Yes, breast tenderness can be one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. It usually starts around 4 to 6 weeks and lasts through the first trimester.
Why are my breasts so sore and tender now that I'm pregnant?
Like so many pregnancy symptoms, sore and tender breasts and nipples are due to surging hormones. The hormones estrogen and progesterone, as well as prolactin (the brain hormone associated with lactation) boost blood flow to the breasts and cause changes in breast tissue to prepare for breastfeeding.
The result? Your breasts may feel swollen, sore, tingly, and unusually sensitive to touch. Some women find the sensation painful. Others say it's like an extreme version of how their breasts feel right before their period.
Are sore nipples a sign of pregnancy?
Yes. Some women find that their nipples feel extremely sensitive and uncomfortable during early pregnancy. You may hate the feeling of any sensation on your nipples – even your shirt brushing up against them. This is a temporary but possibly recurring situation. Many women experience relief from sore nipples after the first trimester, but may have sore nipples again later in pregnancy.
Your breasts go through many changes to prepare for nursing your baby. You may notice:
- Breast growth. Starting around 6 to 8 weeks, you may notice your breasts getting bigger, and they'll continue to grow throughout your pregnancy. It's common to go up a cup size or two, especially if it's your first baby. Your breasts may feel itchy as the skin stretches, and you may develop stretch marks on them.
- Veins and pigment changes. You may be able to see veins under the skin of your breasts, and after the first few months, your areolas (the pigmented circles around your nipples) will also get bigger and darker.
- Bumps on the areola. You may not have noticed the little bumps on your areolas before, but they may become much more pronounced now that you're pregnant. These bumps are a type of oil-producing gland called Montgomery's tubercles.
- Leaky breasts. During pregnancy your breasts start producing colostrum, the immune-boosting milk your baby will get when you first start nursing. During the last few months of pregnancy, you may leak a small amount of this thick yellowish substance, although some women start to leak earlier, and some never leak at all.
- Lumpy breasts. Sometimes pregnant women develop lumps and bumps in their breasts. These are usually harmless and could be milk-filled cysts (galactoceles) or benign breast tumors (fibroadenomas). It's unusual for a woman to develop anything serious (like breast cancer) during pregnancy. But let your healthcare provider know about any lumps that are hard, persistent, or otherwise concerning.
What can I do during pregnancy to ease breast pain and discomfort?
Your best bet is to buy a few good, supportive but comfortable bras. If underwire bras and synthetic materials are making your tender breasts and sore nipples worse, buy a few soft, structured cotton bras with no seams near the nipple.
When shopping for comfortable bras to wear during pregnancy, try:
- Maternity bras. Maternity bras usually have extra hooks (for your expanding rib cage) and often provide support and structure without using underwire.
- Nursing bras. If you'll be breastfeeding, consider switching to nursing bras midway through pregnancy. These have the comfort of a maternity bra, plus clip-down cups to make it more convenient to feed your baby.
- Sleep bras. Some women feel better sleeping without a bra, but others prefer some gentle support at night. Sleep bras typically have wider straps and a soft cotton lining.
- Sports bras. When you exercise during pregnancy, prevent discomfort by wearing a bra that can support your larger, heavier breasts. Some sports bras are made specifically for pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Be prepared for your bra size to change multiple times during pregnancy. In early pregnancy, your cup size may go up a letter or two. Between 26 and 30 weeks, your band size may grow as your rib cage expands. Your cup size may increase again in later pregnancy. And after delivery, when your milk comes in for breastfeeding, your breasts will temporarily expand another cup size or two. (After your milk supply evens out, they'll likely go back to the size they were in late pregnancy and stay there as long as you're breastfeeding.)
The best strategy is to buy one or two bras at a time during pregnancy to fit your changing breasts. Then, at the end of pregnancy (around 38 weeks), buy a few stretchy nursing bras that will carry you through the first weeks of breastfeeding and beyond. (The stretch will accommodate the major breast growth when your milk comes in.)
I haven't noticed any breast changes during my pregnancy. Does that mean something's wrong?
Many pregnant women experience breast changes, but plenty of others don't – and that's normal, too. It's not necessary for your breasts to grow bigger, leak, or feel sore to indicate that you're having a healthy pregnancy or that you're ready to breastfeed. Some women's breasts just don't change much during pregnancy.
Learn more:
The best nursing bras according to moms
Maternity and nursing bras 101
Dan Saelinger
Your breasts may be extra tender as early as one or two weeks after conception. "You're making so much estrogen and progesterone in early pregnancy that the glands in the breasts start growing," explains Jasbir Singh, M.D., an OB-GYN at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie in Texas. This hormone surge causes breasts to retain more fluids and feel heavy, sore, or more sensitive than normal PMS tenderness.
- Breast Pain During Pregnancy: Symptoms and Solutions
9nong/Shutterstock
Many people mistake these early signs of pregnancy for PMS symptoms, but they're actually caused by hormonal changes and the growth of the uterus. About 30% of pregnant people experience cramping after conception, which is triggered by implantation—when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall. Your uterus may also be stretching a little now (hence the cramps) to prep for its massive expansion over the next nine months.
- How to Tell the Difference Between Implantation Cramps and PMS Cramps
Peter Ardito
When a fertilized egg implants into the plush lining of the uterus about six to 12 days after conception, light vaginal spotting may occur. You might mistake this "implantation bleeding" for the start of your period, but it's generally lighter than menstruation and brown or pink (instead of red) in color.
While this super early sign of pregnancy is harmless, you should always let your doctor know if you think you're expecting, so they can rule out other causes of vaginal bleeding. "In the first trimester, bleeding should be evaluated for three things in particular: miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, or certain types of infections," Dr. Singh says. "Implantation bleeding is sort of a diagnosis of exclusion."
