Breast growth during pregnancy begins between the 6th and 8th week of gestation due to the increase in the fat layers of the skin and the development of the breast ducts, preparing the woman's breasts for breastfeeding.
Normally, the breasts reach their greatest volume around the 7th month of pregnancy and, therefore, it is normal for the size of the bra to increase by one or two numbers and for the woman to start experiencing pain and discomfort in the breasts. To avoid discomfort, it is important that the woman has a bra with an appropriate size and that it has wide straps to ensure support, in addition to avoiding bras that contain a ferrule, as it can hurt the breasts.
How to decrease discomfort
It is normal for breast enlargement during pregnancy to cause discomfort in women, so it is important to choose a bra that is comfortable, with wide straps, ensuring good support, and that has no ferrule, as it can tighten and hurt the breasts. In addition, it is recommended that you have a zipper to adjust the size and that the breasts are completely inside the bra. See more tips on how to properly care for your breasts during pregnancy.
Colostrum, the first milk to breastfeed the baby, starts to be produced around the 3rd - 4th month of pregnancy and in the last months of pregnancy, a small amount may leak from the breasts, so the pregnant woman can already buy the bras breastfeeding which are also great to use during pregnancy. If colostrum leaks from the breasts, the pregnant woman can use breastfeeding discs to keep the bra from getting wet.
Other breast changes in pregnancy
There are other breast changes in pregnancy, in addition to their growth, such as:
- Itching of the breasts as they grow; Stretching of the breasts due to the stretching of the skin; Bump of the veins of the breasts; Nipples larger and darker than normal; Pain and discomfort in the breasts; Appearance of small "balls" around the areola; Irritation in the inframammary fold or between the breasts.
These changes do not always happen and vary from pregnant to pregnant. If the breasts do not grow so much, it does not mean that the pregnant woman will not be able to breastfeed, since the size of the breasts is not related to the success of breastfeeding.
