After pregnancy, many expectant mothers find that their breasts have undergone some changes, such as getting bigger, darker in color, milk secretion, pain, etc. These are mainly related to changes in hormone levels during pregnancy. Faced with these changes, we must learn to take care of breasts.
Eight changes of breasts during pregnancy
Breast pain
From about 5 weeks of pregnancy, many expectant mothers will feel the breasts become sensitive, swollen, itchy or even tingling. . This is normal, don’t worry, the pain will generally be relieved after three months of pregnancy.
Breasts get bigger
Due to hormones, most expectant mothers will find that they have "secondary development" and their breasts have increased by one or two cups.
The color becomes darker
Many expectant mothers will find that the color of the nipple and areola becomes very dark, and even looks black. This is caused by hormone changes and pigmentation during pregnancy. After the baby is born, the color of the nipple and areola will generally recover slowly.
Montessori nodules
During pregnancy, due to the sebaceous gland hypertrophy around the areola, a protuberance is formed, which is called Montessori nodules. This is normal, so don't worry.
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Some expectant mothers have found some blue "blue veins" on their breasts. This is because after pregnancy, the blood supply to the breast increases and the veins in the chest become more obvious Up. This phenomenon will slowly disappear after the baby is born.
Stretch marks
Some expectant mothers will have stretch marks on their breasts, which appear as red or purplish lines. This is the result of skin stretching and thinning during pregnancy and elastic fiber breakage. After giving birth, the stretch marks will gradually fade into white stripes, and many postpartum mothers will recover until they are almost invisible.
During pregnancy, pay attention to proper exercise, a balanced diet, and control your weight within an appropriate range, which will help prevent stretch marks.
Secret colostrum
It is not necessary to wait until the child is born before the breasts will secrete milk. Some expectant mothers will secrete a small amount of colostrum in the second and third trimester, which looks like a thin yellowish liquid.
Mother-to-be can just dry the milk at this time, and be careful not to squeeze the breast. If you have a lot of milk, you can put two anti-galactorrhea pads in your underwear to keep your breasts dry.
Accessory breast becomes obvious
After pregnancy, due to changes in hormone levels, expectant mothers’ accessory breasts will proliferate or enlarge.
Some expectant mothers will find lumps on one or both sides of the armpits, which may feel nothing or pain when pressed. At this time, you need to find a doctor to check whether it is an accessory breast. If it is an accessory breast, it is generally not a serious problem. Mothers-to-be do not need to worry too much, just pay attention to observation.
Breast care during pregnancy
Good breast care during pregnancy can avoid some breast problems after delivery. What should the expectant mother do?
Wear a suitable bra
After pregnancy, the breasts will become larger and heavier. A suitable bra can provide reliable support to the breast and ensure smooth blood circulation in the breast.
The size of the bra should be appropriate and the support should be good. The shoulder straps and the buckle straps on the back should be wider. In addition, make sure that the bra can fit the breast closely without pressure on the breast. As the gestational age increases, the breasts may also grow larger and larger, so it is necessary to change the bra of the right size in time. The material should be more breathable, don't choose airtight or non-absorbent chemical fiber bra. You can consider buying a breastfeeding bra directly, which can be worn not only after childbirth, but also during pregnancy.
Pay attention to the cleanliness of the breast
When you usually take a bath, just wash your breasts with clean water, don’t wipe them with shower gel or soap.
Do not clean too frequently, because the sebaceous glands in the areola will secrete a large amount of greasy substances to cover the surface of the nipple and areola, which plays a role of lubrication and protection, and frequent cleaning will take away the natural oil on the surface of the nipple and areola. Instead, the breast loses its protective barrier.
Mothers-to-be who secrete colostrum can apply the milk to the nipple and areola and let it air dry naturally, which helps protect the breast.
Relieve breast tenderness
Facing breast tenderness, you can try to relieve it. In addition to wearing a suitable bra as mentioned above, there are the following methods:
Diet Note: Eat lighter and reduce salt As far as possible, eat less foods containing caffeine, such as coffee, black tea, green tea, cola, chocolate, etc. Apply hot compress or ice compress to the breast: the effect is different for each person. Some people relieve the pain after applying heat, and some people reduce the pain after applying ice. You can try it.
Other matters needing attention
Don't scratch when you feel itchy nipples, so as not to cause skin damage. Couples should try to avoid stimulating the nipples when they have sex, otherwise it will promote the secretion of oxytocin and cause contractions. Frequent contractions may affect the baby. Some expectant mothers find that their nipples are sunken and worry about affecting postpartum breastfeeding, so they try to pull the nipples out. In fact, it is best not to pull the nipple during pregnancy, so as not to cause excessive stimulation. Mothers-to-be can do nipple stretching after delivery and use auxiliary nipple for better breastfeeding. Some mothers-to-be find that the breasts have not become very large, and they are afraid that the milk is not enough to affect the breastfeeding. Such worry is unnecessary, because the amount of milk has nothing to do with the breast size. Taking good breast care during pregnancy and allowing the baby to suck more after delivery is the key to ensuring milk volume.
Some expectant mothers have breast hyperplasia, breast fibroma and other diseases before pregnancy. Pay attention to observation during pregnancy, and review any abnormal conditions in time. If you find that your breasts are red, swollen, hot, or fluid with an abnormal color or smell, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible to rule out breast disease.