- Is It Implantation Bleeding or Your Period?
stokkete/shutterstock.com
During the first few weeks, your body is working 24/7 to support the pregnancy, and fatigue is a normal response. The extra progesterone produced after conception causes your basal body temperature to rise, which in turn contributes to a lack of energy, explains Karen Perkins, M.D., an OB-GYN with A Woman's Choice at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Your heart also pumps faster, as it has to deliver extra oxygen to the uterus; this, too, can make you feel tuckered out.
So what should you do? "Take prenatal vitamins early on, eat a healthful diet, drink plenty of fluids to keep your blood pressure high enough, and rest when you can," Dr. Singh says.
- Is It PMS or Early Pregnancy?
Are your nipples and areolas looking darker these days? Pregnancy hormones also affect the activity of melanocytes, or cells in the nipples responsible for their color.
"Darker-complexioned women may not notice this until later in pregnancy—say, around 10 weeks or so," says Melissa M. Goist, M.D., Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University Medical Center.
- 9 Crazy Ways Your Breasts Change During Pregnancy
Kenchiro168/Shutterstock
While full-blown morning sickness—which affects up to 85% of all pregnant people—likely won't strike for a few more weeks, some may experience more subtle motion sickness as an early pregnancy symptom.
"I've had patients tell me they'd suddenly get queasy from reading in the car or would feel sick during flights," says Dr. Goist. This can start as early as two weeks after conception.
"Progesterone causes a lot of things to slow down," Dr. Singh adds. That includes your digestive processes, sometimes resulting in constipation or indigestion. Since your stomach doesn't empty as quickly as it normally does, it thinks there's too much going on in there and wants to purge in some way—either into the gut or out through the mouth.
Nausea also is related to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that can be detected in the blood or urine even before a missed period. The higher the hCG level, the sicker you may feel.
- 15 Tips for Dealing With Morning Sickness
Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley/Shutterstock
Can't zip up those skinny jeans? Ramped-up levels of progesterone slow down your digestive tract and may make your tummy feel puffier than usual. (This also happens during PMS, notes Dr. Goist, but bloating typically stops when your period arrives when progesterone levels plummet.) If the bloating doesn't go away—and your period never comes—start watching for that stick to turn pink.
- What to Know About Implantation Symptoms
Studio C/Shutterstock
You might think frequent urination comes later when the growing fetus presses down on your bladder, but an increase in bathroom breaks sometimes starts early in pregnancy. Not only can the swelling uterus put pressure on your bladder, but the extra blood flow to the kidneys (which begins right away) also causes them to produce more urine.
There's not much to do about this early sign of pregnancy, unless the frequent urination is accompanied by burning, urgency, or other signs of infection. (If so, notify your doctor.) Do not cut back on your fluid intake.
- 11 Pregnancy Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore
beats1/Shutterstock
At this point, you're more likely jonesing for a jumbo bagel than pickles or Rocky Road. "Your overtired body may demand extra carbs now because they're easily metabolized, which helps keep energy levels up," says Dr. Goist.
- What's Safe to Eat When You're Pregnant—And What's Not
Camerona Whitman/shutterstock.com
Increased blood volume may trigger frequent but mild tension headaches as an early sign of pregnancy. These headaches can also happen if you aren't drinking enough fluids or if you're anemic, so be sure to get your blood work done to rule out the latter.
The good news: Migraines become less frequent as pregnancy progresses. "Fluctuating hormones tend to make headaches worse, and estrogen levels are more stable during pregnancy," explains Richard Gersh, M.D., an assistant professor of OB-GYN at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.
- When to Worry About a Pregnancy Headache
VGstockstudio/Shutterstock
Is constipation a sign of early pregnancy? You bet! The same hormones responsible for bloating are also behind your potty problems. Because your digestive tract is slowing down now, says Dr. Goist, food may not pass through as quickly. This early pregnancy symptom will likely ramp up even more as your pregnancy progresses.
- How to Manage Constipation in Pregnancy
KieferPix/Shutterstock
Find yourself weeping over a commercial or raging because the Verizon guy can't come until Tuesday? "As levels of hCG hormones increase, you're feeling massive amounts of fatigue, which makes you more prone to moodiness," says Dr. Goist. And don't forget that stellar combo of headaches, bloating, constipation, and breast pain—need we say more?
- Am I Nuts? Understanding Your Pregnancy Emotions and Mood Swings
Shutterstock
Measuring basal body temperature (BBT)—your temperature first thing in the morning—can indicate that you've ovulated. The temperature rises about half a degree when an egg is released, and it remains elevated until you get your period.
So if you're charting your BBT and notice it hasn't decreased in more than two weeks, it may mean you've got a baby on the way. FYI: You'll need a special digital basal thermometer to do this; it's more precise than normal fever-measuring thermometers.
- Basal Body Temperature and Ovulation: How to Track Your BBT
AstroStar/Shutterstock
Bloody noses, congestion, and postnasal drip are common in pregnancy, and they're all related to the same two causes, says Nathaniel DeNicola, M.D., an OB-GYN at the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. Increasing blood volume puts more pressure on delicate vessels like the ones in your nose, but hormones are to blame too, Dr. DeNicola says.
Estrogen, in particular, can make blood vessels dilate, which contributes to swelling of the mucous membranes in your nose. Luckily, much of the discomfort can be relieved by using a simple saline spray, and it should resolve soon after delivery.
- 10 Strange Pregnancy Symptoms
What are the five most common early signs of pregnancy? Check out the video, and watch Dr. Alexandra Sowa explain.
Thanks for your feedback!