Guidance provided by: Dr. Zhang Anqin, Chief Physician and Director of the Breast Department, Guangdong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital
After weaning, some mothers face a new problem: should they express the "residual milk"? Some mothers who insist on expressing the "residual milk" find that it seems impossible to completely remove it, and they panic: will the "residual milk" left in the breast cause cancer?
In fact, lactation is a natural human instinct. After childbirth, the central nervous system in the brain receives the baby's sucking signal and issues a lactation command, causing milk to be produced continuously to meet the baby's physiological needs. As the baby grows and begins to eat other foods, the demand for milk is not as high as during infancy, so the sucking at the breast is not as frequent as before. Or, some working mothers may find it inconvenient to pump or express milk after returning to work, leading to fewer breastfeeding and pumping sessions. At this point, the brain's central nervous system will adjust accordingly based on the baby's demand for breast milk , and gradually, the milk supply will decrease, making weaning a natural process.
Conversely, if you continue to express milk after weaning in order to empty the "residual milk," the breasts will mistakenly think that "the baby still needs milk" after being stimulated by expressing milk , and thus a new round of lactation will begin. In other words, as long as there is repeated stimulation, the milk will always be there and will never be completely emptied.
So, will the "residual milk" that isn't completely expressed become a carcinogen ? First, we need to clarify what causes this so-called residual milk. Besides the milk leakage from the nipple during breastfeeding, many women experience different colored fluids when the nipple is squeezed, including yellow, red, white, and clear liquid. In these cases, it's important to consult a specialist to rule out other possibilities, rather than simply trying to "express residual milk." After normal breastfeeding, some women will experience a prolonged period of "milk" leakage. After ruling out causes like high prolactin levels, observation is usually sufficient; "expressing residual milk" is not recommended, and there is no scientific evidence that it causes cancer. On the contrary, the incidence of a type of chronic mastitis called granulomatous mastitis has recently increased significantly in the Chinese population. Our preliminary epidemiological surveys suggest this may be related to the unscientific practice of "expressing residual milk," especially the indiscriminate and forceful pressure applied to the delicate breasts by some institutions, which can damage the milk ducts. The milky white or yellow discharge from both breasts during the weaning period is a normal phenomenon for breastfeeding mothers and should not cause undue concern.
What issues should mothers pay attention to when weaning their babies?
1. Weaning should be gradual : Weaning is a major event for both baby and mother, requiring both physiological and psychological adjustment. It must be a gradual transition, a step-by-step process, gradually reducing milk production by reducing suckling until it stops completely. It should never be stopped abruptly. Otherwise, stopping abruptly can easily affect the baby's emotions and cause various illnesses. Moreover, for the mother, the sudden weaning may cause breast engorgement. For this type of engorgement, a small amount of milk can be expressed to relieve the engorgement, rather than completely emptying the breasts to avoid sending the wrong signal.
2. During the weaning period, you should appropriately control your intake of foods that promote lactation. If the weaning effect is not good, you can undergo artificial weaning under the guidance of a doctor.
Correspondent: Peng Wenbin
Guangdong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital
