I. What changes will happen to the breast during puberty?
Puberty is the period when the male and female sexual organs develop and mature. Puberty for girls generally begins at the age of 13 to 15, but it may be earlier or later. In recent years, the development of girls, especially in large cities, has tended to be earlier, with some starting at the age of 9 to 10. This may be related to improved nutrition and changes in diet.
The sexual development of girls begins with the development of the mammary glands, generally 2 to 3 years later, the onset of menstruation. The onset of menstruation is a sign that a woman’s sexual organs and mammary glands have entered a mature stage of development. However, after the onset of menstruation, most girls’ mammary glands continue to develop for 1 to 2 years until they develop into the mature breast shape of an adult. Female breasts generally take 4 to 6 years from the beginning of development to maturity.
There is a great deal of individual variation in how early, how fast, how long the development process is and how much development there is. Therefore, there is no need to panic when your breast development is not exactly the same as someone else’s, as slight differences may be normal. Jianhua Liu, Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Wuhan Sixth Hospital
During early childhood, a girl’s breasts are flat and only the nipples protrude slightly. At puberty, the girl’s breasts begin to bulge and increase in size, and the nipples and areolas also increase in size and deepen in color one after another. Gradually, the breasts form a disk shape, and then continue to increase in size to become hemispherical.
So why do breasts change so much during puberty? This is because during puberty, the hormone levels in a girl’s body are quietly changing dramatically. It is generally believed that pubertal development begins with increased secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone by the hypothalamus, which activates the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, followed by the secretion of large amounts of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone by the pituitary gland, resulting in increased secretion of ovarian steroid hormones.
Under the combined action of estrogen, progesterone, prolactin and androgens secreted by the adrenal cortex, the mammary glands begin to grow, mainly manifested by the extension of the mammary ducts, slightly widened lumen, increased and loose periductal interstitium, and abundant blood vessels. At the same time, the distribution of body fat changes, axillary and pubic hairs appear, and height increases rapidly. When the ovarian endometrial cells can secrete sufficient amount of estrogen, it causes endometrial hyperplasia and leads to menstruation.
Thereafter, as the secretion of estrogen and progesterone further increases, the basal cells at the end of the small ducts proliferate, forming glandular vesicle buds, and the duct lumen gradually forms, eventually forming the lobular structure of the breast.
During the development process, some girls’ breasts may feel swollen and some may even feel pain or tenderness, which is a normal phenomenon.
In addition, because the sensitivity of breast tissue to hormones is uneven during this period, the development of glands in different parts of the breast may also be uneven, and some localized small nodules may appear, which will disappear naturally with further development of the breast.
Are the breast glands of adolescent boys not developing at all? No, it is not. The mammary glands of adolescent boys also develop, but later than girls, and to a lesser extent, without forming lobules, and for a shorter period than girls. This is reflected in a slight increase in breast size and an increase in the diameter of the areola. In about 60% to 70% of boys, small hard nodes can be palpated under the nipples at this time, which are tough and mildly painful to the touch, and generally disappear within 1 to 2 years. If they do not disappear or even increase in size, they are considered to be abnormal male breast development and should undergo the necessary examination and treatment under the guidance of a doctor.
Second, what changes will happen to the breast after pregnancy?
A normal woman’s body undergoes significant changes during pregnancy. From the moment the fertilized egg is laid, along with the hormonal changes in the body, the breasts also respond accordingly. In fact, this is a natural function of human nature, which is designed to accommodate the need for breastfeeding after delivery. At the same time, the degree of breast development during pregnancy is an important factor in determining how much milk is produced.
Throughout pregnancy, the breasts continue to grow DD some even triple in size. However, as time goes on, the painful sensation will gradually subside. It is important to note that if you notice acute redness, swelling, pain, bloody nipple discharge, cracked nipples and skin ulcers, you should not wait to see a doctor immediately. Although acute mastitis and even breast cancer in pregnancy are relatively rare, they should not be taken lightly.
Some young new mothers find that their breasts begin to “shrink” and droop after the birth of their children, because they did not pay attention to the maintenance of their breasts during pregnancy. Once you start to get pregnant, you need to take better care of your breasts.
After pregnancy, due to the role of hormones, the mother’s breasts will have a full development, the growth rate is very fast, so the choice of bra also has a learning curve.
First, the bra should be able to hold up the breast, do not wear too small bra, limiting the growth of the breast.
Secondly, in the process of wearing the right bra, you must hold the bra up, so that the whole bra to hold the breast, rather than wearing half, strangling the breast. The first one is not to wear a bra with a steel bra, because that bra will be strangled on the breast, which will cause the breast ducts to fold, because the breast ducts are growing especially fast, if you can not give it a growing environment will be folded inside, which will cause the milk ducts to be inaccessible, which will cause breast swelling during pregnancy.
Third, the breast growth is particularly strong, a lot of fat tissue growth, rather than the real breast cells in the growth, this breast after delivery is difficult to have a particularly adequate milk, because the secretion of milk is determined by the breast cells, rather than by the fat outside the breast cells, requires the mother-to-be in the diet, we should pay attention to the appropriate increase in protein intake, and do not eat too much fat content, high sugar After eating too much, the body will naturally convert into fat, but it is difficult to convert into protein.
The first six months of pregnancy, pregnant women should pay attention to breast massage to help the mother unblock the milk ducts, so that the channels of milk excretion smooth. The massage method is not difficult. Pregnant women wash their hands with soap and scrub the outside of the nipple in a circular motion to the base of the breast (at the collarbone) washing the left and right breast respectively. Avoid washing the nipples with soap to avoid washing away the protective outer layer of oil, and pay attention to cleaning the scabs.
After cleaning, you can hold the breast with your hand and massage from the base of the breast under the collarbone with your middle and index fingers towards the nipple, and knead the nipple with your thumb and index finger to increase the nipple toughness. For flat or sunken nipples, gently push the nipple outward in the way of stamped fingerprints, and do a complete nipple circle in the clockwise direction; or pinch the nipple with one thumb and index finger and gently turn and pull it outward, while the other hand holds the areola open; you can also wear nipple shields to make the sunken nipple stand out.
Third, older women how to breast health?
Some people may think that older women after menopause, ovarian function has degenerated, the breast has shrunk, the gland has entered a quiet old age, basically completed its life’s task, and withdrew from the “stage of history”, still need special health care? In fact, it is because we have entered the old age that we should pay more attention to breast health care. Breast cancer has a high incidence after the age of 45, therefore, older women should be more aware of breast health and cancer prevention and have a heavier task.
Due to the decrease of estrogen in their body, their breasts undergo some changes, such as smaller breast size, flabby and sagging, and increased skin creases. At this time, they should insist on monthly breast self-examination and annual physical examination at a specialist, pay attention to the small changes of breasts at any time, and check and treat the problems immediately if they are found. In addition, it should be reminded that older women should take hormone replacement agents with caution, and if they do, they must be monitored under the guidance of a doctor.