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Expert Q&A

	By Melissa Clark Vickers International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Moms & Babies Huntingdon, Tenn.

I have a mole on my areola and I would like to have it removed. Can I have it removed if I'm breastfeeding? Would it affect my milk or the baby?

Having the mole removed should not affect your milk or your baby. The bigger question (and one that only you -- and maybe your dermatologist -- can answer) is whether you need to have it removed right now. Is the mole suspicious-looking at all, that is, is your doctor concerned about this mole either being cancerous or a precursor to cancer? If that is the case, then it ought to be dealt with sooner rather than later. If it is more a matter of cosmetics, it might be better to wait.

Chances are, your baby is unaware of the mole -- he's never nursed on any other breasts than yours, so he wouldn't know any difference! Depending on where the mole is, exactly, and how large your areola is, this would determine in part how much discomfort you may experience by having it removed right now. If it is in an area that your baby normally covers with his mouth, then it will be difficult to keep covered while it is healing.

Women do have surgery on their lactating breasts at times for such reasons as abscesses, and find creative positions to keep the strain off the incision while it heals. Sometimes, milk will leak at the site of the incision -- depending on how deep the surgeon cuts your mole, you might or might not experience this. Leaking milk in this case is a nuisance, but not dangerous -- remember all the antibacterial properties of your milk!

One other thought: Are you sure this is a mole and not one of the Montgomery glands that are present around the areola? These appear as a series of bumps that become more pronounced during pregnancy and lactation and are thought to secrete an oil that helps keep the nipple clean.

Talk with your dermatologist about this mole, and if you decide it needs to be done now, ask your doctor to be mindful that you are nursing and would like to continue. Ask whether he or she would have to cut deep enough to risk severing nerves that might make breastfeeding more difficult.

Hope this helps!

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