Breast Tenderness in Pregancy

For a lot of people, breast tenderness is the first pregnancy symptom they notice. It’s very common, although it’s hard to understand the purpose. It may not have much of a purpose, but instead be a symptom of some very important anatomical changes happening in your body. 

Why This Happens

During early pregnancy, estrogen levels rise, leading to the development of new ducts in the breasts and also an increase in the size and location of the ducts. Ducts are the tubes that carry the milk from the alveoli (milk-making cells) to the nipple. So, you can imagine that it’s like road construction is happening. Initiated by estrogen, your body is building a new transportation infrastructure. The existing roads and highways are expanding and widening, and new ones are being built. Then in the second and third trimesters, when progesterone levels rise, there is an increase in the size of the milk producing glands. Those are the vehicle factories. They’re getting ready to produce and send out new fleets of vehicles on the new and improved roads and highways. As you’re getting all of this new and upgraded infrastructure, your breasts will likely increase in size and get sore. 

You’ll also gain fluid as a result of the pregnancy hormones, and your blood volume increases by as much as 60% during pregnancy. These changes can also cause some swelling in the breast tissue. 

For all of these reasons, your breasts will be swollen, stretching, and therefore sore. The early changes in the breast ducts can explain why you might be sore even before you find out you’re pregnant. 

What About Nipple Sensitivity? 

Breast tenderness or soreness can be different and very separate from nipple sensitivity. For some people, the soreness can go away, but the nipples might stay very sensitive. Or you might only have breast tenderness. Or you might experience both. The nipples and possibly areola can feel itchy, tingly, burning or just very raw. It might be uncomfortable to have anything touching them. This is also a normal pregnancy symptom and caused by the same changes that can cause the breast tenderness. 

What You Can Do

Just like a lot of things in pregnancy, there might not be much that you can do to make it go away completely. But you can use some tips to help you manage it or reduce the symptoms. 

• Wear a supportive bra. Choose a bra that holds your breasts up without being too restrictive or tight since your breasts will be growing. Allowing them to hang or sag can increase pain. 
• Wear wire-free bras. Wires can increase discomfort and also potentially create problems by restricting circulation, compressing milk ducts. 
• Choose a cotton bra for some stretch and breathability. It’s also soft and can be more gentle if you have sore nipples. 
• Wear a comfortable sleep bra at night to manage discomfort. These usually don’t have clasps or hooks. They are stretchy, easy-to-fit pull-over style so you don’t have the discomfort of metal pressing into your skin while you’re trying to sleep. 
• Use cold or warm compresses. Either might help with soreness. 
• Use warm water in the shower but not too hot. The warmth can help relax the muscles improve circulation. Water that is too hot or too cold might trigger nipple sensitivity. 
• Wear loose clothing. This can help reduce friction for sensitive nipples. 
• If you are extremely sore, you can talk to your doctor about taking over the counter pain relievers.  

Pregnancy is a time of extreme anatomical change, and the breasts don’t get left out. Some pregnancy symptoms are brief. You might only suffer for a day or two before they go away. Others might carry on throughout one trimester. Still others carry on throughout the entire pregnancy. For me, that was nausea. For others, that might be constipation or breast tenderness. The good news for most of these symptoms is that they go away after pregnancy. That might not be the case for your breasts. While the soreness and sensitivity might go away, you’ll soon have new changes to contend with once your baby arrives and is ready to eat. We are here to help! 

Come see us if you have any questions about breast changes or if you need help managing other kinds of discomfort caused by breastfeeding and milk production.

References

Ultrasound findings of the physiological changes and most common breast diseases during pregnancy and lactation

Anatomy and Physiology of the Breast during Pregnancy and Lactation – PubMed

How Breast Milk is Made | WIC Breastfeeding Support