boob worries - please help

[moulesfrites]

I am 27+3 and had the usual achiness and tenderness in the first trimester. Since then however, my boobs have become itchy and I have got some red/pink stretch marks on them. The thing that worries me is that it has seemed to affect one side more than the other - the left one seems itchier and redder and now I am googling inflammatory breast cancer and all kinds of thinngs and driving myself mad - I am going to go to GP but wondered if any other mnetters had had anything like this?

bump. anyone?? Have been up all night worrying, going to ring docs asap.

it is probably absolutely nothing to worry about but a good idea to ring the doctor and have it checked out just to give you some peace of mind. Pregnancy can do some very strange things to your body!

Get the GP to check for peace of mind but look on the positive side that this is very very unlikely to be breast cancer and much more likely to be connected to pregnancy changes/hormones. As you have said both sides are affected (even though one more than the other) and it is really not common for breast cancer to present in both sides at the same time.

stretching is common in pregnancy and along with that can come the stretch marks and the itching.

When you say one is redder though I think the thing you should be checking to rule out is mastitis. Do you feel well in yourself? Any fever? Is there a patch that is red/hot/tender?

tbh I have asked dh to have a look and he doesn't think one is redder - they both have quite noticeable red stretch marks on them - I am driving myself mad looking in the mirror trying to decide of one is heavy or not. I had thought about mastitis - can you get it in pregnancy? There doesn't seem to be one particular patch, just they are generally painful and itchy. Thanks so much for the replies.

Sorry, I meant if one is redder or not - don;t know where heavy came from!?

After delivery and during breastfeeding is a more common time to get mastitis but it is possible to get it during preg yes.

i have got a docs appt for 10.30 today. Thanks for the advice both of you. I hope it is just yet another pregnancy related worry!

My boobs haven't done anything at the same time - one has a growth spurt, then the other, etc. Your other boob will probably catch up soon, sorry.

Stretch marks are itchy and look very "angry" to start with - that's all normal.

i had cracked nipples for most of my pregnancy- very uncomfortable but in the end i was glad i had it then than when i had a little baby suckling on them! i used various intensive creams such as 'doublebase' and this other one i can't remember what it's called, and the dr towards the end of my pregnancy prescribed a low dose hydrocortisone cream which sorted them out in the end.i don't know if this helps but anyway just to reassure you that all sorts of things can happen and it's unlikely to be anything like cancer!

Hi, have been to see Dr - she was lovely and told me that my boobs look great and my breast tissue seems perfectly normal and healthy for a pregnant woman. She has given me some ointment which she says will help with the itching etc. Cried with relief when I got in. Why do I google every ailment and end up driving myself insane! Thanks for the reassurance everyone, in a way I think it is a good thing to have gone through as makes me more aware of what is normal with my breasts etc.