Polly Thelia

I have a third nipple.

"Supernumerary nipple" is the medical term. During their very early development, all mammals of both sex have what is known as a milk line, two ridges that run bilaterally down each side of the chest from the near the shoulder to the groin. In humans, the extra nipples that form along the milk line usually disappear around the 8th or 9th week. 

It was only about year ago that I realized that I have one. I'd always noticed the mark, but I never  knew what it really was. I had been offered many possible explanations by relatives and partners, eg, a birthmark, the ubiquitous coffee-table injury suffered by a clumsy child, and even a cigarette burn scar (gasp!).

You can't really detect it from a distance. Look on my left side, just below my ribcage. You can kind of make it out.  (Click to enlarge.)

Here it is.

A closer look

Even closer. (Too close, you're probably thinking.)

Anyway, while I was giving a massage treatment to a dog, I was curious as to why male dogs have so many nipples. So I did a little research into the issue, and during the process ran across this business of a milk line that occurs in all mammals. Mention was made of the occasional anomaly in humans whereby one or more extra nipples stick around after they should disappear. The light bulb glowed brightly.

I suppose I could get a medical professional to look at it and confirm my "diagnosis," but aside from a bit of fairly disturbing medical research linking the presence of supernumerary nipples to renal disease and an assortment of other conditions, there's not much to worry about. <nervous giggle>

Comments

[Miss Tara Bean]

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this! I even checked to make sure that I didn't have one!

[homer]

Ummm, this explains everything.

[jimbo]

Just one of the many commonalities you share with Mark Wahlberg.

[Larissa]

Hmmmm... I am not sure whether this is getting close to being an over-share. LOL.