How does the areola change after pregnancy?

As we all know, the areola of a woman's breast will undergo certain changes after she becomes pregnant. However, most women have no idea about the changes in their areola after pregnancy. Therefore, this article will introduce to you the changes in the areola of a woman after she becomes pregnant. It is for your reference. I hope that all female friends can discover changes in themselves.

From the moment the fertilized egg implants, the breasts change accordingly as hormones in the body change. This is a function that nature has given to humans to adapt to the need of breastfeeding after childbirth. At the same time, the degree of breast development during pregnancy also determines the amount of milk secreted.

Entering the second month of pregnancy, the breasts gradually swell and become very soft, and due to the hypertrophy of the mammary glands, lump-like things appear in the breasts; then, the blood vessels under the skin of the breasts become obvious. The nipples will gradually become larger, the color of the areola will become darker due to the increase in pigmentation, and the protrusion of the nipples will become obvious.

Throughout pregnancy, your breasts continue to grow, doubling to tripling in size. The breasts may feel swollen or painful, but the pain will gradually disappear. If it is uncomfortable, you can use hot compresses and massage to relieve it. After 5 months of pregnancy, squeezing the breasts can produce thin colostrum. At this time, you should pay attention to the cleanliness of the nipples.

Early pregnancy: Your nipples may become firmer and more sensitive. The areola gradually expands and becomes darker in color. The small papule-like protrusions surrounding the areola (these areolar glands, also called Montgomery glands, are responsible for secreting an oily antibacterial substance that cleans, lubricates and protects the nipples) will become more prominent. The entire breast will swell and the texture of the surface skin will become more obvious. The tightness, heaviness and fullness of the breasts will still be noticeable.

Mid-pregnancy: The color of the areola becomes darker and darker, the areola glands become more prominent, the breasts continue to grow, and the texture of the epidermis becomes clearer. As estrogen levels rise, nipple sensitivity increases. Stretch marks may appear due to the enlargement of the breasts. Straw-colored colostrum may also leak out at this time, although it is more common to see it leak out later.

Late pregnancy: Breast enlargement and all changes in the way your breasts look and feel become more noticeable. Even expectant mothers whose breasts do not change significantly in the early and mid-pregnancy will notice obvious changes in their breasts during this period. Most people will experience colostrum leakage.

As mentioned above, after a woman becomes pregnant, her areola actually changes gradually, expanding. The color of the areola is also much darker than before pregnancy. Moreover, changes in the breasts and areola are constantly occurring in the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy. Therefore, women can understand this from the three stages of early, middle, and late pregnancy.