[TRANSCRIPT OF ANSWER]

Changes in the Breasts in Pregnancy

“Through the course of your pregnancy, your body will change in all sorts of ways. Obviously, your belly is going to grow, but you may also notice some changes in your breasts. Your breasts will also probably grow before you even give birth before your milk has even come in. So keep that in mind. If you’re buying bras in pregnancy, you might need to go up a cup size or two, but don’t invest all your bra money before you give birth because postpartum they’ll probably change even more.”

Darkening of Areolas

“Another change that happens to your breasts is the areola will grow larger and darker. And that’s nature’s way of basically preparing a bullseye for your baby. So they know exactly where to focus when they’re seeking milk from the breast. There are other cues that they’ll have as well, smell the sound of their mother’s voice the sound of her heartbeat, but they don’t have the best eyesight when they’re born. So that bulls-eye dark, larger areola is a great help to them as they navigate their way to feed.”

Additional Resources

DO: Helping New Moms Find Success with Breastfeeding