Breasts Is it normal for breasts to be tender during pregnancy?

How the Breast Changes during Pregnancy
Breastfeeding is the final stage of breast development for women who have children. Recognizing and understanding breast changes can encourage a mother about breastfeeding.

During your pregnancy your breast will get about 10% bigger. the following breast changes are normal:

Breast Changes that are Normal during Pregnancy:

• The breasts feel tender and fuller because pregnancy hormones are stimulating the milk making parts of the breasts to grow.
• The areola (the dark skin around the nipple) is darkening and getting larger so it will be easier for the baby to find the place to eat when he is first born. Newborns like to look at dark circles more than any other shape.
• The Montgomery glands enlarge and become more visible as bumps on the areola. These glands make a fluid that cleans and lubricates the nipple and areola. This fluid smells like amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds the baby in-utero) so the smell of the breasts will be familiar and attractive to the baby. Newborns have a strong sense of smell.
• The blood vessels in the breasts are easier to see through the skin. The skin is stretching as the breasts increase in fullness. The breasts need a good blood supply because nutrients are drawn from the blood stream into the milk.
• Breastmilk may start leaking from the breasts during pregnancy. Even if their breasts do not leak, all moms produce colostrum. Colostrum is the first milk and it is thick and yellow.
• By the time a mother is about four months pregnant, her breasts are ready to make milk in case the baby is born early.

`Red Flags` (or Possible Causes of Concern) during Pregnancy:
If either of these red flags is noted, refer the mother to a lactation specialist or her health care provider for a breast and nipple assessment.

• The mother has not noticed any breast changes during pregnancy.
• Her nipple(s) are flat or inverted (turned inside), either at rest or when stimulated. Women with flat or inverted nipples can still breastfeed, but they may need extra help at first.

How to Care for Breasts during Pregnancy
There is no need to prepare the breasts in any way for breastfeeding. Advise mothers to use warm water only to wash their breasts because soaps may cause dryness. Women should not `toughen up` their nipples. A breastfeeding mother needs at least one comfortable nursing bra. If she buys a bra in the last three months of pregnancy, she should make sure it has a cup adjustment that will allow her breasts to increase one to two cup sizes and can be adjusted around the chest.

What is Engorgement?
After birth, most women will experience some breast fullness and firmness when their mature milk comes in at 3 to 4 days. This is normal. As milk production increases, blood and lymph fluids accumulate in the breast. If the baby is nursing frequently, effectively, and as long as he wants, this fullness will decrease significantly in 12 to 48 hours. Read more in the article on Engorgement.

Leaking Breasts
Most breastfeeding mothers will begin leaking milk at about 3 to 5 days after birth when the mature (white) milk comes in. Mothers leak the most in the early weeks of breastfeeding. At about 2 to 3 months after birth, the mother`s breasts adjust to making milk and leaking decreases. Some women leak milk for as long as they are nursing.

Treatment for Leaking Milk

• Wear absorbent cloth bra pads.
• Apply gentle pressure to the nipple. This can be done with the forearm or heel of her hand through her clothes.
• Wear clothing that will hide wet spots, such as print clothing, vests, fleece and sweaters.
• Breastfeed more often, if possible.
• If separated from the baby, pump milk when breasts become full.
• Have an absorbent cloth ready to catch the milk leaking from the other breast during feedings.

Comments: Breasts

Comments 1 to 24 of about 618.
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Tori(a.k.a. Tinkerbell) - 8 hours ago.
ok so for the first time my breasts started to leak..is this that colostrum thing everyone talks about?

Stacemingas - 1 days ago.
I have had the hardest time finding a bra that fits and that is supportive!! I was about a 34C before pregnancy. Of course my boobs started getting huge and I began buying 42D's - they fit (kinda) but did not offer any support. I finally broke down and went and got measured and fitted. Turns out I am a 36DDD!! Man, was I way off! I recommend to any lady out there who has not been measured and fitted to go and do it! This bra I am wearing now is AWESOME! My boobs are up where they are supposed to be!! All my girlfriends at work even noticed! I've probably been buying the wrong sizes for years!

amandabaker - 6 days ago.
I am 12 week's pregnant and My Breast are not sore,tender and they have not changed any color's yet There are some Montgomery Glands thou but not much is all of this normal? I never experince this with my last 3 babies. can some please tell me if this is normal or not just leave yourmessage on my page thank's

jbsmommy - 11 days ago.
last night i was sitting at the computer when i felt something wet on my shirt an di looked down and realized that I had leaked a little! is it ok already? iam not due till August. i started leaking early with my son and wasnt able to breastfeed any suggestions or comment?

nursemommy - 13 days ago.
mama40....Im not sure if I will breastfeed for a yr, but ive always been a weight lifter. And i think if you start lifting weights and targeting your chest muscles your boobs can perk back up. Ive started back lfting very light weights now (no more than 2 lbs) and I will probably do that through the rest of my pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and definately afterwards. Weightlifting is the best for body shaping, boobs included. That and plastic surgery LOL!

jmx - 13 days ago.
my boobs r killing me since yesterday they keep stinging i held my friends newborn and they started hurting i no its just the maternal instinct in me but im only 25 weeks xxx

yoonbaby - 13 days ago.
Sorry if this is TMI, but I have a stupid question: Does having big boobs make it more likely to have more milk or breast-feed longer? My cup size has gone up four sizes now--I'm a 34H--and they might even get bigger once I'm able to produce milk. I really want to breast-feed as long as I can, and it would be a shame if my humongous boobs yielded little milk supply once the baby is born. Any ladies out there with big boobs and plenty of milk supply with your previous babies? Btw, I'm laughing as I'm typing this because I don't mean to sound funny or weird, LOL!

