Ick! What's all this going on with my boobs?!

[gwannenmanveri]

Well first of all I noticed that I have some lovely strechmarks on one of them... Not pretty, but oh well. I can live with it.
I've noticed something rather odd though. My nipples have become GINORMOUS, which I guess is normal. What i'm not sure about is that the skin from the nipple area to my armpit area on both has very dark pigmentation now. Could this be the "mask of pregnancy" I read about except on my boobs and not my face? It doesn't itch or hurt or anything so I haven't mentioned it to my doctor. Do you guys think I should worry?

The other thing i've noticed is where the Ick! comes in. In my ignorance I had always thought that a nipple had one hole in it from which breastmilk came out. Now I know that there are many pores. So there are little crevices, I almost want to say cracks on my nipples that are pretty sensitive lately and i'm assuming that where the pores are. Over the last couple days there has been white stuff in them that almost look like what you'd squeeze out of a blemish! EW!! I did ask my doctor about it and he said it wasn't anything to worry about. But it's gross! Am I supposed to do anything special to wash that stuff away? Is it just old skin cells or colostrum build up or something? It's really grossing me out.

Please tell me whats going on!!

[boheime]

The pigmentation changes are normal for many women. This is my third and I have gotten pigmentation changes on my breasts each time. Last pregnancy, I even had some on my lower neck which lasted until this pregnancy. Normally, the pigmentation is gone within a few months after birth for me (as the skin replenishes itself with new cells).

The white is probably just a bit of colostrum which has dried. Nothing to worry about and completely normal.

[wombatclay]

Welcome to the wonderful world of "what they don't tell you in the books!"

The stretchmarks can come anywhere you have a rapid or pronounced size change. So even AFTER the babe arrives you might suddenly discover new lines on your breasts, belly, hips, etc. They do fade, and really aren't that bad (as you've said).

The pigmentation change is pretty normal...it's actually something of a landing strip/bullseye for your babe in that the coloration helps them zero in on the nipple. Kind of cool when you think of it that way...and the color fades away over the first few months. There's a picture of a new mama in one of my lactation books and her areola is so dark it's almost black and the pigmentation actually covers about half of each breast! Anyway, your nipple area might always be a bit darker than it was pre-babe, but it wont be as "shocking".

The "nipple thing" is also really common...lots and lots and LOTS of women assume they are made just like a bottle, with one hole in the middle of each nipple. Instead, women are more like sponges! Which can make for some fun "oops" moments during the early days if you have a lot of supply...you might find milk going every which way if your babe pulls off during letdown (I always needed a towel or cloth dipe while nursing during the first few weeks otherwise I'd spray milk like an insane firehose)

Anyway, it sounds like you're starting to leak a little colostrum. Colostrum is very thick and fatty and when it dries it can look sort of yellow/white and feel a bit greasy. It's not bad for your skin, and it should just wash away with plain old water in the shower or with a face cloth. If leaking becomes an issue during the day you may want to pick up some cloth or disposable breast pads to wear...these can be handy after the babe arrives too depending on how much (if at all) you leak after the first few weeks.

Oh...and welcome to mdc!

[Therese's Mommy]

Yes, my areoli are enormous. Also, they are alot darker. With my first I notice that the darkness went away with the nursing; almost like the nursing acted like an exfoliatation. Now, with this pregnancy, I am nursing a toddler and my areoli are bullseyes! I assume this is caused by the nursing wearing away the darkness where dd latches on. It is all pretty funny looking.

Beth

[gwannenmanveri]

Oh thank you! I'm so glad it's just normal stuff!!!

Do I need to worry about ducts getting clogged or anything? Or is that only after the actual milk comes in?

[Nora'sMommy]

you definitely do not need to worry about clogged ducts now.

oh, it's so funny. a couple months from now you'll remember this post and laugh. you'll become very familiar with the goings on of your breasts, feeling them all the time, etc.

[Therese's Mommy]

Originally Posted by Nora'sMommy

you definitely do not need to worry about clogged ducts now.

oh, it's so funny. a couple months from now you'll remember this post and laugh. you'll become very familiar with the goings on of your breasts, feeling them all the time, etc.

Yep, before I breastfed my dd I would never touch my breasts in public even if they itched like mad. Now I don't have any problem grabbing them no matter where I am.