Contents:
- Medical Video: 7 ways your breasts change during pregnancy
- Stages of changes in the breast during pregnancy
- Changes in breast in the first trimester of pregnancy
- Changes in breast in the second trimester of pregnancy
- Changes in breast in the third trimester of pregnancy
- How to deal with changes in the breast
- Breastfeeding after giving birth
Medical Video: 7 ways your breasts change during pregnancy
Breast is one part of the body that changes during pregnancy. This change occurs to support the breast in producing milk so that the mother can breastfeed her baby after birth. Mother's milk is very important for babies at the beginning of their lives because it provides complete nutrients needed by babies early in life. Therefore, breastfeeding a baby is highly recommended to provide good nutrition to the baby.
Changes in the breast are usually a sign of pregnancy. When pregnant, the breasts become softer and sensitive, and the shape of the breasts also becomes larger. This change is experienced by each individual differently.
Stages of changes in the breast during pregnancy
Changes in breast in the first trimester of pregnancy
Changes in the breast have started early in your pregnancy. In the first trimester of pregnancy, around the age of 4-6 weeks of pregnancy, some of you may feel your breasts are tingling, painful, or more sensitive, especially in the nipple area. This is caused by increased levels of the hormone progesterone and blood flow in the breast. The formation of more mammary glands for milk production and the development of the milk duct as a way for milk to come out of the breast have also begun. This makes the size of the breast also bigger.
Furthermore, the nipples and areola (the area around the dark nipples) becomes darker and larger, and the blood vessels under the skin of the breast become more visible. The montane gland, the gland that produces oil around the nipple, also becomes more visible.
Changes in breast in the second trimester of pregnancy
In the second trimester, around the age of 16 weeks of pregnancy, the breast is capable of producing breast milk (ASI). Not surprisingly, some mothers experience small amounts of breast leakage, cloudy fluid, commonly known as colostrum, sometimes out of the nipple of mother's milk. Sometimes, the nipple may also bleed that occurs in some mothers. This is caused by sudden growth and an increase in the number of blood vessels in the breast to produce milk. Even though this event is normal, you should consult a doctor.
Changes in breast in the third trimester of pregnancy
In the last few weeks of pregnancy, the nipples become bigger and the breasts continue to grow because the cells that produce milk are bigger.
How to deal with changes in the breast
Some of you, may feel breast changes during pregnancy make you less comfortable and sometimes even cause pain in the breast. Changes in the shape of the breasts that get bigger can be handled by wearing a comfortable bra. Because your breast size is larger than before you were pregnant, it's a good idea to buy a larger size bra, about 1 or 2 numbers larger than your previous bra size.
Some things you should pay attention to when choosing a bra are:
- Does the bra support your breasts well
- We recommend that you choose a bra that is not too tight and not too loose
- Bra strap length
- Big bra cup
- You should avoid choosing a type of bra underwire (a bra that uses a wire at the bottom)
If you have a slight leak of breast milk during pregnancy, you should cover the fabric on your bra. This prevents your clothes from getting wet because the milk is leaking.
Breastfeeding after giving birth
About one to three days after giving birth, your breasts will release colostrum or first ASI. This colostrum will come out in your baby's first suction or in the Early Breastfeeding Initiation (IMD) process. If the baby's first suction on your breast runs smoothly, then in the future it allows the breast to produce breast milk more smoothly.
This happens because when the baby sucks on the mother's breast, it triggers nerves to bring a message to the brain that milk is needed by the baby. This makes the hormone oxytocin that affects milk production by the mammary glands released at the behest of the brain. Furthermore, the mammary gland will produce milk to meet the needs of the baby. This process is known as reflex let down.
In other words, baby suction affects the production of mother's milk. Therefore, the more you give milk to your baby, the more milk is produced and makes your breastfeeding run smoothly. We recommend that you give ASI as often as you want. The Ministry of Health recommends giving exclusive breastfeeding (ASI only) until the baby is 6 months old.
READ ALSO:
- Various Causes of Breast Pain
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- 11 Benefits of breastfeeding with breast milk
