How to clean breasts during pregnancy

Pregnant women should pay attention to breast cleaning during pregnancy. Cleaning the breasts can not only maintain the smoothness of the milk ducts, but also help to improve the elasticity of the nipples and reduce the occurrence of complications such as nipple cracks during breastfeeding.

Some pregnant women will begin to secrete colostrum in their breasts when they reach the second trimester, and even find a little white and transparent water-like substance on their nipples. However, there is no need for breast pads at this time, because the body's testosterone will be balanced and controlled, and the secretion of milk will not be excessive when the baby is not born yet. In addition to colostrum, many pregnant women have small, white, raised sebaceous glands on their nipples, called "Montgomery" glands, which also secrete sebaceous glands. The secretion of sebaceous glands is to nourish the nipples, enhance the protection of the nipples for future breastfeeding, and at the same time release a special smell so that the baby born in the future can find the mother through the smell, triggering a breast-seeking reflex. If you find the above secretions, just wipe them off gently with water. Don't use soap or wash them too thoroughly, so as not to make the nipples too dry and vulnerable to damage.

During the colostrum production stage, colostrum is prone to form scars on the nipples, which should be softened with cream first, and then removed with warm water. If soap or alcohol is used to clean the nipples before delivery, the oil secreted by the sebaceous glands around the nipples to protect the skin will be removed, and the nipples will become too dry and prone to cracking and damage. Therefore, pregnant women who plan to exclusively breastfeed are not advised to use soap and ethanol to clean their breasts.

Breast care should be carried out exposed to sunlight and air. Pregnant women should prepare a clean towel and warm water to clean their breasts every day. Be careful not to cause irritation or soreness to the nipples during cleaning. In the last three months of pregnancy, use a dry cotton towel to rub the nipples to increase the elasticity of the nipples, which helps prevent nipple cracks.

Common problems with breast cleaning

During pregnancy, women's sebaceous gland secretion increases, the sebaceous glands on the nipples also thicken, the nipples become softer, and the increase in sebaceous glands and sebaceous glands secretions also alkalinize the skin surface, causing the stratum corneum to soften. At this time, if you always use soap-like cleaning products to wash these secretions from the nipples and nipples, it will be bad for women's breast health.

Relevant experts pointed out that the frequent use of soap-like cleaning products will wash away the keratinized cells on the surface of the skin through mechanical and oxidative effects, promoting cell proliferation. If these keratinized cells are frequently and continuously removed, the thickness of the protective layer on the surface of the skin will be destroyed, causing the epidermis to swell. This swelling is caused by excessive dryness, adhesion and cell loss in the breast area.

If you use soap and other cleaning products frequently every night, the breast skin will easily become grayish, and it will take a certain amount of time for the breast skin to be covered with a protective layer again and to restore its alkaline environment.

While soap continues to degrease the skin surface, it also promotes the proliferation of alkaline bacteria on the skin, making it more difficult to alkaline the breast area. In addition, cleaning with soap can also wash away the substance that maintains the lubrication of the breast skin - plant oil.

You must not be too casual when cleaning your breasts. If you want to give your breasts the best care, you must be careful when cleaning your breasts. You cannot use moisturizing lotions that are too irritating. It is best to clean them with warm water.