In the midst of side effects like morning sickness and hormonal meltdowns, swollen breasts can be both a blessing and a curse. Particularly for women experiencing their first pregnancy, one of the first signs is an increase in cup size or two -- growing breasts tend to be less common in later pregnancies. This tends to continue through pregnancy as lactic glands get ready to produce milk. Here’s a look at how breasts change during pregnancy.
Itching
Itchy breasts are a common symptom of pregnancy, in large part because of the swelling itself. Just as skin tends to itch when it heals and regenerates, expansion can also cause uncomfortable irritation. The glands in your breasts that allow you to produce milk, or lactate, expand during pregnancy and require more space. So, as your breasts grow and adapt to the changes in the rest of your body, the skin over them has to stretch -- becoming itchy as a result. Lotion or coconut oil can often help reduce itching.
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are also something that many new moms have to grow accustomed to. You can expect them on your stomach, where a rapidly growing baby essentially creates tiny, ripping scars across your abdominal skin as your belly tries to accommodate. Although less common, stretch marks can also occur on your chest as a result of speedy breast growth. For stretch marks elsewhere on your body, specific creams can help minimize their presence.
Changing Nipples
Along with noticeable breast growth, many women experience nipple growth too. At the end of the first trimester, around six to eight weeks into your pregnancy, you may notice your nipples becoming much larger. You may also notice the veins on your breast becoming more visible, this is due to the increase of blood circulating your body.
The area of pinker skin around your nipple, called the areola, may also develop a series of tiny bumps that look similar to small zits. These bumps are called Montgomery Tubercles, and they’re very common during pregnancy. In fact, these tubercles are the visible end of a type of sebaceous gland that secretes oil which lubricates your skin, protects against infection, and will eventually emit a mild smell to appeal to your infant’s appetite.
Leaking
Eventually, most women notice their nipples start to leak, in addition to getting large and bumpy. The technical name for this “leaking” is colostrum, and it’s a type of premilk that you can begin producing as early as the second trimester. For some women, it’s barely noticeable, while others must use nursing pads to prevent wet spots -- nursing pads are available in both disposable (kind of like a round panty liner) and reusable cotton pad form. The amount of milk you’ll produce isn’t dependent on how much you leak.
