Breast Development Guide

The development of the breasts is a very important part of human life. Human females develop full breasts long before they are required to nurse their offspring. In a woman's life, her breasts goes through many changes like changes at puberty, changes during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and during menopause. These changes happen in accordance with her age. Mainly the breast development procedure is a three-phase procedure- lobule development, glandular development and shrinkage of the milk ducts. Between the ages of 10 and 25, lobule development, between ages 13 to 45, glandular development and from age 35 onwards shrinkage of milk ducts takes place.


Breast Development - A Basic Outline

Beginning of breast development

The first development of the breasts begins at about six weeks of fetal development and by the time female infant is born, a nipple and the milk duct system is already formed.

Breast development at puberty

When a girl comes close to adolescence, the outward signs of breast development begin to appear. The secretion of estrogen in the ovaries causes this enlargement in the breasts. Along with this the pubic hair and hair under the arms also appear. The breasts and milk ducts continue to grow and mature with each passing menstruation cycle. There are various changes in the hormones in each and every month. Many of the women experience swelling, pain and tenderness of breasts just before the menstruation. The rate of growth of breasts is not same in all women.

Breast development during pregnancy and lactation

Breast changes are the first signs of pregnancy. In pregnancy the breasts starts swelling, nipples become sore and the areolas become darker in color. By the sixth month of pregnancy breasts become ready to produce milk.

Breast development at menopause

By the age of 40 to 50, the estrogen and progesterone levels start decreasing. Due to this the breasts start losing their shape and appear dehydrated and inelastic. This results in sagging of the breasts.

Early or late breast development

There is no any fix way for breast development and the development of breasts is not in a same manner in all women. In some women breasts start developing at an early age while in some the breast development happens late. Sometimes, even girls of age 7 or 8 years start developing their breasts, while in others it may start only after the age of 12 or 13 years.



Breast Development - A Bit of Advice

Breast development in every girl follows a different pattern. There is no need to feel sad if your breasts have not started developing even at the age of 11-12 years. You can share your feeling with your mother or sisters. You will need to consult a health care provider only in case you have no breast development by the time you become 13 years. When you start growing from a child to an adult, the transition is named as puberty. Your body will go through several changes in this period. The hormone levels in your body will cause the development of breasts and also the menstruation cycle will start in this period itself. The age of puberty is also different in women and it generally depends upon heredity and nutrition.

How are Blood Sugar levels measured

What is blood glucose level?

Blood glucose level is the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as serum glucose level. The amount of glucose in the blood is expressed as millimoles per litre (mmol/l).



Normally, blood glucose levels stay within narrow limits throughout the day (4 to 8mmol/l). But they are higher after meals and usually lowest in the morning.

If a person has diabetes, their blood glucose level sometimes moves outside these limits.

Why control blood glucose levels?

When you have diabetes it's very important that your glucose level is as near normal as possible. The primary goal of any diabetes treatment is simply to keep the glucose level stable.

Stable blood glucose significantly reduces the risk of developing late-stage diabetic complications. These may start to appear 10 to 15 years after diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes and often less than 10 years after diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes. They include:

--neuropathy (nerve disease)
--retinopathy (eye disease)
--nephropathy (kidney disease)
--cerebrovascular disease, such as stroke
--cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, hypertension and heart failure.

How can I measure blood glucose levels?

Blood glucose levels can be measured very simply and quickly with a home blood glucose level testing kit. These come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but they all consist of at least two things: the measuring device itself and a strip. A pharmacist will be able to advise you about the most appropriate model for you.



To check your blood glucose level put a small amount of blood on the strip and place the strip into the device. After about 30 seconds it will display the blood glucose level. The best way to take a blood sample is by pricking the finger with a surgical knife, called a lancet.

What should glucose levels be?

The best values are:

--4 to 7mmol/l before meals.
--less than 10mmol/l one-and-a-half hours after meals.
--around 8mmol/l at bedtime.

How often should blood glucose levels be measured?

People who have Type 1 diabetes should measure their blood glucose level once a day, either in the morning before breakfast or at bedtime.

In addition, they should do a 24-hour profile a couple of times a week. That means measuring blood glucose levels before each meal and before bed.

People who have Type 2 diabetes and are being treated with insulin should also follow the schedule above.

People who have Type 2 diabetes and who are being treated with tablets or a special diet should measure their blood glucose levels once or twice a week either before meals or one-and-a-half hours after a meal. They should also do a 24-hour profile once or twice a month.

The main advantage for insulin-treated diabetics in measuring blood glucose levels in the morning is that appropriate amounts of insulin can be taken if the blood glucose level is high or low. This will reduce the risk of developing late-stage diabetic complications.

Blood glucose levels at bedtime

The blood glucose level at bedtime should be between 7 and 10 mmol/l.

If blood glucose is very low or very high at bedtime, you may need to adjust your food intake or insulin dose. Make sure you discuss this with your doctor.

At what other times should blood glucose levels be measured?



Blood glucose should be measured any time you don't feel well, or think your blood glucose is either too high or too low.

People who have Type 1 diabetes with a high level of glucose in their blood (more than 20mmol/l), in addition to sugar traces in the urine, should check for ketone bodies in their urine, using a urine strip.

If ketone bodies are present, it's a warning signal that they either have, or may develop, diabetic acidosis. If this is the case, they should consult their doctor.

What is glycated haemoglobin?

Glycated haemoglobin or HbA1c - also known as long-term glucose - shows how much of the haemoglobin in the blood is glycated. This means that a haemoglobin cell in your blood has picked up a glucose molecule. The normal amount is 6 to 7 per cent.

This test is usually done using a blood sample from the patient's arm. It shows how high the glucose levels have been over the last six to eight weeks.

Unfortunately, different hospitals have different guidelines, but generally speaking a level of:

--7 to 8 per cent is usually fine
--8 to 10 per cent is not quite acceptable
--above 10 per cent is unacceptable.