Pregnancy & Baby 

Advertisement

What are Montgomery's tubercles?

Soon after a woman finds out that she is pregnant, she will begin to notice some dramatic changes in her breasts. The glands of Montgomery, or Montgomery's tubercles, are the tiny ‘bumps’ scattered around the areola (the darker area which rings the nipple). During pregnancy these glands enlarge and they remain enlarged while breast-feeding. They can vary greatly in number, averaging between four and 28 per areola. Montgomery originally described these glands as ‘a constellation of miniature nipples scattered over a milky way’.

It is believed that these sebaceous, or oil-producing glands, secrete a lubricating and protective substance, altering the skin's pH and discouraging bacterial growth. These glands also secrete a small amount of milk. These lubrications help to keep the skin healthy and the areola elastic.

To preserve the anti-bacterial function of Montgomery's tubercles, rinsing with clear water while bathing will be sufficient. The use of soap on the breasts is unnecessary and may remove these protective oils.

My best wishes.

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon

  Get the latest iVillage news on your desktop    Sign up for more iVillage RSS feeds

© iVillage Limited 2000-2008. All rights reserved. | © iVillage inc. 1995-2008. All rights reserved.
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB