Tender breasts what does it feel like

They can be super sensitive to the touch, making exercise and sex play very uncomfortable. Pro tip: Wear a reliable sports bra and also communicate with your partner to explore other areas during this time.

For many women, the nipples are particularly sensitive in these early weeks. They can be so tender to the touch that it hurts to dry off after a shower or put on a bra go braless with confidence! But extreme nipple sensitivity typically passes within a few weeks.

As the first trimester progresses, you may notice fullness and heaviness rather than tenderness. Some women also experience a tingling sensation in the nipples and areolas during the first trimester. While it can happen, this type of pain is less common with pregnancy. Breast pain is often the first symptom of pregnancy, occurring as early as one to two weeks after conception — technically, weeks three and four of pregnancy. That sore boob sensation peaks in the first trimester because your body is flooding with hormones.

These hormones have an important job, preparing your body to grow a tiny human — a hungry little human. To feed that hunger, hormones work quickly to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding. Blood flow to the area increases and your boobs grow larger. The cleavage may be pretty great — but this growth can also be painful, even causing skin irritation and itching.

The milk ducts in your breasts also grow to prepare for breastfeeding. And hormones stimulate the growth of milk-producing glands. Basically, your boobs go through a massive growth spurt. Pain is not the only breast-related symptom you can expect during your pregnancy. During your first trimester, you may also notice blue veins pumping extra blood into your breasts and changes to the size or shape of your nipples.

During your second trimester weeks 13—26 , you may notice that your areolas — the pigmented areas around your nipples — have grown darker. You may also notice tiny bumps on the areolas and wonder what is going on — but again, this is completely normal. During the second and third trimesters you may also begin leaking a yellowish fluid called colostrum. This is the good stuff.

It affects most women at some time in their lives. The degree of soreness, and where and how it is felt, differs for each woman. It might be sharp, stabbing, dull, throbbing or aching. It might be felt in all or part of the breasts, one breast or both. It can also affect the armpit area. For many women, the soreness is barely noticeable.

For others, the pain is so great that it affects their everyday lives. Usually the condition goes away in time. This is also referred to as cyclical mastalgia. This happens when the tissue in their breasts responds to hormones. The most common hormonal breast soreness comes from an increase in the level of oestrogen before a period. This causes milk ducts and glands to swell, trapping fluid in the breasts. Bland KI, et al. Etiology and management of benign breast disease.

Elsevier; Ferri FF. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Mayo Clinic; Holbrook AI, et al. ACR appropriateness criteria breast pain. Journal of the American College of Radiology. Niell BL, et al. ACR appropriateness criteria evaluation of the symptomatic male breast. Vitamin E fact sheet for consumers. National Institutes of Health.

Pruthi S expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. During puberty, hormones in the body can cause the breasts to grow larger. The difference is that for guys, this condition is called gynecomastia and is usually temporary.

One of the most common times that breasts might feel sore is when they are beginning to develop. First you might notice a small button-like lump beneath the nipple area. The medical name for this is the breast bud , and is common in guys and girls.

The breast bud may be a little tender. But don't worry — it's a normal part of puberty. It is also common to have sore breasts around the beginning of a girl's period, or menstruation. During her menstrual cycle , a girl's body produces lots of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Changes in these hormones can cause feelings that together are called premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.

Some girls have painful cramps in their stomachs, headaches, mood swings, or cravings for certain foods right before their periods begin. During this time the body may retain water, which can make a girl feel puffy and bloated.

Rings and shoes may feel tight. Just as fingers and feet swell, so can breasts. All that fluid forces breast tissue to expand, which stretches the nerves and makes breasts feel achy or tender. Breast swelling and tenderness can also be one of the earliest signs of pregnancy.