Pregnancy tips Pregnancy and Breast Changes

Breast changes were always one of the first signs I was pregnant and it seems like my breasts were one of the last body parts to return to normal after giving birth and nursing. Here is an article from the March of Dimes about pregnancy and breast changes:

Causes of Breast Changes During Pregnancy (www.marchofdimes.com)

From the article:

Tingling, swelling, sensitivity to touch, or tenderness. For many women, tenderness in the breasts is one of the first signs of pregnancy. It is caused by increased amounts of female hormones in your body.
Increased breast size. During early pregnancy, fat builds up in the breasts. The milk glands increase in size. By six weeks, your breasts may be noticeably larger—by as much as a full cup size or more. Your breasts may keep growing in both size and weight throughout the first three months of pregnancy.
Itchiness and stretch marks. As your breasts grow and the skin stretches, you may feel itchiness or develop stretch marks.
Larger veins. Increased supplies of blood to the breasts may cause bluish veins to appear just under the skin.
Nipples. The nipples will grow darker and may stand out more.
Areolas. The areolas (the skin around the nipples) darken and grow larger. The small glands on the surface of the areolas become raised and bumpy. These bumps produce an oily substance that keeps your nipples from cracking or drying out.
Leaking. By 12-14 weeks of pregnancy, some women find that their breasts are leaking a fluid. This is colostrum (the fluid that nourishes your baby for the first few days after delivery before your breasts start to make milk). The colostrum may leak on its own or may leak during breast massage or sexual arousal. Early in pregnancy, the colostrum is usually thick and yellow. As delivery approaches, it turns pale and nearly colorless. Don’t worry if your breasts don’t leak during pregnancy. This has no effect on whether or not you’ll be able to breastfeed. Some women don’t start producing colostrum until after delivery