type here...
LivingThis is how breasts change in pregnancy: how to...
Living

This is how breasts change in pregnancy: how to take care of them and avoid discomfort

8

From the first moments of pregnancy, the breasts are prepared to breastfeed the unborn baby. The breasts begin to change and feel more tender, as well as swelling slightly and causing minor discomfort.

In fact, breasts are one of the parts of the female body that changes the most when being a mother. We tell you why and what you can do to take care of them.

What changes the breasts undergo during pregnancy

Prolactin, oxytocin, placental lactogen and luteinizing hormones are part of the changes in size and alterations suffered by the breasts and participate in the process of the formation of breast milk.

It is not precisely breastfeeding that damages the breast tissue: it is during pregnancy when changes occur and when they must be treated and cared for with care.

  • The first appreciative changes are breast augmentation. Fat accumulates due to the development of the mammary glands, being able to increase a size already in the first two months.

  • Stretching the skin causes tingling, itching and discomfort caused by increased hormones.

  • The blue veins become much more visible because the blood circulates in greater quantity and the nipples and areolas become darker.

  • The areolas grow and their small glands enlarge and become irregular, secreting an oily substance that prevents them from drying out and cracking.

  • From the 12th week of gestation, colostrum secretions can begin. They can be caused by sexual arousal, a massage, or for no apparent reason. If this occurs, the use of nursing pads is appropriate.

How to take care of them and relieve discomfort

Pampering the breasts during pregnancy will help a speedy recovery after delivery and alleviate the possible discomfort caused by hormonal changes and their increase.

  • Maternal bras relieve many muscular discomforts, especially considering that the woman is likely to end her pregnancy with a size and a half or two more breast. It is better to choose them made of cotton, without seams, with wide straps and with a soft and breathable fabric, to avoid reactions on the skin, which is more sensitive during pregnancy, from 12 weeks of gestation.

  • To combat stretch marks , one of the greatest fears of women because they can become irresistible, frequent hydration is essential. It is necessary to dedicate a few minutes a day to apply a moisturizing cream (it can be anti-stretch marks) through gentle massages.

  • During the shower, it is better to avoid soaps that can cause dryness in the nipples and their contour. If this happens they create cracks that are very painful.

Do not forget, also, that the breasts will be essential to feed your baby when it is born, so taking care of them from the first day will benefit both of you.

And if you are concerned about the appearance of your breasts after motherhood, remember that they do not fall from breastfeeding the baby, but from the passage of time.

Photos | iStock

In Babies and More | Why do you see blue veins in a pregnant woman’s breasts? Pregnancy discomforts, trimester by trimester (and how you can alleviate them)

Breastfeeding in children older than one year: breastfeeding from 12 months is not spoiling

The first thing that caused me doubt when writing the post was the title. I have often heard the terms prolonged breastfeeding to refer to children older than 12 months who are still nursing. Or breastfeeding in older children. And yet, I get the impression that these terms refer to something that is not normal, as if breastfeeding had to have a short duration or children beyond the age of 2 years were considered too old to breastfeed.

Breast cancer during breastfeeding: a difficult diagnosis to face

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Spain. So far this year, 35,000 new cases have been diagnosed in our country according to the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), and it is estimated that one in eight women will have breast cancer at some point in her life. However, it has a high survival rate: more than 90 percent overcome it or it becomes chronic, achieving a great quality of life.

How much weight did you gain in pregnancy? Why is this a question you...

The issue of weight gain in pregnancy is one that usually generates doubts and, sometimes, controversy. As we have already explained on other occasions, the number of kilos that a woman gains during this stage is different for each one, depending on the type of body, routine and diet.

These are the best hospitals in Spain to give birth: 2022 ranking

When we are in the final stretch of our pregnancy and we think about childbirth, it is normal to feel uncertainty and nervousness, especially if it is our first time. For many women, it is important to know well the hospital where they will give birth, and even to have good references that help them face the moment in a more relaxed and confident way.

I have realized that my mental burden as a mother did not begin after...

A few days ago I reflected on the way in which motherhood has changed my life. All of us who have been through this know that, although we do not all experience it in the same way (the mere fact of giving birth at term or not can make a huge difference), exhaustion and mental load is a common denominator that identify them all. But when does that mental load really start?

More

© Copyright - Padeye News