Pregnancy

Breast Changes during Pregnancy

Your body will change during your pregnancy including your breasts, which will begin a process to get ready for breastfeeding. Breasts will go through a number of different changes, including tenderness, swollen and hypersensitivity during the early months after you become pregnant, growth and enlargement, change in breast size and shape, and darkening of your areolas and nipples due to hormones affecting your skin's pigmentation.

As the pregnancy is in progress, your breasts will experience more and more changes. Darkened veins along your breasts will appear due to increased blood supply, the areolas and nipples will grow larger and nipples will stick out more, while small glands on the surface of the areolas (called Montgomery 's tubercles) become raised bumps.

Because of the hormones causing these and other changes, you may experience breasts change effects more or less than other pregnant women, including the possibility of having your breasts leaking a yellowish, thick substance, best known as colostrum. Besides, your breasts may be more or less sore as the changes come and go.

Changes are more noticeable and occur more often starting at about 8 weeks, when your breasts will begin to get bigger and bigger every single day, going up a cup size or two, particularly if you are expecting your first baby. Due to this reason, it is not advisable to purchase your breastfeeding bra until the last week of pregnancy in order to know the extra size that you may require.

While changes occur, itchy sensations are felt as the skin stretches. Many women develop stretch marks on their breasts due to this process. Women with small breasts may feel happy with their new curves, but for those with large breasts the enthusiasm may turn into depression or discomfort that a good supportive bra can relieve.

Some pregnant women with large breasts use a cotton supportive sports bra to sleep at night to lessen the discomfort. Other women will feel emotional discomfort if their breasts do not grow too much. However, it is normal because breasts growth is different for each woman and small or large, the size does not mean potential problems for breastfeeding.

Breast changes during pregnancy occur because your body produces more hormones such as progesterone and estrogen. These hormones are in charge of rising hormone levels that cause breast tissue changes and increased blood flow. Such changes are the cause of the early tenderness symptoms of pregnancy that make your breasts feeling sore, tingly, swollen, and unusually sensitive to touch.