How To Reduce Breast Pain During Pregnancy?

Before you enjoy the sweet moments of becoming a mother and enjoy your child’s first breath, there are definitely some sweet pains you, as a to-be mother, may have to undergo. It is assuring to know that, it is not just you who are undergoing this, but every mother out there who is nourishing her baby in the womb is facing similar highs and lows as you are!

Why breast pain during pregnancy? Breast pain is in fact, one of the very earliest possible indicators of pregnancy and is not abnormal. It usually occurs during menstrual cycle for some women, but is prominently observed in the first three months during pregnancy. During this phase, your breasts feel tender swollen, sore or sensitive. It generally starts from the fifth to sixth week of the pregnancy, but it is relieving to know that most women who are expecting a baby observe that the breast pain decreases or almost disappears in the latter half of their pregnancy.

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Of course, body type varies in women! Some are seen experiencing continuous breast pain as long as they are carrying their baby, while some others hardly experience any pain whatsoever. In this article, we present you some of the most common reasons for which expectant mothers experience pain in breast during pregnancy.

4 Common Reasons Of Breast Pain In Pregnancy

1. Breast Changes which are Fibrocystic:

This is seen as the most common cause of pain in breast during pregnancy. In fibrocystic breast changes, tiny cysts form in the fibrous tissue of the breast, get filled with fluid and swell, and lead to pain.

2. Imbalance in the Hormone Levels:

During pregnancy, it is very natural that the body prepares itself to undergo many stages of the development of a baby. This results in a quick change in different hormonal levels, particularly an imbalance in the estrogen levels that mostly results in breast pain.

3. Breasts which Leak:

One of the most common complaints from many expectant mothers is that their breasts leak and this is seen mostly in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Breast leaks usually occur because your breasts actually start producing colostrums. This is a thick-fluid that nourishes your new-born baby in the first couple of days, before your breasts actually start producing milk.

This liquid is secreted from the breast due to a massage or even when you are sexually aroused and is one of the major causes of breast pain especially in the later stages of pregnancy. Using a nursing pad is a very good remedy to this problem.

4. Changes in the Breast:

The most important function of your breasts is to feed your baby after delivery. For this reason, your breasts are gradually prepared by your body during the pregnancy period. During pregnancy, milk-producing cells and milk-ducts are formed. This eventually causes an increase in the size of your breasts. It may be scary to know that more and more layers of fat begin to accumulate beneath your breasts as you progress into your pregnancy stage. Due to this, you will see a very visible change in both the size and shape of your breasts.

Surprisingly, your breasts continue this process of growing to about a cup size in the initial three months of maternity. These combined factors ultimately cause a pain in the breast.

How to Reduce Breast Pain?

Now that we have seen the various reasons and causes for the breast pain, let us check out how this pain can actually be tackled! Here are some simple ways to help you:

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1. During your pregnancy, make sure you carefully choose your inner garments, especially your bra to make sure that they support your breasts properly. Keep a track of your breast size as you may see significant changes and accordingly get a new bra every time you feel the need for one. Some people even wear more than one bra, if they think that one is not sufficient. It all depends on how comfortable you are. If you avoid wearing a bra, be ready to face the worst pain which ultimately affects your breast shape too!

2. If your breasts are too heavy or voluminous, try wearing a sports or a padded bra. They are generally most suitable and comfortable for women with heavy breasts during pregnancy.

3. Believe it or not, cutting short on the intake of salt greatly helps in reducing the pain in your breasts. This is because salt retains water, due to which your breasts become heavier resulting in acute pain.

4. Water is another soothing option. Do drink plenty of water during your entire pregnancy period. It not only helps in flushing out excess of waste fluids, but also makes you feel lighter and fresher.

5. Women generally tend to take a lot of bed rest during and after pregnancy, but the magic is being active! It is very important to keep yourself physically active in small ways. They can be walking for about half an hour daily, doing some light household chores etc. This will keep you active by giving you a good blood circulation and make you feel lighter.

6. Sometimes the pain may be too intense that none of the above precautions may provide relief; in this case, consult your gynaecologist for other remedial measures. It is very important to avoid self-medication so as to avoid complications.

7. Ice pads or warming pads provide comfort to some women. Before you use it continuously, test to see what suits you the best!

8. Exercises like meditation and yoga are said to keep the mind and body calm and relaxed. This will eventually help you in tolerating the breast pain during pregnancy.

Though breast pain during pregnancy is embarrassing, uncomfortable and painful, you should realize that it is absolutely normal and nothing to worry about. It a good practice to keep consulting your gynecologist just to ensure that there are no complications associated with this pregnancy symptom. Good luck!