Sore Breast After Period (Nipple pain): Is it Pregnancy or Ovulation?

Question: What causes sore breast after period is finished?

“why do my breast hurt after my period” is a common question a lot of girls ask; And if you’ve just become aware of that sharp pain inside your breast, it’s important you understand that, in most women, breast pain is usually not a sign of anything serious like breast cancer.

Because of the associated risk of cancer, breast pain may seem tricky and may even cause a lot of women to panic. Then again, women battling with the troubles of infertility will worry their “breast pain” is an early sign of pregnancy.

The truth is, breast pain sometimes happens in women and may possibly signify pregnancy. With that in mind, it’s important you observe if your breast pain occurs at the same time month after month (cyclical breast pain) or if it’s occurring for the first time or in one fixed spot (non-cyclical breast pain).

Usually, your body provides an egg at the time of ovulation. Some women notice breast or nipple tenderness around this time, but more often cyclical breast pain is felt after ovulation, in the days before your next period, when hormones are highest.

Recently, I received an email from “Lily” after she was scared of being pregnant. Here’s her question.

Hi doctor Dunn, I’m a 16 years old student, and I’m bothered about unusual signs I’m experiencing. I had intercourse about a month ago and did not use any protection. Before my period, I had a sharp pain in my right and left breast that is burning (sometimes stabbing) that continued till the start of my period.

Right after the end of my period, I still have breast tenderness, and right now, I’m starting to feel nauseous too. Is it possible that I may well be pregnant?

Just like Lily, breast pain after period has ended may get you worried its pregnancy (especially after an unprotected sexual intercourse). But the truth is, its very unlikely that you are pregnant, and if you’ve had a period that lasted for “4 – 7” days, then it is most likely something else. Still, if you had unprotected sex, do a pregnancy test so you are sure.

This article explains why your breast hurts after period, the timing that shows its ovulation and early signs your breast pain could be pregnancy.

What causes sore breast after period?

If your breast feels sore for days or weeks, these are the likely reasons its happening

1. Cyclical hormonal changes in your menstrual cycle

Think about it, when you are 10 years old, your breast was very tiny, and as you grew older, your breast continued to increase in size. These changes are normal in women during puberty, and they occur because of hormone changes.

After puberty, your breast ( also called mammary gland), grows bigger and contains lobules which help in the production of milk (if you get pregnant).

During your menstrual cycle and after the end of your period, you ovaries (located just at the sides of your womb) secrete estrogen that aids the growth of your breast.

As your breast temporarily increases in size, it retains water (due to estrogen effect) and makes you feel pain inside. This usually happens in the second half of your cycle, after ovulation.

In a typical 28-day cycle, ovulation happens about 12–14 days before your next period (around the middle of the cycle).

Then again, after your ovulation period has passed, your breast will be affected by another hormone, called progesterone.

Progesterone hormone is produced by the ruptured follicle (corpus luteum), and this makes your breast to further increase in size just before your period starts.

After your period, these hormones (estrogen and progesterone) level will nosedive, and your cycle starts all over again. Even though hormone levels fall, your breast tissue may stay sensitive for a few days, so breast pain can run into or just after your period. If breast pain continues far beyond your period, or is only in one spot, you should let your doctor know.

Breast pain alone cannot reliably tell you if you are ovulating or pregnant. It is just one of many possible hormone-related symptoms.

2. Birth control medications

Birth control pills are commonly known for their ability to prevent pregnancy. If you are on these pills, it could affect the size of your breast and also make you feel pain for a few days.

These medications often contain estrogen (and a progestin) which acts to make your breast retain water, get bigger and ultimately make you feel pain. Some progestin-only methods can also cause breast tenderness.

However, you don’t need to throw-out this pill right away. It’s not abnormal that you will feel breast pain, and sometimes, you will also feel spotting too.