M.M.Masi - 13 days ago.
newbeginings - Start pumping in between feedings. e.g. if she's feeding every 3-4 hours, feed her wait about 1-2 hrs then pump, in another 1-2 it will be time to feed her. It will be very tuff the first day but it should significantly increase your supply. I did this with my daughter and i was milking like a cow. good luck. p.s. do not feed her any more bottles till you start work. The sucking from the baby will also increase your milk.

NewBeginings - 13 days ago.
hey ladies, to all my breast feeding mothers.. i am going back to work in 2 weeks and i really want to start working on building up a milk supply for my daughter while i am away in general shes going to need at least 6 feedings a week once i go back to work. i just went and bought the medla double breast pump. i am not exactly sure whats the best pumping routen though. if i pump b4 i feed her she gets angry that shes not getting enough and i end up having daddy feed her every thing i jsut pumped outta a bottle. if i pump after i feed her i only get like a oz and a half at a time. n shes eatting at least 3 oz in a feed. this means it takes 3 feeds to accumulate one feed to freeze that just seams crazy. i need help knowing how to build my milk supply so i have enough to feed her now and store more for later. Thanks so much ladies i really apresheate ur help! i dont wanna give up and have to give her formula.

mama40 - 13 days ago.
nursemommy, sadly, my bobs looked not very pleasant after I stopped breastfeeding (I nursed for a full year). They looked like deflated balloons. But it is temporary, they will go back to normal. Anybody had better luck? Is there any way to avoid this deflating of breasts when you quit feeding?

nursemommy - 14 days ago.
I plan on breastfeeding my baby, Im wondering if my boobs will look 'deflated' once I stop. Before pregnancy I've always been a B cup. Now Im full D. Any opnions?

Mercer - 15 days ago.
Tori - mine aren't leaking either. If I squeeze them, a teeny bit of colostrum comes out but that's about it. I'm 26 weeks. I never leaked with my first either. Also, when I was breastfeeding him, I had a very slow let down. I'm assuming it will be the same this time around. Maybe the two are related? Don't know, but I wouldn't be worried that you're not leaking. Both ends of the spectrum are normal.

Bangel - 15 days ago.
Every so often my nipples feel like they are burning. It did go away for a couple weeks, but now the feeling is back. I'm 15 weeks. Anyone else feel the burning?

aejh143 - 17 days ago.
My right nipple is extremely sore right now (only 20 weeks), in fact when I was drying off a small chunk of skin came off of it the other day. Now where that skin came from there is a purple dot, and my nipple looks swollen compared to the other and is definitely more pink than the other and sensitive to the touch. Anyone know what this might be? It hurts pretty bad when I touch it, or move certain ways... any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Tori(a.k.a. Tinkerbell) - 17 days ago.
i'm in my25th week..is it strange that i'm not 'leaking' like others?

Elle - 17 days ago.
Kaibear- I'm 23 weeks and I am leaking fluid also. It's like I'm a leaking faucet, I actually had the liquid drop on my leg. just a droplet of liquid. It's really weird. I have to put disposable bra pads in so my bra doesnt feel wet.

dandunam - 18 days ago.
amberizzle, i had the same issue during my first two pregnancies, but after I stopped breastfeeding the size difference reduced a little. in general it wasn't that dramatic as you coz i'm really small anyways, so the difference doesn't show that much. but i did have breast augmentation, partly to fill out the difference, but mostly to get back to my pre-pregnancy size- and a little beyond, which is why I took them out 1 year later coz i didn't like them at all!!! i'd rather be a little lopsided than too big :-) but that's me! ;-)

amberizzle - 18 days ago.
Okay... I know I posted about this before, but nobody really answered and it's getting worse. My left breast is now almost two full cup sizes bigger than the right. It's fuller, larger, and produces more colostrum. I try to stimulate the smaller one so that it'll fill in like the bigger one, but it seems to do nothing. I feel really lopsided and really self-conscious. It's always been smaller, but it hasn't grown AT ALL during the whole pregnancy. It makes me want to cry... what the Hell is wrong with my body?!

Cheyanne - 18 days ago.
My breasts feel really big. They were one of my encouragements to get a test. They have been big from the start...:(

kaibear - 19 days ago.
i think i started leaking last night. when i woke up i had white crusty stuff on one of my boobs. i'm 24 w is this normal??

SmurfWxMama - 21 days ago.
I think my boobs are trying to compete with my stomach for which can get bigger! I'm normally a 36 b/c depending on if I been working out and what weight I'm at right, mostly cause I have a larger ribcage than some, but with this baby boy I'm up to 38D which yeah might not seem that big but my boobs did not really grow with dd until after I had her and since I wasn't bf then i just wore a sports bra and they went down, I'm sure hubby hates it cuase he's not here, although he likes to say this is the size they will be when I get the augmentation I want, um hell naw!!! I'm wanting maybe a c cup so he better be happy with that too damn him!!

Mercer - 21 days ago.
I would tell your friend to stop grabbing you. Not only because it's inappropriate but because it hurts you! Not cool of him.

08*c0nception- - 21 days ago.
y would you have guy friends that would touch you in an inappropriate manner? A change of friends sounds like a good idea but to each his own.

Tori(a.k.a. Tinkerbell) - 21 days ago.
my breasts are like still very sensitive..my friends&i horse around after school..which includes one of my guy friends unfortunatly grabbing my boobs well it hurts..is this normal for them to still hurt when i'm about to enter week 25?

LoriVan - 22 days ago.
I am 19 weeks and my nipples are still very sensitive! They were fine the whole first trimester. Is any one else going through this? I thought it was supposed to go away by now.


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