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Pregnancy is a time for the body to change, all thanks to a shift of hormones. While the baby bump changes from week to week are what generally gets the most attention as far as physical change is concerned, the breasts undergo quite a bit of change themselves. Changes that may not benefit mothers or babies during pregnancy but will last for months, and for some years after.


But how the breasts will look and feel while women are expecting is not always discussed at prenatal appointments. And because of this, mothers-to-be may wonder if what they are experiencing is normal. This is why knowing what the common breast changes are for most pregnant women can be helpful to keep any fears or anxiety at bay on this front during pregnancy.

From the time that conception occurs, the breasts begin their process of change. However, according to BabyCenter, it is not until weeks six to eight of pregnancy that women will be able to tell anything different about their breasts. An early stage where perhaps it has become apparent that the breasts have grown. But there is much more to come as the pregnancy progresses. So that by the time babies are delivered, everything is in place to start the breastfeeding process, for however long mothers determine they want to breastfeed for.

RELATED: Can Sore Breasts Mean I’m Pregnant?

Here are some common breast changes that occur for most pregnant women.


10 Nipples Get Sore & Sensitive

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via Pexels/cottonbro

Like most changes during pregnancy, nipples becoming sore and sensitive can be blamed on the increased hormone levels in the body. According to the American Pregnancy Association, this helps with the milk ducts growing and filling with milk over the course of pregnancy. And the fuller they become, the sorer and more sensitive the nipples become.

9 Breasts Grow In Size

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via Pexels/Yan Krukov

Breasts become larger when pregnant as a result of prolactin helping them to enlarge, according to Healthline. Larger breasts are necessary so that they can accommodate the milk being produced in the breasts. And because of this, women may wind up with breasts two cup sizes bigger at the end of pregnancy than they were at the start.

8 Breasts Can Feel Heavy

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via Pexels/Mikotoaw Photographer

As the breasts prepare themselves to carry milk, they can feel heavier. This is not just a feeling. According to WebMD, breasts can gain up to two pounds while women are expecting. A weight that can put a strain on the shoulders and back if not supported properly.

7 Dark Veins May Appear

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via Pexels/Yan Krukov

When women become pregnant, the volume of blood pumping through their bodies increases dramatically. This is done to support both women and their growing babies.

According to Bass Vein Center, the blood in women’s bodies can increase by 40 percent. This volume can make the veins enlarge in the body. With one of the most prominent areas being the breasts.

6 Breasts Become Tender

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via Pexels/RODNAE Production

As the structure of breasts changes during pregnancy, they can become painful and require women to find ways to relieve the pain, according to Medela. This, coupled with the hormones in the system can make breasts feel tender.

While some women may have tender breasts for the entirety of their pregnancy, per the publication, the tenderness begins to subside after the first trimester. Something that can bring great relief depending on how much tenderness was felt.

5 Nipples & Areolas Can Grow In Size

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via Pexels/Yan Krukov

The size of nipples and areolas change during pregnancy to help newborns better to be able to find the nipple and latch after birth, according to VeryWell Family.

For some women, the size of nipples and areolas can return to what they looked like before pregnancy after breastfeeding has ended. Many will notice that there is some change in size, however. With the majority staying larger than they were pre-pregnancy.

4 Raised Bumps May Appear On Areolas

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via Pexels/Matilda Wormwood

Raised bumps can appear on the areolas for most women during pregnancy. Not only is this normal, but it can also aid babies with breastfeeding by helping them locate the nipple, according to Parents.

Known as Montgomery’s tubercles, the bumps on the areolas secrete a “lubricating oil with antibiotic properties” that help to keep the nipples healed while breastfeeding and germs from infecting the breast, per the publication. They pop up during pregnancy and when women are completely breastfeeding, the bumps will go away.

3 Colostrum May Be Expressed From Nipples

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via Pexels/Yan Krukov

As milk production ramps up during pregnancy, some women may notice that their nipples are leaking. What they are leaking is not milk. Instead, it is colostrum. The first milk that is produced by the breasts for babies, according to the NHS.

Leaking colostrum is completely normal, per the publication. The only time there would be a need for worry is if there is blood included in the leakage. Then a healthcare professional should be contacted to determine if there is cause for alarm or not.

2 Nipples & Areolas Can Change Colors

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via Pexels/Pavel Danilyuk

Women may notice that as the pregnancy moves along, the nipples and areolas change color and darken. This is a result of hormones changing the pigment of the skin on the breasts, according to News-Medical.net. Something that will occur around the same time as the veins becoming more prominent in breasts.

1 Skin Can Become Itchy

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via Pexels/Yan Krukov

As the breasts become larger, they can also become itchy. This has to do with the skin stretching to accommodate the larger size of the breasts, according to Women’s Centre at Lakewood Ranch.

When this happens, the skin can become dried out, causing an itching sensation to occur. With some moisturizer, the skin should feel relief and the itching should subside as a result.

Source: BabyCenter, American Pregnancy Association, Healthline, Bass Vein Center, Medela, VeryWell Family, Parents, NHS, News-Medical.net, Women’s Centre at Lakewood Ranch

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