Woman develops third nipple in armpit during pregnancy. Apollo Hospitals doctor reacts

'Telling me I have a third nipple in my armpit before I even had my first postpartum poop is diabolical work,' the woman, identified as only Jasmine, said, joking about how little sleep she’d had. (Image credit: @gynaegirls/Instagram)

An American woman on TikTok and Instagram has gone viral after claiming she discovered that the darkened patch and swelling in her armpit — which she had long assumed was stubborn fat — was actually extra breast tissue with an additional nipple. The revelation came shortly after she delivered her second baby.

In her video, the woman, identifies as Jasmine, said she had given birth just five days earlier when a lactation consultant examined her and casually informed her that the swelling in her underarm was “extra breast tissue” — and that she also had “a nipple” there.

"I breastfed my first baby for one-and-a-half-years, so I'm thinking that there's nothing this nurse can say that's going to surprise me," Jasmine said. But during the consultation, she mentioned that her armpits always carried what she believed was excess fat that darkened during pregnancy.

According to her, the consultant took a look and immediately identified it as a nipple. "When you're pregnant, your nipples and areolas will get really dark, and I have noticed the same change with my armpits, so I was like 'Great! extra breast tissue, I already knew that.' And then the lactation consultant is like 'Let me see,' and I show her, and she goes, 'Oh! yeah... And that's a nipple'."

“I’m gagged,” Jasmine said in her video. “She’s like, ‘Yeah, you have a third nipple on your armpit’ as if it’s cute or something.”

The new mother added that the discovery — made while she was still exhausted and recovering from childbirth — left her stunned. “Telling me I have a third nipple in my armpit before I even had my first postpartum poop is diabolical work,” she said, joking about how little sleep she’d had.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Helen | Women’s Health Community (@gynaegirls)

'I avoid stimulating the underarm boob’

In a follow-up clip, she displayed what she described as her “underarm boob.” Responding to viewer questions, she clarified that she never attempted to pump milk from the additional nipple because she did not want to stimulate the tissue.

“Regular breast production is sufficient for me,” she said, noting that the extra tissue was painful and that she might consider surgical removal after she decides not to have more children.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Helen | Women’s Health Community (@gynaegirls)

Women social media users recall similar experiences 

Jasmine's video prompted hundreds of comments from women saying they had experienced similar conditions:

“Axillary breast tissue — I had this and got it removed surgically,” wrote one user, explaining that the area enlarges during pregnancy and breastfeeding and only partially shrinks later.

Another user, who identified as a lactation consultant, commented: “It’s definitely true — also called a supernumerary nipple. I have one myself on the tummy.”

Several users said they had them in both armpits, with one adding: “I can even squeeze milk out if I’m breastfeeding. Only 3 percent of women have this.”

Doctor explains what likely happened

Reacting to the viral posts, Dr Rooma Sinha, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, told Moneycontrol that the woman’s description is consistent with what is known as the axillary tail of the breast — a normal extension of breast glandular tissue that tapers into the underarm.

“Some women have axillary tail of the breast. This is probably that,” Dr Sinha said. “It may produce milk if it has active mammary glands.”

She clarified that while humans can have supernumerary nipples along what is known as the “embryonic milk line,” extending from the armpit toward the chest, it does not extend down to the thigh, countering some exaggerated anecdotes circulating online.

According to experts, the axillary tail can feel like a lump or thickened area — particularly during hormonal changes such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or menstruation — and may become tender or enlarged. Surgical removal is an option for women who experience discomfort, cosmetic concerns or recurrent swelling.