If my breasts hurt am I pregnant?
How to tell if breast pain is a pregnancy symptom or a premenstrual symptom?
Breast tenderness and pain are typical symptoms of early pregnancy , even if not all expectant mothers have them. At the same time, however, these discomforts also accompany the period preceding the arrival of menstruation .
So how to understand if these symptoms are related to hormonal changes that occur after conception or to the period? Is pregnancy breast pain different from premenstrual pain? Let’s see it together.
How is breast pain in pregnancy?
As with all pregnancy symptoms, breast pain can vary from woman to woman . The discomfort can be concentrated in one or both breasts and be widespread or localized to a specific point, such as on the outside or under the armpits.
Also, the pain can be constant or come and go. This last feature often worries expectant mothers during the first weeks of pregnancy, when the symptom disappears for a few hours.
In early pregnancy, the pain is often very annoying. The breasts may feel heavier and swollen , which may make activities such as running or exercising in place difficult. In addition, it may become very sensitive to touch and even a simple touch may cause discomfort. In these cases, the advice is to wear a sports bra , in cotton and preferably without underwire, and to avoid sleeping on your stomach .
Many women, in early pregnancy, also experience a particular sensitivity in the nipples , which can make wearing a bra intolerable. Fortunately, this symptom usually resolves within a few weeks .
Finally, as the first trimester progresses, it is common to feel a tingling sensation in the nipples and areolas (the dark areas that surround them).
Why does breast pain appear in early pregnancy?
Breast pain is often one of the first symptoms of sweet expectation , together with the non-appearance of menstruation (the so-called amenorrhea).
Among the main causes we find, as always, pregnancy hormones (and in particular estrogen , progesterone and prolactin ), which have the precious task of preparing the breast for breastfeeding . Under their action, blood flow increases, breast tissue grows, the skin begins to stretch and the lactiferous ducts (i.e. the channels through which breast milk will pass) begin to multiply.
The effect is a bigger , healthier and fuller breast , which in the first weeks will be one of the main indications of the pregnancy in progress. This increase in volume , however, even if aesthetically appreciable (especially for those who used to have a first or second one and find themselves filling a third in a few days) can be particularly painful at the same time .
Fortunately, the discomfort tends to disappear with the end of the first trimester , even if it can reappear in the last months of gestation.
Other breast changes in pregnancy
Pain isn’t the only pregnancy symptom affecting the breasts. Hormonal changes, in fact, trigger various changes that become more and more evident as the weeks go by. Let’s briefly see which ones.
How does the breast change in the first trimester
As early as the first trimester, the veins under the skin may become more visible due to increased blood flow. There may also be a change in the size or shape of the nipples , which may appear more lumpy and protruding .
How does the breast change in the second trimester
In the second trimester, the areolas usually appear darker and may have small white protruding dots : these are the so-called Montgomery tubercles , i.e. the glands that serve to lubricate the nipples and which become more evident during pregnancy.
How does the breast change in the third trimester
Between the sixth and eighth month of pregnancy, the appearance of stretch marks on the breasts is very common .
Some mothers-to-be also begin to notice yellowish liquid leaks from the nipples . This fluid, called colostrum, is the first milk that will nourish the baby in the first few days following delivery. In addition to being super nutritious , it is rich in antibodies that help strengthen the newborn’s immune system.
Colostrum leakage can occur at any time, but is particularly common during nipple stimulation. Although these are very small quantities, breast pads can be used in the bra in case of discomfort .
If my breasts hurt am I pregnant?
Breast tenderness and pain are among the first symptoms of pregnancy and can appear as early as 1 or 2 weeks after conception, i.e. even before the missed period .
Despite this, they are not an exclusive sign of pregnancy and can easily be linked to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle.
If you are trying to get pregnant and experience pain in the breasts that are different from usual, the advice is to take a pregnancy test : to get a reliable result, however, wait until at least two weeks have passed since ovulation has been ascertained or on the first day delay in menstruation (in case of regular cycle).
Is pregnancy breast pain different from premenstrual pain?
The symptoms that accompany the first days of pregnancy are very similar to those that precede the onset of the period and this also applies to tenderness and pain in the breasts.
Is it possible to recognize the difference? The answer, unfortunately, is that it’s not always possible , especially for women who usually experience these symptoms in the premenstrual phase (which are the majority).
The best way to distinguish them is to wait for your period to arrive or to take a pregnancy test , repeating it after a week if the result is negative, of course if your period does not occur.
However, we can add that the appearance of light pinkish or brownish blood loss , less abundant than a normal menstruation, could help distinguish the two symptoms: this slight bleeding could in fact represent the so-called implant spotting , which in some cases signals the implantation of the embryo and therefore the beginning of pregnancy.
Breast pain: when to worry?
Breast pain is a very frequent symptom both in pregnancy and in the premenstrual phase and should therefore not be a cause for concern.
However, sharp , stabbing-like breast pain in a specific area is uncommon during pregnancy . If you experience this particular type of pain, therefore, it is always good to consult your doctor .
It is also important to contact your gynecologist if you have new or growing breast lumps .
In this regard, it should be noted that, during pregnancy , small benign (harmless) lumps may form inside the breast . Even in this case, however, a medical check is always recommended .
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.