These minor side effects happen because you’ve just started the medications, and because of its synthetic hormones, your body will need weeks to months to become accustomed to these drugs. Most times, you will feel breast pain relief within three months after starting birth control medications.

3. You are stressed for weeks now

Being stressed out for long periods of time could potentially cause an undesirable effect on your health, and also, your breast. In fact, if you don’t get sufficient time to loosen up, your body reacts fairly quickly.

Because estrogen and progesterone directly affect your breast, some women notice that stress makes their usual cyclical breast pain feel worse or more noticeable.

4. Postmenstrual syndrome

You’ve probably heard of PMS (premenstrual syndrome); But if you’ve not, they are changes that women experience two weeks before their next period. (this guide explain more).

Just like these Pre-period PMS symptoms, you can also experience post menstrual syndrome that happens after the end of your period.

During this time, your breast will feel heavy, and you may also feel depressed. Other symptoms are anxiety, vaginal bleeding or spotting, migraine, headache, anger, body weakness and feeling restless.

Doctors do not all agree on “postmenstrual syndrome” as a diagnosis, so if these symptoms are very strong or last most of the month, see your doctor to rule out other problems.

If you feel this way, see your doctor for help.

5. You are pregnant

Let’s be clear; If you’ve had your regular month-to-month menstruation that did last for 4 – 7 days, it’s extremely unlikely you are pregnant. However, light bleeding in very early pregnancy can sometimes look like a short or lighter “period”.

However, if your period merely lasted for one or two days, and surprisingly, its brownish with less than normal menstrual cramps, your breast tenderness may be due to pregnancy. This type of vaginal bleeding and mild abdominal cramps happen just after implantation.

Usually, after you’ve had intercourse, the released “semen” journeys through your womb to your fallopian tubes at which it will fuse and fertilize “your egg”.

After fertilization, you still won’t be pregnant except implantation happen. Implantation means your fertilized egg fuses and hooks up itself to your womb (the endometrium). If this happens, you will have light bleeding for one, two or three days, and may easily be confused as a light period.

If you are pregnant, there are other ways to know. Some other symptoms are exhaustion, unexpected light abdominal cramps that are shortlived, heightened urge to throw up, increased appetite, headaches and a missing period.

If you are worried your breast tenderness could be due to pregnancy, it’s best you take a pregnancy test after your period is late or at least three weeks after unprotected sex. But before you do, READ THIS GUIDE to be sure you take your test at the right time.

Sore breast week after period ended, what could it be?

If you are 1 week after your period has finished and your breast hurts, it may be because of normal cyclical hormone changes, including ovulation, especially if it happens around the same time every month.

This guide explains all about ovulation, but in simple terms, ovulation means your body is releasing a fertile egg. During ovulation and the days after, your body produces plenty of hormones that may trigger breast tenderness with swelling.

However, breast pain by itself is not a reliable way to confirm ovulation. If you are tracking fertility, use your cycle dates, ovulation predictor kits or basal body temperature, not breast pain alone.

Sore breast 2 weeks after period, what could it be?

If your breast hurts 2 weeks after period, it can still be because of cyclical hormone changes. Remember that your menstrual cycle length could be different from other women. So, if you have a short menstrual cycle, it means you will experience ovulation breast changes earlier than normal.

On the other hand, if your menstrual cycle length is twenty-eight days, its means ovulation-related changes (that include breast pain) will usually happen about two weeks before your next period. If breast pain two weeks after your period is new, very severe, only on one side, or you feel a lump, please see your doctor for a breast check.

When should you see a doctor for breast pain?

– Breast pain that lasts every day for more than 2–3 weeks
– Pain in one fixed area of the breast
– A new lump, breast skin changes, or nipple discharge
– Redness, warmth, or fever (could be an infection)
– Breast pain in pregnancy, or if your period is late and you have not done a test

Most of the time, breast pain is benign and hormone-related, but these warning signs mean you should get checked.

Sore Breast After Period: Is it Pregnancy or Ovulation?