One of the characteristic early symptoms of the onset of pregnancy is engorgement of the mammary glands during pregnancy, but it is considered a probable, and not an unconditional sign. Women's breasts is highly sensitive. It responds to many changes in the body.
Engorgement occurs due to an increase in estrogen and progesterone, the latter hormone acts on the glandular tissue, due to which a seal is noted. Often, such a transformation begins in the body literally from the first days of pregnancy. However, it is impossible to say with absolute certainty how the course of pregnancy will occur in a particular expectant mother. Here individual reaction plays a certain role.
Such changes occur due to the fact that the mother's body is preparing for future lactation. The chest begins to rebuild. But engorgement does not always indicate pregnancy, although it is often a sign of a conception that has occurred. Periodically, mastalgia manifests itself in this way. Sometimes engorgement can be indicative of breast disease, such as mastitis. You should be concerned if you observe:
Some chest pain is normal. Especially during the first pregnancy. Sometimes discomfort can come even before. The pain will not be sharp, it is aching, pulling. There is also a significant rush of blood, which may cause a feeling of internal bursting, heaviness. The milk ducts open more clearly inside, the veins appear noticeably.
The symptoms are not permanent. Sometimes something appears brighter, sometimes another symptom makes itself felt more. The processes proceed in different women in different ways, and the signs vary from one pregnancy to another. It affects the general hormonal background, the state of immunity and not only.
Certain discomfort, complaints of chest pain are generally quite typical for pregnant women during the first trimester. Unpleasant sensations appear, one has only to press or squeeze quite noticeably. Women may begin to avoid lovemaking, in which men touch their breasts, are able to squeeze the nipple with their teeth, and begin to intensively caress this area. The attitude to this part of the love game is changing, even if the woman liked it before.
feeling of heaviness and It's a dull pain become constant companions even without touching and pressure. Doctors recommend to be very careful about the selection of underwear, to abandon any corsets and clothes that somehow tighten the specified area. In some cases, increased sensitivity to cold can develop, so many women start wearing warm sweaters even in spring or autumn.
Some pregnant women, in addition to the described symptoms, still complain of a tingling sensation. The latter most often affects the nipples. The sensations also resemble the state of the breast before menstruation or at the very beginning of it. The discomfort begins to get noticeably less by the tenth or twelfth week of pregnancy.
These symptoms rarely appear all together. Most often, women describe one or two of the symptoms listed. However, some may be temporary, others may be mild. Often, the mammary glands do not manifest themselves at all.
If the discomfort has become very strong, perhaps we are talking about edema.
In this case, it is advisable to seek a recommendation from a mammologist. Thanks to him, you can determine the cause of the problem. Sometimes pregnancy provokes the awakening of chronic diseases. Periodically, it enhances mastopathy, which a woman could not even suspect.
As the described manifestations decrease, another trouble may lie in wait for a woman. The breast is getting ready for lactation. Nipples increase noticeably, sensitivity increases, and sometimes so much that even the touch of a specially selected bra becomes unpleasant.
The color of the nipple changes, the tingling in this area increases. Sometimes there is lactostasis, stagnation of milk in the ducts. It manifests itself in the form of compaction, the formation of lumps in the chest. The latter are quite easily palpable physically.
Here you should already contact a mammologist, since the lack of medical intervention can lead to the formation of mastitis. Straight breasts usually no longer bother women, with very rare exceptions. Usually it is also related to hormones.
All organs and systems of a woman who is expecting a child undergo changes. Especially significant changes occur during pregnancy in the mammary glands. The breast of a woman is preparing for the future feeding of the baby. Therefore, all changes in it, one way or another, are connected with the upcoming feeding of the child. Consider what changes occur in the mammary glands during pregnancy, and how to care for your breasts during this period?
Many women note that their mammary glands swell during pregnancy. And, as a rule, this happens already in the first weeks after conception. Some expectant mothers attribute this condition to the first signs of a pregnancy that has begun. Why does breast growth occur during this period? Pregnancy hormones such as progesterone and estrogen are responsible for this process. Progesterone promotes the development of glandular breast tissue, and estrogen stimulates the development of the milk ducts. The breast grows especially actively in the expectant mother in the first 10-12 weeks of pregnancy and 4-6 weeks before childbirth. During this time, it can increase by 1-3 sizes.
Quite often, swelling of the mammary glands during pregnancy is accompanied by painful sensations. In some women, these pains are quite noticeable, others note only increased sensitivity of the breast when touched, and still others do not feel any pain at all. All these conditions are normal and depend on the individual characteristics of the female body.
If the expectant mother feels pain in the mammary glands, you need to try to help yourself. First of all, you need to choose the right bra. It is best if it is on wide straps, pitted and able to support the chest well. The material of this product is also important. It should be natural, contain a minimum of synthetic inserts and seams. Some women find it more convenient to wear such a bra all the time, without removing it even at night.
The nipples of the mammary glands during pregnancy usually also change. They become darker, convex, nodules may appear on their surface. The skin around the nipples also darkens. This condition is associated with an increase in the activity of hormones that cause pigmentation. No need to be scared, after the end breastfeeding All these manifestations will gradually pass. During pregnancy, experts advise a woman to prepare her nipples for the upcoming feeding of the baby, which will help prevent cracks on them. To do this, you can pour cold water over your chest, wipe the nipples with ice cubes. However, all manipulations with the nipples are not recommended in the last weeks of pregnancy, as this may stimulate the onset of preterm labor.
Most often, discharge from the nipples of the breast in a pregnant woman appears after the 19th week of pregnancy, although for many women they occur only after childbirth. Such secretions are called colostrum and are a yellowish watery liquid that tastes sweet. The first discharge is thicker and yellow, and closer to childbirth, it becomes liquid and discolors. The hormone prolactin is responsible for the production of colostrum, which is activated in the female body during pregnancy.
The appearance of discharge from the mammary glands during pregnancy is a completely natural process that should not cause concern. But still, there are signs that should alert a woman. These include the following states:
At the same time, you should not immediately be afraid when the above symptoms appear. So at 6-7 months of pregnancy, some women have bloody blotches in watery colostrum. This is completely normal. This condition is caused by the hormones oxytocin and prolactin actively produced during this period. Prolactin is responsible for the absence or presence of milk, and oxytocin for its entry into the milk ducts. In any case, if unusual discharge from the chest appears, you should consult a doctor.
If a woman has discharge from the nipples of the breast during pregnancy, you need to purchase special inserts for a bra. You can also use cotton pads. But you should not neglect such means, since even very slight secretions, falling on linen, become an excellent environment for the development of various microorganisms, most of which are pathogenic. However, they can easily penetrate the chest. Of particular importance during this period is the hygiene of the mammary glands. You need to regularly wash your chest with warm water without soap several times a day.
Many modern women are diagnosed with breast fibroadenoma - a benign mobile tumor. Sometimes a doctor detects such a neoplasm only during pregnancy. Breast fibroadenoma does not interfere with the course of pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, in many women, it increases in size precisely during the period of bearing a baby.
As a rule, breast fibroadenoma during pregnancy is not treated, and, moreover, is not removed. The doctor only conducts constant monitoring of her condition with the help of breast ultrasound. This is due to the fact that the expectant mother is contraindicated in drug treatment. Surgery to remove the neoplasm is justified only in extreme cases (malignant or large).
The decision on the choice of tumor treatment method is made after the end of breastfeeding. Usually, small fibroadenomas that do not tend to enlarge are not removed. Only constant monitoring of their condition is carried out (ultrasound, mammography). Large tumors must be surgically removed.
