Why do breasts hurt during pregnancy?

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

The mammary gland is the most sensitive part of the female body. Almost every representative of the beautiful half of humanity is familiar with ailments in this area. To a greater extent, expectant mothers experience discomfort. Why does my chest hurt during pregnancy? This will be discussed in this article.

Pain in the early stages is the first sign

Pain in the chest area is the first sign that can tell a woman that conception has successfully occurred.

According to statistics, 80 percent of gynecological patients feel discomfort. To a greater extent, it manifests itself in the first trimester. It may present as a mild and nagging pain or as a sharp and excruciating pain.

Chest pain is not always the first sign of pregnancy. It can also appear before the start of the menstrual cycle. If there are discomfort in the area of the mammary gland when menstruation is delayed for more than 7 days, then most likely conception has occurred.

Why do breasts hurt after conception?

Whypregnancy chest pain? There are several factors that cause discomfort:

1. Hormonal surge. The conception of a new life is a complex and responsible process. During this period, the hormone hCG and progesterone are actively produced in the woman's body. It provokes the expansion of blood vessels in the mammary glands. The thoracic ducts begin to enlarge, causing discomfort.
2. Often expectant mothers have a feeling of fullness in the chest. This is due to the active growth of adipose tissue in this area.
3. Due to an overabundance of the hormone, a woman becomes emotional. This condition has a characteristic effect on the pain threshold.
4. Metabolic disorders.

To a greater extent, girls with a thin physique notice changes. In the first trimester, the breasts may become several sizes larger.

What to do?

Experienced mothers know firsthand how breasts hurt during pregnancy. For less experienced women, this feeling is new. What to do if it appeared? The first action in such a situation is to undergo a diagnostic study to confirm or deny pregnancy. There are several methods to determine it early:

1. Test is the fastest and proven way. The positive quality is that this procedure can be performed at home. Another advantage is the economic factor. A determinant of the amount of the hCG hormone in the blood can be bought at a price of 35 rubles. The negative point is thatthe result is not always reliable.
2. Ultrasound is a more reliable research method. It will allow you to determine not only the presence of a fetal egg, but also the number of embryos in it; reveal location and dimensions.
3. Another proven way to determine pregnancy is a blood test. The procedure is carried out strictly on an outpatient basis. This type of study will determine the level of the hCG hormone in the body, which is actively produced during pregnancy.

If the chest hurts for several days, then it is too early to draw conclusions about pregnancy. It is worth going through at least one more examination that will dispel or confirm the doubts of a woman.

Associated Features

As it turned out already, the chest hurts in early pregnancy. However, this is far from the only symptom that may suggest that conception has occurred. Simultaneously with this discomfort may appear:

• General weakness and slight dizziness.
• Nausea. To a greater extent, it manifests itself in the morning or after eating certain foods.
• Drawing pain in the lumbar region and lower abdomen.
• The appearance of changes in behavior: irritability, fatigue, tearfulness or aggressiveness.
• Changing the color and size of the nipples.
• Delayed menstrual cycle for more than 7 days.

If a woman has at least several symptoms at the same time, then 75-85% can be said that she is expecting a baby.

Duration of discomfort

Manywomen dream that their breasts would stop hurting during pregnancy. How long will there be a feeling of discomfort in the mammary glands? Experts cannot give a definite answer to this question. For some, ailments disappear in the first trimester, and in some patients it is observed almost before childbirth. Pain can also be permanent or intermittent.

Chest Care

When your chest starts to hurt during pregnancy, you should take care of how to reduce the feeling of discomfort and improve well-being. If the malaise is mild, then taking any medication is not recommended. It is enough to take care of the chest.

• Buy quality underwear with a supportive effect. It is important to choose the correct size. Ideally, the chest should be fixed in one position.
• Recommended to wear a bra at night.
• In the early stages, along with pain in the area of the mammary glands, colostrum may begin to stand out. You need to buy special breast pads and change them every 7 hours.
• An attack of pain will help drown out a little cool shower.
• Exercising on the muscles of the arms, shoulder joint and chest should be avoided.

Proper care makes you feel good.

Why do breasts hurt later?

Chest hurts - a sign of pregnancy. Many women already know this feature of the body. But there are also situations when discomfort appears in the secondhalf of the second and during the third trimester. What is it connected with? There may be several reasons!

1. Nature is designed so that a woman's body actively begins to produce food suitable for her offspring. Accordingly, pain may appear due to the active production of milk by the mammary glands.
2. The second reason is the active production of the pregnancy hormone, which contributes to vasoconstriction.
3. Another reason is an increase in fat mass. Many girls are sure that for nine months they must eat for two. Accordingly, stretch marks appear and a feeling of heaviness in the chest area.

Usually the pain at such times is mild and aching. If there are accompanying signs such as fever and local redness, you should immediately consult a doctor.

A set of exercises to strengthen muscles

If the chest hurts during pregnancy, it is recommended to do a set of exercises to strengthen this muscle group. By exercising regularly, you can noticeably reduce the feeling of discomfort.

Place your palms on a wall or an exercise ball. Make pressing movements, as if trying to move the support forward. The abdomen should remain relaxed

• Starting position - standing. Straight arms are lowered. Start lifting them up to chest level. Then slowly return to the starting position.
• Sitting or standing, join your palms in front of your chest. For several minutes, make pressure movements with them on each other.friend.
• Starting position - standing. Straight arms are extended in front of you. Slowly spread them apart, trying to connect the shoulder blades. Then return them to the starting position.

You can start exercising immediately when your chest starts to hurt during pregnancy. The pain in this case should be light and pulling in nature. If discomfort increases during training, then it should be stopped immediately.

Several ways to reduce pain

If your chest hurts a lot during pregnancy, then this ailment can be relieved. There are several proven ways to improve the well-being of the patient.

Method 1

Dip a towel in warm or cool water. But the liquid should not be below room temperature. Now put a damp cloth on your chest and leave it there for a few minutes. This is an emergency type of help that will relieve pain for a short period of time.

Method 2

If your chest hurts during pregnancy, you can take a painkiller. It is important that it is suitable for pregnant women. For example, "Paracetamol" or "Ibuprofen" does not have such contraindications

Still, self-treatment is not worth it. It is recommended to visit the office of an obstetrician-gynecologist. The specialist will help you choose the appropriate treatment and prescribe the correct dosage.

To reduce the feeling of pain, you can try:

• Perform breathing exercises, directing all efforts tosomething to relieve tension from that part of the body.
• Remove tight clothes. Air baths are recommended.
• Change position if pain occurs during sleep. Some moms-to-be fall asleep half-sitting.
• Give a wet wipe or warm shower.

Is this always a sign of pregnancy?

As mentioned earlier, not all women experience breast pain during pregnancy. Many patients do not experience this discomfort before labor.

On the other hand, severe malaise is not always a sign of pregnancy. It can signal the onset of the menstrual cycle. Also, pain can be associated with the development of serious diseases, such as mastitis. Accordingly, if the discomfort is permanent and does not go away within a few days, then it is imperative to contact a specialist.