Anatomy of the Lactating Breast

Medela recently announced the results of research that overturns 160 years of received wisdom concerning the female breast. This has important implications for women.

Professor Peter Hartmann, Dr Donna Geddes (née Ramsay) and their team, working in collaboration with Medela at the University of Western Australia’s Human Lactation Research Group, investigated the lactating breast using sophisticated ultrasound technology.

Their findings overthrew a number of commonly accepted conclusions. The new picture of the anatomy of the breast revealed changes the way the breast should be cared for, especially during surgery. And it will help breastfeeding mothers gain a better understanding of the way their breasts work, to the benefit of their health and that of their babies.

Among many fresh insights, Dr Ramsay found that the number of milk ducts in the breast is lower than previously believed. Breast size modification surgery will have to take this into account, since the loss of only a few ducts can seriously compromise a woman’s ability to breastfeed.

Our understanding of the way in which the breast produces and delivers milk has also changed. The currently accepted model includes so-called lactiferous sinuses, which were believed to store milk. It turns out that these do not, in fact, exist.

Because of the uneven distribution of milk glands, the absence of lactiferous sinuses, and the high variability in the number of milk ducts, mothers need to consider their own particular anatomy when deciding how to use their hands to support their breasts during breastfeeding or manual expression. The studies also show that a rapid first milk ejection is important for efficient milk removal and that it is crucial to choose breastshields of the correct size.