A story about ABF: The breastfeeding circle for adults. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. A milk emergency.
Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., the group began meeting in a “group therapy” format. Initially, no more than four or five women would attend; Susane and Nicole would discuss the progress and challenges these women were experiencing, while also taking the opportunity to practice the proper use of breast pumps and—as an added benefit—make donations to the city’s breast milk bank. Four sessions in, on a rainy afternoon while the group was in session for 30 minutes, someone knocked nervously on the door of the room where they were meeting.
Susanne opens the door and is met by a woman—1.70 meters tall, with a voluptuous build and notably large breasts—who is completely soaked from the rain outside. She clutches her handbag, looking as though she’s in a bit of a rush:
“Hi! This is the breastfeeding group, right?”
Susanne: “Yes! How can we help you?”
– Yes! I need your help. I’ve been traveling on the highway for a few hours, returning from a work visit, and my breast pump has broken down. If I don’t express milk regularly, it becomes a serious issue—I’m already experiencing leakage and pain. I called a friend who lives nearby, and she mentioned that this health clinic has hospital-grade breast pumps available. Would I be able to use one?
It is an urgent situation.
– S.: Don’t worry, of course we’ll help you. What’s your name?
– L.: My name is Lucie. Forgive me for bursting in like this—you’ll understand once I explain.
Nicole and the other women present take one of the breast pumps used for milk bank donations, bring it over to a chair, and set it up. As Lucie sits down and unbuttons her blouse, the group is met with a sight they hadn’t expected.
Beneath her blouse, Lucie wore a nursing bra that looked as if it were about to burst—or, at the very least, was a size too small for her breasts. With a display of remarkable dexterity, Lucie undid the bra’s clasps, freeing her breasts, which were already leaking and appeared visibly swollen and engorged.
Beneath her blouse, Lucie wore a nursing bra that looked as if it were about to burst—or, at the very least, was a size too small for her breasts. With practiced skill, Lucie undid the clasps of the bra, freeing her breasts, which were already leaking and appeared visibly swollen and engorged. Her thick nipples—surrounded by medium-sized, somewhat darkened areolas—became erect upon contact with the air, leaving all the women present with their mouths agape.
Seeing this, Susane exclaimed:
“You’re leaking and completely full! How long has it been since you last expressed milk?”
“A little over four hours—far too long. I had planned to pump while driving back, but the pump broke down. I’m an overproducer; if I don’t empty my breasts every three hours or less, this happens—and they were already starting to ache.” As she says this, the breast pump shields are positioned on her, and the device is switched on. The moment the suction begins, a look of clear relief washes over Lucie’s face; almost immediately, her nipples shift from merely leaking to releasing small, rhythmic jets of milk, synchronized with the pumping action of the device.
The device had started in “massage” mode to facilitate milk expression; as it progressed, Susane switched it to deep-expression mode. The rhythm shifted to a slower, deeper pace, moving Lucie from a state of relief to one of comfort—and even a touch of pleasure—eliciting soft moans from her. While this is happening, Nicole asks: – “Is there anything else we can help you with? Are you very far from home?”
– L. “No, I’m only 20 minutes away, heading west on the highway; if everything goes well, I’ll arrive in time to pick up my daughter, who is at my brother’s house.”
– N. Forgive the personal question. So, do you spend a lot of time away from your baby for work?
– No problem; I understand why you might find the situation striking—it does sound a bit strange. I don’t have a baby; My only daughter is 7 years old.
Susana begins to notice that, as they are subjected to suction, Lucie’s nipples start to elongate—to the point where they fill the sides of the breast pump flange in a way she has never seen in all her years as a lactation consultant.
– N. But are you breastfeeding your daughter, who is already of school age?
– L. Off course not. I haven’t breastfed her since she was 2 years old. The thing is, I’m producing so much because that’s what I do for a living—I work as a wet nurse.
As Lucie recounts this, Susane observes that the breast pump containers are filling up, yet the flow of milk from the nipples shows no sign of slowing down.
– N. But wet nurses for children hardly exist anymore—or at least that’s what I thought.
– L. Many people think that, but they still exist, Lucie remarks, meanwhile pressing down a bit harder on one of her breasts to prevent any milk from spilling out as the device extracts it. “I’m an overproducer of milk, and what could be a curse has become a source of income and a lifestyle for me.”
-After some time—and following the birth of my daughter—I realized that I didn’t have to discard or donate all the excess milk I was producing. Besides, I truly enjoy breastfeeding, so it’s not an issue for me; it has become my job and my way of life.
– N. That’s great—do you work full-time as a wet nurse?
– L. At first, I started with what I knew best: breastfeeding babies whose mothers were unable to do so for various reasons and who did not want their babies to be fed solely with supplements from a bottle.
As Lucie recounts her story, her breasts appear less engorged; her nipples now fill the entire flange of the breast pump, yet they continue to express milk—to the point that they are on the verge of filling the system’s rather large collection containers.
– L.: It was a bit of a job, in a way, but children grow up and eventually stop nursing. So, I didn’t always have many clients—until one day, while browsing online, I stumbled upon sites for adults who want to be breastfed.
All those present asked, almost in unison, “Adults? Really?”
– L. Yes, adults—that’s who I started working with. Naturally, I had doubts and fears at first, but I eventually found my footing. I’ve really come to enjoy it; it gives me a great deal of pleasure, and, on top of that, it provides a very good income.
Tami, another person present—the youngest in the group, a 19-year-old single mother—says: “I had never heard of anything like that, but it doesn’t hurt your breasts; if a tiny baby can do it, an adult certainly can too.”
– L. That’s true, but it can be avoided. I have very clear rules with my clients: if they hurt me on purpose, the session ends. I’ve learned and improved my service so that those of us who enjoy this can understand each other well. The main consequence is that, after more than 3 years of working this way, my nipples have developed even further—as you can see, they’ve grown significantly in size and sensitivity, and I produce a great deal of milk. As I mentioned, I’ve always had the capacity to produce milk, but having an adult nursing from me places greater demand on my breasts, which increases production. Fortunately, drinking plenty of water and maintaining a good diet is enough to manage it. One of the main issues—which is happening to me now and has happened before—is that if I don’t express milk periodically, my breasts become full and very painful.
When Lucie finishes saying this, she notices that everyone is looking at her with expressions of great surprise. She takes the opportunity to point toward the container where the milk is collected, which is now nearly full.
When the device is disconnected, everyone notices the even greater size that Lucie’s nipples have reached.
Lucie asks for a skin and nipple care cream to be retrieved from her bag. She applies a small amount to each breast and puts her clothes back on.
– L. Thanks for everything, ladies. You’ve saved me from a serious problem.
– S. Don’t mention it—that’s what we’re here for. You can count on us.
– L. I’ll come back to visit next Wednesday at this same time; it’s on my way anyway. Does that work for you?
– N. Yes, of course! We’re all looking forward to hearing more of what you have to share—especially about your own experiences.
– L. Great! I love the idea of ​​having someone to talk to about these topics. I really should be going now; I need to get home. Bye!
Everyone there was left a bit stunned by what Lucie had shared, though they didn’t discuss it much during the remainder of the session—yet many were eagerly looking forward to meeting again the next Wednesday.