Chest pain during pregnancy: causes and consequences

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

At least once in a lifetime, every woman has experienced such a phenomenon as pain in her chest. As a rule, the appearance of such symptoms is associated with premenstrual syndrome, and only in some cases can they signal the presence of diseases.

Chest pain during pregnancy is a normal phenomenon that should not cause concern, despite the fact that such a symptom may manifest itself in different ways for each expectant mother. Some experience similar sensations from the very beginning, others may not notice anything like this until the very birth. At what stage of pregnancy does the breast begin to hurt? When are these symptoms normal, and when should you see a doctor? Can pain be relieved?

Main reasons

It's not uncommon for women planning to conceive to worry about breast pain in early pregnancy. Often this symptom is one of the first signs of the onset of fertilization. But worth itIt should be noted that everything is quite individual, each woman has such sensations at different times. For some, chest pain is felt immediately after the successful fertilization of the egg, and this is due to changes in the hormonal background in the female body.

After fixing the fertilized cell on the wall of the uterus in the body of a pregnant woman, human chorionic gonadotropin or the so-called pregnancy hormone begins to be intensively produced. It is he who contributes to the increase in the size of the mammary glands. This process is precisely the reason why the chest hurts in early pregnancy. And this is quite normal and should not be feared.

What breast during pregnancy?

In addition to the characteristic pain associated with stretching of the connective and adipose tissue of the organ due to an increase in its volume, the expectant mother can observe the following changes in herself:

• feeling of fullness due to breast swelling;
• appearance of stretch marks;
• excretion of a small amount of colostrum due to the opening of the milk channels;
• significant filling of blood vessels, as a result of which the venous network of the breast begins to be visually determined;
• changing the color of the areola and nipple to a darker one, changing the shape of the nipples (may appear in the areola area of slight tubercles);
• itching and burning in the chest.

How long can breasts hurt?

Usually similar symptoms are observed from the beginning of pregnancy until the endfirst trimester and are not a cause for concern. In combination with pain, such signs indicate the restructuring and preparation of the female body for the upcoming birth of a baby.

Painful breasts in the second half of pregnancy

The increase in the volume of the mammary glands is observed throughout the entire gestation period. In the first trimester, as a rule, the breast swells slightly. And starting from the twentieth week of pregnancy, the content of the hormone estrogen in the body of a woman expecting a child increases significantly, which leads to an even greater increase in the mammary glands. Increased breast growth, in turn, gives the expectant mother a certain discomfort. In particular, it causes pain.

Usually, chest pain during pregnancy, in the second half, is not as pronounced symptoms as immediately after conception. A woman experiences mostly aching and pulling pains associated with hypothermia of the body, or mechanical action, such as pressure or compression.

Some mothers have increased sensitivity of the mammary glands to the point that any light touch causes unbearable pain, for example, when nipples touch clothing.

In other women, colostrum begins to stand out during this period of time, which adds to the already existing pain sensations of tingling in the chest area, as well as itching andburning.

Even if the pain is permanent, don't worry. To stop the symptoms, you must carefully monitor the hygiene of the mammary glands, as well as use more comfortable underwear.

How to reduce discomfort?

Completely get rid of chest pain during pregnancy is impossible, because it is a natural and inevitable process. To alleviate your condition, doctors advise you to follow a few simple recommendations. Let's talk about them.

Wearing a special bra

It is advisable to abandon tight underwear made of synthetic fabrics, replacing it with a cotton product without frame elements and with wide comfortable straps. Preference can be given to a bra for nursing mothers. To fix aching breasts during sleep, use a supportive top instead of a bra. And to avoid colostrum stains on your underwear, use special bra pads.

Using special creams

They contain silicone and vitamin E in their composition. There are quite a lot of similar products on the market. Among this variety, you can find special nourishing creams, cosmetics for stretch marks, as well as firming, moisturizing and protective products. But the most profitable option are universal creams. They perform all of the above functions to maintain he althy breasts during pregnancy.

Meticulous breast hygiene

Keep crusts offdried colostrum. Wash your breasts regularly and take air baths. As hygiene products, it is recommended to use neutral ones that do not cause allergic reactions.

Special massage

A light breast massage also brings some relief. You can do it with the help of a special terry mitten from the very beginning of pregnancy. If chest pain is tolerable, it is recommended to use rotational movements in the nipple area during massage. Such manipulations contribute to its hardening, which subsequently simplifies the process of breastfeeding the baby.

Physical exercise

Do not give them up if you feel pain in the chest area. Moderate exercise not only does not interfere with the normal course of pregnancy, but also benefits the mother's body.

When should I see a doctor?

Painful and tender breasts during pregnancy are considered normal. However, some symptoms can still alert a woman. In such cases, you should tell your doctor about them in order to exclude possible pathologies.

Among the most unpleasant diseases of pregnant women, which should be given special attention, are the following:

1. Late toxicosis, accompanied by the appearance of obvious and latent edema. With such a complication, swelling localized in different parts of the female body can cause pain under the mammary glands.
2. Acute persistent chest pain in some cases isreason for examination by a mammologist. It is highly likely that a woman suffers from mastitis or lactostasis. It is important to identify the disease before the onset of labor and take measures to eliminate it.
3. Painful sensations concentrated under the glands or in the center of the chest may indicate the presence of pathological processes in the heart muscle, for example, the development of coronary heart disease.

Characteristics of breast diseases

As a rule, lactostasis develops in lactating women after the birth of the baby, but in rare cases, a similar phenomenon can occur even during the gestation period. This is due to the early formation of breast milk, as a result of which it stagnates in the ducts of the mammary glands, which leads to painful sensations.

This disease has its own specific symptoms, among which are:

• pain in the breast area;
• the formation of seals in them, easily determined by touch;
• local hyperemia (redness) of the skin of the chest;
• sharp pain when pressed.

Mastitis by its nature is an infectious disease and is expressed by inflammatory processes in the tissues of the mammary glands. This disease is most common in nursing mothers. It occurs as a complication with prolonged feeding. This type of mastitis is not associated with infections.

However, in women in position, the disease develops due to infections caused by improper or insufficientsanitization of the nipples of the mammary glands. Bacteria leading to inflammation enter through the ducts, and crusts form on the nipples due to the release of colostrum. If breast care during pregnancy is insufficient, the bacterial infection develops rapidly and moves deep into the breast, causing a number of unpleasant symptoms. Among the signs of mastitis are:

• sharp pain and a feeling of fullness in the chest;
• red inflamed skin on some parts of the mammary glands;
• appearance of dense formations;
• breast enlargement;
• Change in body temperature of a pregnant woman upwards.

If you do not seek medical help in time, inflammation will lead to the formation of purulent abscesses inside the mammary glands, followed by infection of not only milk, but also blood. In advanced cases, the treatment of mastitis is reduced to surgery.

Other causes of pain

Sometimes chest pain has nothing to do with a woman's pregnancy, but it can indicate the presence of ailments such as:

• diseases of the digestive tract (such as peptic ulcer or gastritis);
• neurological diseases (eg osteochondrosis, neuralgia);
• an unstable state of a woman's psyche, accompanied by anxiety and depression;
• diseases of the lung system (e.g. pneumonia, bronchitis).

Conclusion

Often, women are interested in what period of pregnancy the chest starts to hurt. First of all, it is worth understanding that everything depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. Often, chest pain in early pregnancy is a normal symptom. But no matter what pain sensations accompany the process of bearing a fetus, try to carefully monitor all the changes in your body. You should not write off all possible symptoms on the normal course of pregnancy. To avoid complications, pay extra close attention to the condition of your breasts.