How to Take Care of Your Breast during Pregnancy

No matter how much you are excited about pregnancy, it also brings anxiety and fears. These fears are quite natural, but you can foresee and eliminate some of them. During pregnancy, you must focus on the health of your breast. Even the smallest tumor may start expanding. Unremoved fibroadenoma (benign tumor) may get in the way of lactiferous ducts, hamper lactation and provoke mastitis or other dangerous diseases.

Why Going To Breast Physician?

Unfortunately, visiting a breast physician is something that a lot of expectant moms tend to skip. But breast physician’s advice is very important for every pregnant woman. Breast physician can tell you more than just how to take care of your breast during your pregnancy. The doctor would also advise you on breastfeeding, preventing plugged duct, avoiding nipple injuries when breastfeeding and many other vital things every mom should know. And what’s more important, you’ll be examined! If any malformation is found in a woman under 40, the doctor will send her to do a breast ultrasound scan. If a woman is over 40, whatever her complaints are, she is sent to undergo a mammography. Mammography examination requires precautions and should be done 2-3 months before getting pregnant.

You absolutely have to go to your breast physician, if:

• You had multiple abortions or miscarriages
• You had or have thyroid gland disorders, cystic ovary, uterine fibroid, breast fibroadenoma, or broken breast
• Your first pregnancy is after 30 years old.

Your breast is a very vulnerable and fragile body part that requires extra care during pregnancy.

Suntan during Pregnancy

Breast physicians do not recommend sunbathing with your breast naked because intense exposure to the sun is harmful for tender breast skin. Take extra care sunbathing during pregnancy and lactation period. First, exposure to the sun may be harmful and, second, it may cause pigment spots.

Hair Growing on Breast during Pregnancy

Many women get very worried about hair growing on breast during pregnancy. It’s doubtful if you should remove them. If they really annoy you, you can pluck them, carefully protecting your skin from possible inflammation.

Underwear for the Growing Breast

Wearing tight underwear is unhealthy because your breast is getting ready for the feeding process during pregnancy. Breast grows in size and weight, so you need a comfortable bra that holds your breast in place without squeezing. You should change bras as your breast grows larger. Choosing the right bra ensures your breast won’t get saggy later.

Breast Treatment

You must have heard the advice to rub nipples with rough towel. Practice shows that this kind of treatment often irritates the skin of nipples and causes cracks in advance of breastfeeding. Besides, this treatment stimulates the release of oxytocin, the hormone causing womb contractions. And while it helps the womb to recover during breastfeeding, pregnancy is not the right time for those contractions. They increase the tonus of the womb and may provoke preterm birth later on.

Breast affusion with cold water is healthy provided you do affusion for the rest of your body. Series of studies haven’t found the breast affusion with cold water improves lactation.

Breast Stretch Marks Cream

To prevent stretch marks, use special creams, this will help you avoid or minimize the formation of stretch marks as well as maintain breast elasticity. Apply the cream on your breast with gentle rubbing.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/emerycophoto.