When my daughter was six months old, and exclusively breastfeeding, we were both involved in a car crash.
I was sitting in the back of the car with her when the crash happened. Another driver turned across our path on a national speed limit road. The airbags went off, but there were none in the back, so my seat belt was the only thing to hold me in place. It did a great job of keeping me safe overall, but it crushed one of my breasts. Thanks to her rear-facing car seat, my daughter seemed completely unhurt, except for a small bruise from her car seat belt. My partner, who was driving, was fine except for a burn from the airbag. We feel very lucky in the grand scheme of things.
My injured breast immediately started to swell. It became bruised and painful. We went to A&E, where they arranged for a breast pump to be brought down from the maternity ward. Barely any milk came out, and what did come out was bright red. Luckily the other breast continued to produce normally, despite a small amount of bruising. I was advised to continue using a pump on the damaged breast. I had an ultrasound scan a few days later, which revealed that there was nothing that could be immediately done. The next few weeks were extremely painful, with more pumping, and the swollen breast feeling like it was burning whenever I moved. I could barely pick up or hold my daughter, and we were stuck indoors for weeks.
I was eventually referred to a breast clinic by my GP, where another ultrasound revealed a huge amount of fluid buildup. A needle was used to drain over a pint of liquid, which a nurse cheerfully described as looking like a latte! The relief from pain was immediate. But the consultant warned me that if the swelling returned, I may need to stop breastfeeding altogether, to stop milk production and allow the breast to heal. This fitted with the only other similar case I could find online – a woman who had been told to stop breastfeeding her newborn after a car crash because of the same injury. I found this prospect extremely upsetting. I couldn’t bear the idea of suddenly taking away my daughter’s milk and comfort.
In a few days the swelling returned, but not to quite the same extent. Again it was drained with a needle, and I was given antibiotics. The consultant agreed that I could continue breastfeeding for the time being, whilst we waited to see if the fluid buildup would reduce further. It did. The cycle continued, with me returning to hospital to be drained every few days, but with less and less liquid being drained each time. All the while I had to continue pumping what was now pink milk from the damaged side every few hours. Eventually, after a few months, there was nothing left to drain. The small amount of milk being produced turned white, and I began to feed my daughter with the damaged breast. No more pumping, hurray! The pain reduced, and the breast started looking more normal, except for a ridge where the seat belt had been.
It’s now about nine months since the accident and I am still breastfeeding my daughter, on both sides. My injured breast produces very little milk, but still provides her with comfort. The unaffected side seems to produce enough milk to satisfy her. Now she’s eating solids, I don’t worry so much that she’s not getting enough. I suspect, but don’t know for sure, that the milk ducts were damaged. Milk from most of my damaged breast couldn’t reach the nipple, and eventually that part of the breast stopped producing milk. Consultants haven’t been able to tell me if the supply will ever return on the damaged side. It seems unlikely to me.
I’m a bit lopsided-looking now, given that one breast has done almost all the feeding for the last nine months! But we have gone from thinking I would have to stop breastfeeding completely and suddenly, to still feeding nearly a year later.
I wanted to write this story in case it helps anyone else facing a similar injury. There may be hope for continued breastfeeding, even if things seem uncertain. I’m so grateful for my consultant’s wait-and-see approach. It allowed me and my daughter to enjoy many more months of happy breastfeeding.
By Anonymous, Yorkshire
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