SIDE BOOB / SOOB

How many of you experience tender breasts during your luteal phase or 2WW?

Hormonal imbalance is the leading cause of sore/tender breasts.
In 2018, I had the opportunity to see Dr Jerilynn Prior professor of endocrinology speak at the Fertility symposium. In her most recent paper ‘Preventative Power of Ovualation and progesterone” she states that “ovulation with a normal luteal phase and length, and normal amounts of progesterone to counterbalance and complement estrogen- is key importance for women’s bones, breast and heart health”.

In clinic we see many women present with swollen, enlarged breasts, an increase in size, tender nipples, erect nipples, boobs to tender to touch and sore side boobs (soob) all before their period. All these felt experiences point to one key factor – that estrogen and progesterone are working the breast and ultimately influence the health of the breast. On a side note, interestingly in Chinese medicine the liver meridian circulates around the reproductive organs and finishes at the breast tissue just below the nipple. The liver is physiologically involved in the metabolism of estrogen across the different methylation pathways. Yes PMS is definitely a “thing”!

In her paper, Jerilynn discovered that –
👉🏻if the breasts are sore up front and over the nipples that suggests increased levels of estrogen before a period.

👉🏻Breast tenderness located on the side of the breast (SOOB) suggests a decreased ratio of progesterone to estrogen in the second half of the menstrual cycle. As levels of E2 and P4 complement or counterbalance, physiologically the breasts change due to this hormone imbalance.

Now that we are talking about Breast Health, how are you boobs during your menstrual cycle. Come and join the SOOB conversation!

Research 
➕https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3987489/
➕https://www.cemcor.ca/files/uploads 6_Ovulation_and_Breast_Health.pdf

Amanda is the founder of Angea and has over 12 years of experience working with women to support their health journey. In addition to being a registered doctor of Chinese medicine, Amanda is a yoga teacher and founder of Mindful Pregnancy Yoga Training. Amanda offers acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and womb healing treatments at Angea.