The nipples and the area around the nipples (areola) become darker and larger. Small bumps may appear on the areola. These bumps will go away after you have your baby. You may notice a yellowish discharge, called colostrum, from your nipples as early as the 16th to 19th week.
Around month three, your breasts may start leaking a yellowish, thick substance known as colostrum. Some women may leak earlier, some never at all. Nipples stick out more, and the areolas and nipples will grow larger. You may also notice little bumps on the areolas.
Darkened Areolas or Dark Nipples
The color of your nipples and areolas may begin darkening or changing as early as the first or second week, and some women also find that their darkened areolas and darkened nipples grow larger in diameter, especially as the breasts begin to swell.
You can identify Montgomery's tubercles by looking for small, raised bumps on the areola. The areola is the dark area surrounding the nipple. They can also appear on the nipple itself. They usually look like goosebumps.
As pregnancy hormones increase the blood supply to your breasts, you may feel a tingling sensation around your nipples (Bharj and Daniels 2017). This can be one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy, and is sometimes noticeable by the third week (Bharj and Daniels 2017).
Montgomery's tubercles are small bumps on your areolas (the dark area around the nipple), that can appear during pregnancy. They often appear around the same time as those tell-tale dark veins and sore nipples that are hallmarks of early pregnancy.
Second trimester
Over the course of the second and third trimesters, the areolas often become larger and darker. Darkening areolas are likely to result from hormonal changes. Often, the areola returns to its prepregnancy color after breastfeeding, but it sometimes remains a shade or two darker than it was originally.
By about 12 weeks of the pregnancy, the skin of the nipple and areola may start to darken or 'pigment'. Skin colour changes are very individual to each woman. Women with darker hair and darker complexions tend to notice more colour change than fairer skinned women.
The hormones estrogen and progesterone may make your breasts become swollen or tender before and during your period, which comes on average every 21 to 35 days. Some women also notice that their nipples darken before their menstrual periods or during ovulation — when hormones are shifting.
It's possible to check the position and firmness of your cervix at home. You can do this by inserting a finger into your vagina to feel for the cervix. Your middle finger may be the most effective finger to use because it's the longest, but use whichever finger is easiest for you.
Lower abdominal pain is normal during pregnancy and is most common between 18 and 24 weeks. Your growing uterus is pulling and straining the muscles that support it. You may feel sharp pains or just a mild pulling sensation. It often occurs when you cough, sneeze, stand up, sit down, roll over, or during sex.
Changes in the third trimester
Your nipples will become larger and more pronounced. They may also change shape. Your nipples and areola may continue to darken significantly. As the skin on your breasts stretches to accommodate their growing size, you may experience itching or dryness.
If you have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period. In the first few weeks of pregnancy you may have a bleed similar to a very light period, with some spotting or only losing a little blood. This is called implantation bleeding.
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.
Typically, they will get progressively larger and darker and women often notice little bumps on the surface of their nipple area. You should expect your nipples to get progressively darker throughout your pregnancy and be the darkest when your baby is born.
Sore breasts are common in early pregnancy due to fluctuations in hormones. Your breasts may be extra tender as early as one or two weeks after conception.
Montgomery glands can become filled with a waxy substance. The gland then resembles a pimple with a white or yellowish head. These spots are known as Montgomery tubercles. Women do not have to be pregnant or breast-feeding for this to occur.
Even if you're not pregnant, it is still common to notice Montgomery tubercles around your nipples or surrounding areola. These are usually quite normal and nothing to worry about.
Many people experience what seem to be pregnancy symptoms shortly before their period arrives. This happens because the hormone progesterone rises both during early pregnancy and in the premenstrual period. 1 In short, PMS symptoms and early pregnancy symptoms can sometimes be exactly the same.
A pregnancy test may return a positive result as early as 10 days after a person has had sex without contraception. However, it typically takes about 3 weeks before there's enough hCG in the urine to produce a positive pregnancy test.
The nipples and the area around the nipples (areola) become darker and larger. Small bumps may appear on the areola. These bumps will go away after you have your baby.
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.