Proper nipple and breast care during pregnancy

The "dizzy" change of breasts and nipples during pregnancy makes many pregnant mothers uncomfortable and difficult to care for this sensitive part. 

During pregnancy, your body undergoes many changes to create the most favorable conditions for your baby to develop. In addition to changes in appearance and physique, changes in the chest and nipples will also be clearly visible. Without proper care, these changes can cause discomfort and dramatically change the shape of your breasts after birth, according to obstetricians. To avoid this situation, let's go to aFamilyToday Health through the sharing below to learn more about some ways to care for breasts and nipples during pregnancy.

How will the breasts and nipples change during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, in addition to the feeling of fatigue due to morning sickness , the change of the breast also makes many pregnant mothers stress and uncomfortable. Here are some common breast and nipple changes that you may easily notice during pregnancy:

1. Loud and sensitive

During pregnancy, your breasts will be 1.5 times larger than before you became pregnant. Not only that, but you may also feel pain, sensitivity and burning pain easily.

2. Big, dark nipples

Hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause the nipples to grow larger and the skin around them to become darker.

3. Leak of colostrum

During pregnancy, the mother's breasts can also leak colostrum , thick yellow in the nipples.

4. The veins darken

The veins along the chest area may become darker and more pronounced due to increased blood flow in the chest area.

5. Appearance of tiny particles

Around the areola will appear scattered small protrusions called Montgomery County. These are the sebaceous glands around the areola, specializing in the production of oil on the breasts. Later, when you feed your baby, the baby will touch the lips of these Montgomery seeds to alert the nipples to release milk, and these seeds also release a characteristic odor to help the baby find the right nipple.

How pregnant mothers should take care of breasts and nipples during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, most mothers are only interested in taking care of the face and belly skin but forget that breast care is also very important. Here are a few tips for proper breast and nipple care during pregnancy that you should take every day:

1. Choose the right bra

Your breasts will constantly change in size during pregnancy. Therefore, choosing the right bras is one of the easiest ways to protect your breasts and nipples. The advice for you is to choose a bra that is soft, easily ventilated, smooth inside to not irritate the nipples and protect breasts from tissue damage and sagging.

Mother should limit buying bras with frames so as not to cause pain to the chest legs as the womb grows. In addition, when choosing to buy a bra, the mother should choose to buy a shirt 1 size larger than the current one for long-term use.

2. Massage round 1

Daily massage "twin mountain" by hand or using a soft cotton ball can aid blood circulation, keep breasts firm and prevent sagging. Not only that, the gentle rubbing of the breasts and the skin in the areola also promotes the fullness of the nipples and areola skin, increasing the strength of the nipples and areola.

In case of mountain erections, pain, hard nipples, before massaging the mother can apply hot towels to each side or use olive or coconut oil and gently massage the nipples. Massage time is about 5 minutes each time. In particular, gentle hand massage of the breast is also beneficial for enhancing the breast's disease resistance, while enhancing the lymphatic and blood circulation of the breast, stimulating the postpartum lactation .

For women with short nipples, which are indented deeply, it is necessary to massage the whole breast, massage the nipples, squeeze, pull the nipples to bulge.

However, be careful not to have a strong effect on round 1 in the weeks leading up to the due date as this can inadvertently stimulate the uterus to contract, leading to  premature delivery . There is a note that pregnant mothers should pay attention to during the massage of the chest area, if you find that your lower abdomen is tense, you need to stop immediately to ensure the safety of the fetus.

3. Clean the ring 1

Every day, you should clean the ring 1 at least once. After bathing, clean your nipples with warm water and use a soft towel to remove dead cells that build up on your nipples. During the last 3 months of pregnancy, the nipples can leak colostrum. To prevent nipples from getting damp, leading to cracks and infection, you need to change bras often. Alternatively, you can also use breast pads to keep your nipples dry. In particular, remember to wash your nipples regularly to avoid liquid "sticking" into patches at the nipples causing inflammation or odor.

4. Do not use soap to clean your nipples

When cleaning your nipples, avoid using soap. This is because soap tends to dry out your nipples and can lead to chapping.

5. Use moisturizer

When the fetus is 4 - 5 months old, you should use clean water to wash the nipples once a day to remove dry secretions and build up on the nipples. Then, apply a layer of lotion to avoid cracking nipples during later breastfeeding.

6. Pay attention to nutrition during pregnancy

During pregnancy, you should limit alcohol and caffeine intake such as coffee, soft drinks, cocoa, ice cream, beer, alcohol and some pain relievers because these foods can cause tension. , annoying for your twin mountains.

In addition, you should also pay attention to avoid eating too many oily and fat foods because eating too much grease will make the mother's breasts become more painful.

Include vitamins B, C and calcium in your pregnancy diet daily to help limit the production of the hormone prolactin, one of the causes of nipple pain.

Some important notes to remember

Changes in the breasts and nipples are an inevitable part of pregnancy. To ensure your health and your baby's milk supply, you need to remember some important notes:

Always use warm or clean water to clean your breasts. However, water should not exceed 45ºC to avoid harm to your baby.

Change bras often, at least once a day, to avoid feeling squeaky, wet from sweat and leaking colostrum.

Check your breasts every day. If you notice any unusual changes that are causing you anxiety, don't hesitate to see your doctor.

Do simple exercises like rotating your arms every day to prevent sagging breasts during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a time when you are exposed to a lot of stress and rarely care for yourself. However, even if you are busy, you should still take a little time every day to take care of your breasts and nipples and other parts of the body to ensure you have the perfect pregnancy.