Nipples are sensitive, and they can hurt for lots of reasons. Tight clothes, rashes, and infections can all irritate the tender skin. For women, sore nipples are common during periods, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
Nipple pain can be caused by hormonal changes from pregnancy or menstruation, trauma to the nipple from breastfeeding or sexual activity, allergy, infection, and more. While the cause of nipple pain usually isn't serious, in rare cases, it can be a sign of breast cancer.
First Trimester: Weeks 1 to 12
In the first handful of weeks post-conception, you may experience more tender, tingly breasts and nipples. You might notice your breasts are becoming fuller and your nipples are sticking out more, too.
Symptoms: Breast or nipple pain that's stabbing, burning, or feels like pins and needles—both during and after nursing—can be the result of a vasospasm, when contracting blood cells reduces blood flow to a particular area. You may also notice your nipples turning white, then blue or red.
Most likely breast pain is from hormonal fluctuations from menstruation, pregnancy, puberty, menopause, and breastfeeding. Breast pain can also be associated with fibrocystic breast disease, but it is a very unusual symptom of breast cancer.
2. You have tender, swollen breasts. In the early weeks of pregnancy, your breasts may feel fuller, sore and even tingly (weird, right?!). You may also notice that your bra doesn't quite fit like it used to.
Breast tenderness is often one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development , breasts may become sore, heavy, or tingly as early as 1–2 weeks after conception. The nipples may also feel sensitive or even painful to touch.
During early pregnancy (one to two weeks after conception) your breasts might feel sore, tender to the touch, and heavy. A sign that it might be early pregnancy versus PMS? Many women notice their nipples are very sensitive (and even painful at times) in the early weeks of pregnancy.
In the first trimester (weeks 1 to 13): Your breasts may start to feel swollen and tender. Your nipples may stick out more than usual. Some women find that their breasts start to get bigger during this time.
According to Michelle Wong, MD, an ob-gyn with UTHealth Houston, breast pain in early pregnancy isn't localized. It occurs in the glandular breast tissue, so it may feel similar to the soreness you can experience before getting your period. That means you'll probably feel an overall sensation of breast tenderness.
Stress and anxiety can also be linked to breast pain. Non-cyclical breast pain may be continuous or it may come and go. It can affect women before and after the menopause. The pain can be in one or both breasts and can affect the whole breast or a specific area.
Sore nipples are common with breastfeeding. But breastfeeding should not hurt. And the skin on your nipple should not break down any more than the skin anywhere on your body should break down. Mild soreness or sensitivity is fairly common for the first week or 2 of breastfeeding.
If a person becomes pregnant, progesterone levels will continue to rise. This causes breast tissue changes that can make the nipples or breasts sore. However, it takes several weeks for these developments to occur, so breasts that become sore suddenly after ovulation do not indicate pregnancy.
Your breasts may feel swollen, sore, or tingly – and your nipples may be extra sensitive and uncomfortable. It's all thanks to the pregnancy hormones estrogen and progesterone, which surge during early pregnancy.
'One possibility for why this happens could be that those with very sensitive nipples find the sudden release of endorphins from having their nipples touched may in turn cause dysphoria. 'There is no real cause or answer to why this happens, and it could be down to a number of factors, psychological and physical.
In addition to that tender, full feeling, you'll likely notice a few other breast changes during pregnancy: Your nipples. Along with achiness and tingling, your nipples may be protruding more than usual and feel more tender.
Unfortunately, no matter how much we feel that we may know our bodies, pregnancy cannot be self-diagnosed. The only way to know whether or not you're pregnant is through a pregnancy test.
Tender breasts in early pregnancy
The skin around your nipples may look bumpier than usual and the breasts begin producing an oily fluid to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding. Your breasts may also feel heavier. The nipple may become darker and stay that way during pregnancy.
Home pregnancy tests can differ in how early they'll detect a pregnancy. In many cases, you might get a positive result from an at-home test as early as 10 days after conception. For a more accurate result, wait until after you've missed your period to take a test.
Breasts can feel heavy and sore for many reasons. Menstruation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding are common reasons, but infections and cysts may also cause discomfort. Less commonly, pain may stem from cancer. Many different conditions can cause breast pain.
Both estrogen and progesterone levels increase just before a woman's period starts. Both these hormones draw fluid into the breasts making them feel swollen and tender. Estrogen causes breast ducts to enlarge and progesterone causes milk glands to swell. Nipple pain during this time is also common.