil.
Massage on the breast tissue from your chest wall through to the nipple in all directions. As if your breast was the face of a clock, and your nipple the centre, massage gently, from each number, through towards your areola. Any large mass or thickening that feels different to the rest of the breast and may be tender to touch should be noted. Point out any irregular area that you observe to your midwife or doctor. Any changes in the skin surface of your breast, such as dimpling, puckering or redness should be reported immediately to your gynaecologist or midwife. During your pregnancy, the breast tissue grows, fills and prepares to manufacture milk for your baby. Breasts become heavier and feel fuller in shape and size. The mammary tissue and lobules within the lobes swell and, under the touch of your fingers, feel lumpy – you could imagine touching a cobbled-stoned pathway.
You may even notice a few drops of the “first” milk, called colostrum, leaking onto the surface of your nipple, especially in your third trimester. Your breasts will fill with milk in the first week after the birth of your baby. This is a normal process. Breastfeeding your baby and sticking to your breast-care regime will help you manage this change, identify any problems, and help the drainage of your milk flow effectively through the ducts in the lobes.
Breast cancer can develop and be detected and diagnosed during pregnancy and breastfeeding. There are breast care centres and clinics both in private practice and state hospitals.
In Johannesburg, the Breast Care Centre of Excellence is at the Netcare Milpark Hospital and at the Helen Joseph government hospital. Specialists can assess and treat any breast conditions and abnormalities.