Nipple retraction?

[Charys]

Good news about the ultrasound, and yes, if it is gradually changing as the pregnancy progresses then that sounds just like I was. I'm sure you are fine. Have a good Christmas!

[Louise06]

Thank you so much for taking the time to get back to me (and for reading it all in the first place!) It definitely seems like it's getting a bit worse, which makes sense as the pregnancy progresses. Hopefully I'll be able to calm down a bit about it. My ultrasound came back clear so that will need to be enough to stop me thinking about it! Thanks again!

[Charys]

I was going to say....one side was more inverted than the other, but I can't recall now which was as it was 20 years ago.

[Charys]

Hiyer !

I'm with you, read it all LOL I have experience of this, I was pregnant at 30 (I'm now 50) and both my nipples slightly inverted. They had never been like it in my life before, and have never been since either. At that point in life I was entirely unaware of bc, or looking for changes, and because it happened to both and tied in entirely with pregnancy and breasts increasing in size I thought no more of it (but did wonder how it was going to pan out with breast feeding, it was fine they came back out). The 'hollow' you refer to is something I have mulled over in the last few years.....as I do regular breast checks (I have had bc) I have also experienced that strange 'empty area' under the areola.

There are massive changes going on internally in your body right now, and the breast is going to have major glandular changes ready for breast-feeding. An ultrasound is going to give accurate results and I think you should feel reassured, but I do understand that you are jittery given that you've had a number of things to have checked in the last few years. Monitor yourself for the next few months, and any further concerns you have then ask to return to the clinic. x

[Louise06]

Hoping someone can shed some light. Should probably point out I have major anxiety about all things boob related so really struggle to relax about it! (And I'm 29, family history of BC but genetic testing came back clear)
Over the last couple of years I've had a nber of breast pumps looked at. They've all come back as cysts and one radial scar. About 6 months ago I found a lump and swollen lymph nodes in my left armpit. Had them biopsies and all came back as normal reactive nodes. Since then they keep flaring up and anxiety has gone through the roof!
I'm now nearly 5 months pregnant so tried to prepare myself for more changes!
About a month ago I realised my left areola was dipping in slightly above the nipple. Not all the time, mostly when puffy (joys of pregnancy!) or becoming erect.
Went to the GP who referred me to the breast clinic. When there the consultant did a thorough exam (I'm lucky it's still attached!) & said it was nothing, just positional but suggested an ultrasound to be sure. The ultrasound came back with normal hormonal pregnancy changes and a couple more cysts.
They were really busy & I was ushered out quite quickly with an "everything is fine"
So I never got an explanation of why there is this sudden nipple change. It's not a massive change, the nipple isn't fully inverted (and was always flattish anyway) but it's a definite change. I know they said there's nothing sinister causing it but I never got an explanation and as someone with anxiety it's slowly driving me mad.
So (well done if you've stuck with me!) does anyone have experience of benign nipple/areola changes? Could it be caused by pregnancy? He said it was positional so could it be that the structure of the nipple/areola has changed and that's causing it? The area under the areola dimple feels almost hollow and the veins above it are much larger than before so could be pushing that area up?