5 Effective Tips For Proper Breast Care During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is something every woman wishes for. It’s one of the wonderful phases of life. But In this phase, you need to focus on a lot of things. The first and foremost thing is proper breast care. Proper breast care is very important if you want your breastfeeding to be hassle-free. So let’s get started with it:

Your breasts begin to engorge and become sensitive during pregnancy. The nipples become dry, sore, pigmented and even develop cracks. The below-mentioned tips can help you take care of your breasts during and after pregnancy.

Breast massage
Massaging your breasts is very important during pregnancy. It can help with stretch marks, blocked ducts, and nipple fissures. Massaging oil strengthens and firms breast tissues. Put some oil on your palm and use your fingertips to massage gently around the nipples in a circular motion. Pull the nipples gently outwards. And continue this for about 3-5 minutes. A good breast massage is likely to improve the supply of milk post-delivery and breastfeeding. It also softens the breasts and smoothens the mammary glands. A good massage invigorates the nipples and areola area for easy sucking.

Precautionary measures
Never put excessive pressure on the breasts.
Use only your fingertips for massaging the breasts.
Stop massaging if you experience any kind of pain.
Do not overly massage the nipples in the final stages of pregnancy.

Stay active
Follow an exercise routine and have a healthy diet. Certain stretching activities tone the upper body. Arm stretches can help in providing strength to the breast muscles and reduce breast pain.

Precautionary measures
Do not overdo physical activities.
Weight lifting and other heavy exercises are a no-no.
Check with your doctor or fitness specialist before taking up any exercise regimen.

Right-fitting maternity bras
It’s time to switch your regular bras to maternity bras. Your regular bras won’t help you in any way at this point! A comfortable maternity bra, made of premium cotton, can help you as the breasts stretch during pregnancy. Also, a sports bra can help you to keep the muscles below the breasts firm. A right sports bra can prevent sagging.

Precautionary measures
Never use ill-fitting or tight-fitting bras.
Underwire bras are a strict no-no as they cause discomfort.

Check your nipples
Inverted and flat nipples offer a poor latch for breastfeeding. This can be a huge problem during breastfeeding. If your nipples are inverted or flat, you should consider wearing breast shells. But make sure to check with your doctor before using them. The shells provide gentle pressure on your breasts, thereby drawing the nipples outward to make breastfeeding easy.

Precautionary measures
It’s better to not wear breast shells if you are at risk of premature labour.

Use breast pads
Your nipples may experience leakage of colostrum i.e your first breast milk. You can use a disposable breast or nursing pad or a cotton cloth to absorb the fluid. If you feel wearing a pad is not comfortable, just clean your breasts using a clean cotton cloth dipped in lukewarm water.

Precautionary measures
Do not use harsh soap, body washes, or alcohol-based cleaning agents. They cause itching and soreness.

These tips will help you to avoid all the breast problems that you face during pregnancy. If you follow the above-mentioned tips you will make your pregnancy journey hassle-free!