All you need to do is rub moisturizer or oil around the nipples in a circular motion with the help of your fingertips. While doing so, you need to pull your nipple gently upwards and continue doing so for at least 5 minutes. Do not put excessive pressure on the breast; only use your fingertips while doing the massage.
This type of stimulation would typically begin after 36 weeks gestation provided you have gotten the OK from your obstetric provider to do so. Massaging the breast also provides an opportunity to become familiar with your breast & how they work which can increase confidence when it's time to breastfeed.
Breast massage during pregnancy
Therefore, we recommend a targeted massage around your breasts using an Anti Stretch Mark Oil. For an optimal breast massage during pregnancy, you can massage the oil with your fingertips in a spiral motion from the base of the breast to the center of the breast.
With your thumb and fingers, feel a few centimetres back from the nipple. Press back towards your chest, then compress (press your fingers together), and release. Repeat this process, building up a rhythm.
It's safe for your partner to touch, play with, or caress your breasts during pregnancy, as long as it feels good to you. Your breasts change throughout pregnancy, and may feel tingly, tender, and unusually sensitive to touch, particularly in the first trimester.
Risks to mother and baby
By stimulating their nipples and expressing milk while pregnancy, women could bring on regular contractions of the womb and give birth early. This is because nipple stimulation leads to an increase in the hormone oxytocin, which plays a role in both milk let-down and contraction of the womb.
Breast massages are generally safe . However, anyone who has breast cancer or who has had recent surgery should take care when massaging near a lump or scar. A doctor can provide guidance, which may be especially helpful for people undergoing treatment for a breast-related health condition.
Do you need to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding? No. Your body is already preparing for breastfeeding. Thanks to hormonal changes in pregnancy, women are capable of producing breast milk by the end of their second trimester.
Practice breast massage.
While massaging alone does not directly increase milk supply, it will help you drain the breast more effectively which then signals your body to produce more.
While nipple stimulation can release hormones that cause uterine contraction, most studies show that it does not bring about the onset of actual labor. Most doctors do not recommend nipple stimulation to induce labor, but some anecdotal evidence exists for its effectiveness.
Milk production generally begins around the midpoint of pregnancy, somewhere between weeks 16 and 22. At this stage your body is producing what's known as colostrum—a yellowish milk that's rich in calories and disease-fighting antibodies—which will serve as baby's first food after birth.
If you have a normal, healthy pregnancy, then pumping before birth is often completely safe. If you have a high-risk pregnancy, it may be better to play it safe. As you begin to experience physical changes during your pregnancy, you may notice that your breasts leak small amounts of colostrum.
Your body begins producing colostrum between 12 and 18 weeks in pregnancy. Most people will produce anywhere from a tablespoon to an ounce of colostrum within the first 24 hours of delivery. This slowly increases until transitional milk comes in around the third or fourth day.
Stimulating, caressing or simply holding breasts sends nerve signals to the brain, which trigger the release of the 'cuddle hormone' called oxytocin, a neurochemical secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland in the brain.
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.
The Hegu, also known as the Union Valley or L14, is the fleshy area of the hand located between the thumb and forefinger. If this area is massaged during pregnancy, it can cause uterine contractions. The same is true for certain parts of the wrist and pressure points on the lower back and lower abdomen.
Although there is no consensus on the full spectrum of forbidden points,3 those most frequently cited as contraindicated throughout pregnancy (at least before 37 weeks) are SP6, LI4, BL60, BL67, GB21, LU7, and points in the lower abdomen (eg, CV3–CV7) and sacral region (eg, BL27–34).
Sleeping on your stomach is fine in early pregnancy — but sooner or later you'll have to turn over. Generally, sleeping on your stomach is OK until the belly is growing, which is between 16 and 18 weeks. Once your bump starts to show, stomach sleeping gets pretty uncomfortable for most women.
Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream
Although the product was created for breastfeeding-related nipple chafing and chapping, reviewers swear by this cream during pregnancy as well. Many experience sore, dry or itchy nipples due to hormonal fluctuations, which this lanolin cream is designed to soothe almost right away.
Breast Tenderness
Breasts may be very tender, swollen and start to enlarge. Many times the veins within the breast will become more visible. Your nipples may start to darken in color, become more erect and be extremely sensitive.
Generally speaking, breastfeeding your husband or partner is OK. It's not perverted or wrong if you want the person you are intimate with to breastfeed, or if they ask to try breastfeeding or taste your breast milk.
Your breasts will get bigger and heavier, and from time to time they may even hurt. This is one of the first signals that your breasts have begun producing milk. During the colostrum period, some women's breasts may leak. This is perfectly natural.