Breast changes during pregnancy
Breasts go through a lot of changes during pregnancy because your body is preparing for breastfeeding. It is one of the very first signs of pregnancy and will continue till the end. As soon as you conceive, there is a rapid change in your hormone levels i.e. estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin, which is the main cause of breast tenderness or other changes in your breast. Let’s look at some of the changes that your breasts go through during pregnancy:
TENDERNESS: Within 1-2 weeks after conception, your breasts feel tender, sore, and sensitive to touch. It is one of the earliest signs of the first trimester. After conception, the levels of hormones raise in your body which cause breast discomfort. Once your body adjusts with the changing hormones, then this symptom fades away i.e. after few weeks. This symptom may reoccur at the end of pregnancy. But in some exceptional cases, the breasts remain tender throughout the pregnancy.
INCREASE IN SIZE: The breasts start growing from the early weeks of pregnancy and continue till the end. You’ll notice an increase in your cup size by a cup or two during pregnancy as compared to it was before. Actually, those pregnancy hormones increase blood flow around your breasts and start expanding milk ducts (preparing to breastfeed) which make your breasts enlarged. As the skin stretches, this also cause itchiness around your breast.
MORE VISIBLE VEINS: During pregnancy, blood volume has increased by 50 % throughout your body to meet the increasing need for you and your developing fetus. This will cause more visible and larger veins around several parts of your body including stomach and breasts, which is completely normal during pregnancy.
AREOLA CHANGES: In second or third trimester, the skin around your nipples (called as areola) becomes darker and larger. This is because pregnancy hormones can cause skin pigmentation. Some little bumps also start forming around your areola during pregnancy, called as Montgomery tubercles, to lubricate that area and to help support nursing. These are small and painless bumps. After breastfeeding, in most of the cases areola comes back to its original color but still a bit darker than before pregnancy.
CHANGE IN NIPPLES: Your nipples also get larger and more sensitive during pregnancy, so it gets difficult for you to rub or touch your nipples. The color and shape of your nipples also changes as pregnancy progresses. In the second trimester, some women may also experience nipple discharge i.e. thick and yellow-colored liquid, called as colostrum (first form of breast milk), as your breasts start forming milk ducts for your developing baby. While other women don’t experience this even after labor. Changes always vary from person to person.
BREAST LUMPS: In some cases, breast lumps develop during pregnancy which is normal. These lumps may be Cysts (fluid-filled sacs), Galactoceles (clogged milk-ducts) or Fibroadenomas (which are non-cancerous breast condition). As the chances of breast cancer is very low during pregnancy especially in your reproductive age, but still if you feel any changes in your lumps, consult your doctor.
STRETCH MARKS: Stretch marks are most common during the last stages of pregnancy around different areas of your skin. Your breasts keep enlarging as pregnancy progresses, so these stretch to its fullest till the third trimester. This makes heaviness, itchiness, and stretch marks around your breasts especially during the last stages of pregnancy. Around 60 to 80 % of women experience stretch marks around their breast.
Tips To Ease Breast Discomfort During Pregnancy
Pregnancy symptoms vary from person to person, as some feel more while others feel less. For most of the women, breast discomfort is part of the pregnancy, but a little knowledge on how to treat your sore breasts in your daily lifestyle may help to ease your discomfort. Breast pain or tenderness during pregnancy can make you feel uncomfortable, though some tips may help you ease breast discomfort which are as follows:
SUPPORTIVE BRA: To ease breast discomfort, one of the first things you need is a nice supportive and comfortable bra. These are of many types like maternity bra, sleep bra, sports bra for pregnancy and nursing bra. Choose the one as per your requirement. Make sure your bra is not too tight and not too loose, it should give proper support to your tender breasts, only then you’ll feel relaxed. Always opt for cotton based soft fabric of the bra over synthetic based and avoid under-wired bra as well (as it suppresses the developed milk ducts). As the size of your breast changes throughout the pregnancy, so the best tip is to shop for 1-2 bras at a time as per your changing size.
NURSING PADS: If you experience nipple discharge during pregnancy, then nursing pads are your solution which prevent leakage and protect your clothes. These nursing pads will also prove very helpful after pregnancy (i.e. during breastfeeding). These come in both disposable and reusable stuff, get the one as per your requirement.
MASSAGE: A gentle massage or a warm compress around the breast not only helps to ease itchiness but also helps to cure blocked milk-ducts. This way it also helps to ease breast tenderness or soreness. Remember to massage it very gently. You can also go for lotions or oils to ease those pregnancy stretch marks around your breast. There is no guarantee of any lotion but yes, in general, moisturizing can help reduce stretch marks on your body.
TREAT CAREFULLY: Your full and heavy breasts are going to be very attractive for your partner. Make sure you talk about your breast tenderness with your partner and let him know what and how to touch. It’s better to not touch it as a safe side. During this phase, your breasts need to be treated very carefully else it can increase your swelling or tenderness. At this phase, your breasts are that sensitive that sometimes even tight clothes may irritate your breasts. So try to wear loose and comfortable clothes.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR: If you feel too much tenderness or pain around your breasts, then don’t worry many medications are also there, that are safe to take during pregnancy. But firstly get it checked by your doctor and take medication under your doctor’s advice.