Mild breast tenderness & swelling before flow are a normal experience in ovulatory menstrual cycles

What is it about?

Breast tenderness and swelling are common experiences for many women during menstrual cycles, but the timing and intensity of these experiences have not previously been studied in normal, ovulatory cycles. Even in women with regular, month-apart periods, ovulation can sometimes be disrupted and these “silent” ovulatory disturbances, are associated with bone loss and heart health. However, ovulatory disturbances (short luteal phases or no ovulation) or are hard to detect. This study explored the menstrual cycle experiences and ovulation status of 53 healthy women over 1 year. On average, each woman recorded 13 menstrual cycles using a Menstrual Cycle Diary©, and ovulation was confirmed through validated quantitative analysis of daily first morning temperatures. Researchers compared breast tenderness and swelling in cycles with normal ovulation to those with disturbed ovulation. We found mild breast tenderness and swelling were more common and more intense in cycles with normal ovulation. These changes peaked late in the cycle just before the onset of flow. In contrast, cycles with disturbed ovulation showed fewer or less intense breast changes. These results suggest that experiencing some breast tenderness and swelling before menstruation, and none during the follicular phase (before ovulation), may reflect normal ovulation.

Featured Image

Photo by Victoria Strukovskaya on Unsplash

Photo by Victoria Strukovskaya on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Understanding normal breast changes can help women and healthcare providers recognize subtle signs of ovulatory health. This could lead to earlier identification of hidden ovulation problems and support decisions about treatment options like cyclic progesterone therapy.