Breasts
Categories:
Obstetrics or Midwifery
Changes in the breasts also constitute a sign of pregnancy. As
an early symptom, there may be a feeling of fullness, sometimes pain. They
become larger and firmer from the development of the individual lobules,
which have an irregular knotty feel. A fat deposit takes place between the
lobules and in the other parts of the breast. The nipples increase in
size, are harder to the touch, become more prominent. A few drops of a
tu
bid fluid, colostrum, may be pressed from the nipple as early as the
third month. The veins under the skin become larger and more conspicuous.
The rose-colored circles (rings) around the nipples are broadened and are
slightly elevated above the surrounding skin and there is a marked
increase in their pigmentation, the color varying with the complexion of
the individual from reddish pink to brown and black. These changes usually
occur at the beginning of the third month, and if the woman has already
had a child the question of pregnancy has been decided by inspection of
these breast changes.