• Q. My sister who has a 2 year old daughter mentioned to me that she still has some breast milk (very little though) that comes out when she presses her breast. She stopped breast feeding when the child was 8 months old. Is this something to worry about?

  A. Probably not.

  Galactorrhea, is the term used to describe milk coming out of a breast that is not currently being used for breast feeding. It is not uncommon to find isolated incidences of galactorrhea in women after a pregnancy or after having breast fed.

  Breast milk production is a consequence of the interplay of a number of hormones on the breast, primarily that of ESTROGEN, PROGESTIN and PROLACTIN. Simply put, the estrogen and progestin get the breast ready for breast-feeding by ensuring the maturation and growth of the breast tissues, and after delivery of a baby, the rise in prolactin allows it to happen.

  When women who are not breast feeding notice milk coming out, it can mean several things.

• There is an increased amount of PROLACTIN around which is causing this problem.
  If this is the case, and that can be determined by a simple blood test, the woman should see a specialist (an endocrinologist) to help find out why that is.

• There is a normal level of PROLACTIN and the breast has been stimulated or irritated in some way as to cause a short-term rise in PROLACTIN which will go away and is totally harmless. (This is the more common scenario.)

  Things like no longer getting your period, having trouble getting pregnant, headaches or changes in vision can all be caused by the increased PROLACTIN or its causes.

  Either way, a trip to the family doc for a talk about breast changes after pregnancy and the need (or not) of a simple blood test seems warranted.

  Can my husband try my breast milk?

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