Is this normal breast development?

[manchestermafia]

My daughter is 10 and very thin, probably about 60 lbs. She has been complaining about a bump under one of her nipples. I think it feels like a rib. If you look closely, you can see one breast maybe beginning to bud, but the other one is completely flat. Is this normal for one to start before the other and to have a hard lump directly under the nipple? She has not been to the dr. in 4 years, but we have an appointment scheduled for October. It's been way too long for me to remember my own development. She is so thin that I don't think it is budding. Any advice?

[quantumleap]

This is totally anecdotal, but that's how it happened for me. I was 10, and barely 10, and thin (although, not as thin as your dd!), and I distinctly remember that I started out with a nickel-sized lump under only one nipple. I could shift it around a bit under the skin, but it didn't really hurt. Sort of like how if you extend and relax your knee, you can shift your kneecap a bit. My mom was concerned enough to get me to show my nurse grandmother, who was completely unconcerned.
Things did even out within a reasonable period of time (a month or two, I think). I had big breasts for my age, but they were never lopsided (well, not until pregnancy/breastfeeding!), and never grew beyond an A cup, or a very ambitious B in certain brands.

Is her lump painful? If it's not painful, or red, or oozing anything, or otherwise showing signs of infection or other oddness, I'd probably just keep an eye on things and wait until your scheduled apt to ask about it. Unless *she's* freaking out about it and you aren't able to reassure her.

[orangefoot]

This is exactly how my breasts began to feel at around age 12 and it was definitely one side before the other. I was freaked out because a family friend had breast cancer and I worried that I had a cancerous lump. My mum reassured me that it wasn't but a bit like the PP, I didn't grow breasts any larger than a AA cup in the end!

[gilamama]

i also remeber being scared and then being told that i had breast buds. it sounds so dorky now.

[MangoMommy]

Sounds like breast buds to me. My nearly 10 yr old has I think both sides now, just barely. She is also very thin, about 55 lbs.

I also don't remember when this happened for me, and my mom doesn't either. UGG. Just seems so early, but I don't think it is.