Introduction
Breast pain is not the same in all cases as we hear rather there are some types of breast pain. The pain can be in both or one breast. There are chances that you feel the pain all over the region or maybe in a specific spot, or maybe the pain outgrows towards the armpits. In the early weeks of pregnancy, the breast pain is quite achy and dull at the same time. Boobs tend to be heavy and swollen due to pain. Boobs tend to be super sensitive during that period and it becomes extremely tough to do even simple tasks like exercise quite tough as a little movement gives rise to a thrill of pain. The pain can be extremely painful if you are habitual of sleeping on your stomach. In general cases, breast pain is considered the very first sign of pregnancy during the period. In the early weeks nipples can be extremely sensitive that it becomes difficult to wear a bra. Usually, in the first trimester, there is some sore boob sensation because of the hormonal changes in the body, and that is not considered harmful or dangerous for the body. However, extremely sharp pain that feels like a knife is stabbed into a specific part of your breast is not common, and it is a sign of getting it checked. It may happen in pregnancy too, but it is common (O’Keefe, 2019).
The Reason for Breast Pain during Pregnancy
Breast pain also occurs during the menstruation cycle. Breasts reach complete development during the period of pregnancy and lactation. Breast pain is the first indicator of pregnancy, and it happens usually after two to three weeks of contraception. The reason behind this change or pain is that during pregnancy the body goes through many hormonal changes. The hormones have a specific role to play. They play their part to prepare the body to allow a human to grow inside the body for nine months. Hormones prepare the breast to feed the tiny little human for breastfeeding. The blood flow increases towards this area, and they grow bigger in size. The milk ducts also go through changes during pregnancy. During pregnancy, hormones work to stimulate the growth of milk-producing glands in the body. Apart from that, there is a post-lactation period. This period signifies the modeling of breasts to their actual size which is caused by the death of several breast cells. After every pregnancy period, there is a significant decrease in the breast parenchyma quantity, and an increase in the quantity of both fat and connective tissue (Dominkovic, Ivanac, Bojanic, Kralik, & Smolic, 2020).
Some other changes in Breasts during Pregnancy
Having extreme or mild pain is not the only sign that you can have during pregnancy rather there are some other symptoms as well. One may notice the extra pumping of blood to your breasts through blue veins during pregnancy, and your nipples undergo a change both in size and shape. During the period of the second trimester, one may note that the color around the nipples has gone darker, and the process of darkening will continue up till the third trimester. Another change one may notice is the bumps near areolas, and these bumps are known as Montgomery tubercles. These are glands for the production of oil for the process of lubrication of breasts during breastfeeding to make it easy and comfortable for both mother and baby.
At the beginning of the second or third trimester, there may be leakage of some yellow fluid commonly known as colostrum. This fluid is nothing dangerous but an immune-boosting fluid that the baby is going to drink before the milk starts to come in. This fluid is quite healthy and nutritious. Nipple discharge is another quite common change but it usually happens during stimulation of nipples. Nipple discharge may vary in color from white to yellow or it can be brown or green also, but this is nothing too dangerous rather this is normal as it is a sign of the growth of milk ducts (O’Keefe, 2019).
Breast pain: an early sign of pregnancy or not?
Without any doubt, breast pain is a sign of pregnancy because it usually happens after two weeks of contraception. Though it is a good indicator, it is not definite, and you should test it. Breast pain is normal during the first trimester, and if it goes away after the first trimester, this is pretty good. The thing to be worried about is the appearance of lumps. If there are lumps then immediately go to the doctor to know about the matter. Otherwise, it is totally normal, and a good indicator of changes in the body as it prepares the body to deal with the significant change (O’Keefe, 2019).
