Breast concern - pregnant. Scared of breast cancer

[Jess1234567]

Hi everyone,

I've found myself scrolling and searching for reassurance for a good couple of weeks now and decided to make a post of my own.

I am 29 years of age and I am 25 weeks pregnant.
For the last 5 weeks I have had redness/pinkness to my right breast - around the aerola and under the breast (it might be longer actually but I can't remember when it started as I initially assumed it was due to pregnancy). There is very slight redness on the left breast but it's barely noticeable and is much more obvious on the right one.

It's not itchy, doesn't hurt, no discharge, can't feel any lumps and no texture changes other than stretch marks underneath. The redness is less severe first thing in the morning.

I have been to my GP and my midwife who don't know what it is and I have been referred to the breast clinic, appointment is on Thursday.
I was really hoping my midwife would say this morning that it's normal for pregnancy but she said she's only ever seen it in post natal and that it's the right thing to go to the breast clinic.

I am terrified I have inflammatory breast cancer as I have stupidly been using Dr Google in my attempts to reassure myself. I am even more terrified as I am expecting my baby boy.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Thanks so much in advance x

I'm 9 weeks, breast cancer runs in my family and I was really concerned before I got pregnant that during pregnancy I might be panicked by changes to my breasts and it could be a trigger for me for my health anxiety.

Easier said than done but try not to panic. It's not long until your appointment on Thursday and you'll get answers then. GPs will normally refer most breast issues to the breast clinic just to be on the safe side. It is likely hormonal and nothing to worry about, but please let us know how you get on.

Thank you so much for your reply @Inmydreams88 ! Congrats on your pregnancy, hope the first trimester is treating you well?
I suffer with health anxiety also since the pandemic - it's awful jumping straight to the worst conclusions isn't it.

I'll definitely update so that I can hopefully help other people who are like me and desperately seeking out reassurance!

Hi ladies

I just wanted to update in case in future there's any mummies to be with the same problem as me who are looking for reassurance.

I have been to the breast clinic this morning at my local hospital - I was examined by a consultant and had an ultrasound. All within 2 hours I was told it was nothing other than pregnancy related changes. I am so relieved!

Really hope this helps reassure anyone who is worried about anything to do with redness in their breast in pregnancy... but still get checked of course ❤️

Jess x

Just want to say THANK YOU for giving an actual update! I am 9 weeks ans hve this on one breast as well and was worried but your post makes me fee much better

Awww I'm so glad it's helped, as I was the one desperately looking for reassurance a few months ago. Congrats on your pregnancy ❤️ i had my baby boy 16 days ago and he was is healthy & breast feeding. I'm sure your redness is nothing to worry about but your GP would definitely rather you get it looked! If anything just to put your mind at rest x

Hey!
I had redness on both breasts. One is worse than the other ! I have been given antibiotics. Initially 1 week for mastitis. Which didn’t work. Second was 2 weeks for infection which helped bring some of the colour down but not fully gone.
Convincing myself it will be IBC! I have had two scans. Showing nothing except slight thickening. Everything else was normal all glands etc and areas of the breast.
I am scaring myself silly ! All you read about is IBC !
keep thinking the scans are missing something. Had this around 9 weeks now. I also have implants which can make things worse. I’m just over 24 weeks pregnant and petrified for my own life and leaving behind my husband and baby girl when she arrives.
got an appointment tomorrow with my breast surgeon hoping he will say it’s just hormonal! He specialises in cancers. Also been referred on the 2ww.
when did this go away for you ladies ? Has anyone had this?
never been so scared in my life x

Hi matask

I was exactly the same worrying! Interestingly my reddening peaked in the middle of pregnancy which is where you are now. Mine nearly totally went away towards the end of my pregnancy and pretty much completely disappeared almost as soon as my son arrived Sept last year. I think it was due to a combo of my boobs becoming huge and the hormones.
I'm still breastfeeding now over 6 months since he was born and it's never returned!
Hopefully yours will be the same as what I experienced and just pregnancy related changes. I hope they put your mind at rest so you can enjoy your pregnancy ❤️

Hey Jess!

thank you so much for posting ! Means a lot ! Did you do scans etc then too?

im hoping so too! These comments have provided me some reassurance. Just hoping my surgeon will do the same when I see him! 💖

Yes I saw a consultant who examined my breasts, followed by an ultrasound which showed thickening and then he called me the same day and said it was just pregnancy related changes. After that j didn't even really look at my boobs because the red patch stressed me out! It went away before I gave birth anyway.

i remember thr consultant saying my breasts were engorged and as it happens I started leaking colostrum early and I've been able to keep my supply up and continue breastfeeding for 6 months so it explains it really! Maybe you are just the same (which is actually great if you plan to breastfeed) 🙂. I hope you get some answers because I know how much it takes over worrying!! ❤️ X

Ah okay thank you for this. I have implants so never had a huge size difference. One is now defo bigger than the other which again is normal for pregnancy I know. It’s just the colour. Hopefully it’s good news ! I do plan the breastfeed if I can 🤞🏼

fingers crossed tonight I get the same news you did 💖

Let me know! Keeping everything crossed for you xx

Thank you! Saw my surgeon he said 99.9% sure it isn’t IBC. He said by now it would look and feel different. He said clinical examination by eye would tell him. He sees it once a year typically. He said scans can come back negative in some cases but people can have it. He said my boobs for
one wouldn’t both have it. Secondly said it would be a lot firmer by now and the skin be like orange peel etc. he said to be safe he will see me again in 5 weeks. He took pictures to compare. Said no point in a biopsy now. If it’s worse then he will but if it’s the same or better then he won’t. He just wants to be sure and also not waste my money on tests for no reason. He said he’s seen it a few times in pregnant women. One even had it all the way up to her neck. So that was so reassuring to hear. Thank you xx

UPDATE - To anyone who may come across this. I had a biopsy done through the NHS and it came back benign. I was so relieved. The stress and anxiety I have had has been insane. I do also have a condition called ehlers danlos syndrome whereby my skin is extremely thin as even the biopsy was harder to perform the consultant had to also use a scalpel to take the biopsy. I have been told both boobs are red due to the massive growth, the skin being stretched and I have implants which add extra weight (albeit they aren’t big implants only 325cc). I was told to wear more supportive bras as I’ve not been used to bras with implants as they never moved ! My boobs have defo gone more south!

I would definitely recommend anyone who’s worried to push for testing. I was lucky that the NHS consultant I saw knew my breast surgeon by first name and very well that he did a biopsy from my first visit to give me peace of mind. Even though he wasn’t concerned, I was.

when I went in for my results the consultant walked in and went how are you, I burst into tears and he blurted out the biopsy was fine to calm me down 😅

it isn’t talked about enough that this can happy to us ! And google terrifies the shitt out of you!

Hi everyone, im currently 21 weeks pregnant and I found a lump last week in the lower right boob near the cleavage...now I have severe health anxiety and I'm going out my mind!
When I'm sitting it feels hard but if I was to lie down it feels squishy and flattens out.. I went to the drs and although he did say its hard it feels benign and nothing to be concerned about but he still wants me to go see him on Tuesday...I can't stop touching it I'm soo scared my sister has breast cancer and my mum has ovarian cancer but its not genetic. Has anyone had the same? X

@Jess1234567 i think what I have sounds really similar to you. Did yours change throughout the day? As in sometimes mine is really red biggish area, then I check again later and it’ll be barely noticeable, but it’s more often there than not. Just feel very concerned that it keeps coming up in the same place