The Breast Anatomy: What Women Should Know About 5 Stages of Breast Development

The breast anatomy and stages of breast development are subjects tackled as early as in grade school and high school science classes.

It’s not just one of those topics one should take for granted as knowledge about such an important part of the human body, especially for women, can lead to awareness of even more important things. Among these things one should be aware of include ways to stay healthy and prevent dreaded illnesses — yes, that includes the Big C.

Learning About Breast Anatomy

It is very easy to learn about absolutely anything in the world today. A simple search on the Internet can lead one to millions of sources of information about practically everything. Among the many important things one should take time out to research is the human body.

For instance, a lot of women can be too concerned about staying fit and looking beautiful. Some even spend hours just to look for new hair trends, the best fashion pieces, makeup and a whole lot more. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it is more ideal if one also take as much time learning more about the human body, including the breast anatomy.

Yes, most of us learned about the breast anatomy in school. But did all of us really take those lessons seriously? Most likely, we placed the information on a temporary section of our brain so we can give correct answers during exams. But soon after, we forget.

So to stay knowledgeable and to be updated on the latest findings and tips about proper breast care and cancer prevention, exerting that little bit of extra effort to learn more about breast anatomy is definitely worth it.

The Breast Anatomy: Parts of the Breast

As mentioned, it is best to be knowledgeable about the breast anatomy. Truth be told, the same reasoning behind this goes for other parts of the body as well. If you know your body well enough, you will be able to make informed decisions, have an easier time understanding your doctor and you would know if there’s anything unusual. If you know about this, diseases can be prevented or can be treated at an earlier time.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., there are three major parts of the breast include the following:

1. Adipose Tissue
2. Lobes, Lobules, and Milk Ducts
3. The Lymph System

The adipose tissue starts from the collarbone and extends to the underarm and right across the middle ribcage area of the body. This is what makes up most of the female breast. The adipose tissue is a collection of fat cells. Excess fat and glandural tissue are the parts removed during a breast reduction procedure.

There are 12 to 20 lobes or sections that make up a healthy female breast. Within each lobe are smaller lobules, which are greater. These are the glands that produce milk in lactating women as these are connected by milk ducts. The ducts are like tubes that lead the milk to the nipple. It is important to note that these structures can also be the starting point of cancer.

The lymph system is made up of blood vessels, lymph vessels and nodes, nerves, fibers connective tissue and ligaments. It is part of the immune system and is connected to a network of lymph vessels and nodes that run across the entire body.

5 Stages of Breast Development from Childhood to Adulthood

It is interesting to know that in approximately the sixth week of fetal development, the first stage of breast development already begins. It starts with the milk like or the mammary ridge, which extends to the groin on the sixth month of development. The development continues so that a baby girl is born with nipples and a milk-duct system.

While babies already have nipples and areolas, it is only in puberty when the actual first stage of breast development occurs. The second period when most of the development happens is during pregnancy. How great is it that a woman’s body further changes in order to prepare for breastfeeding? In fact, humans are the only mammals who develop their breasts right before they need it for breastfeeding, the breasts’ primary biological purpose.

The breasts begin to mature as soon as menstruation and ovulation begins. However, a female child’s breasts may start to grow a few years prior to menstruation. Girls also grow their breasts at different rates. Some get larger breasts even at a young age, while others can see a significant change years after.

5 Stages of Breast Development

According to the Encyclopedia of Children’s Health, there are five stages of breast development:

1. The First Stage – Only the tip of the nipple is raised, and the breasts remain flat during the preadolescence period of a female child.
2. The Second Stage – The areola or darker area of the skin that surrounds the nipple becomes larger, fat tissues start to form, buds appear and the breast and nipple area starts to rise.
3. The Third Stage – The areola begins to darken at this point. The breasts may appear cone-shaped and become larger.
4. The Fourth Stage – While there are some girls who don’t go through this stage anymore, there are others that would observe the fourth stage about two years prior to the first menstrual period. A second mound above the breast is formed as the areola and the nipple becomes raised.
5. The Fifth Stage – Finally, this is the stage where the mature adult breast becomes rounded. Only the nipple is raised at this point.

All these stages, as mentioned, happen at different rates. Some young women only take as little as five years to go through all these stages, while others take up to ten years.

It has also been written by the same source that the breasts aren’t fully developed and matured yet even after the fifth stage. The full development actually happens after pregnancy.

There may be times when women observe changes in the appearance or size of their breasts during menstruation or ovulation, while the body prepares for a possible pregnancy. If a woman doesn’t become pregnant, the breast will go back to its normal shape and size.

How to increase breast size after breast development?

In some cases, the shape and size of the breast may also change depending on a woman’s lifestyle — the food she eats, how frequent she exercises, etc. There are also supplements that may increase breast size.