I am currently 5 wks pregnant (just found out) and I still breast feed my son. What is your experience with this and/or what has your healthcare provider told you about nursing while pregnant? I feel like I hear its fine and other half says its not safe... TIA
Thanks for the reassurance ladies! My first appointment with the midwife is in a month. My ds is 2 yo and really only nurses for comfort for very short periods of time. I feel that he'll stop when he's ready.
Here is the scientific answer - assuming no other complications.
http://kellymom.com/pregnancy/bf-preg/bfpregnancy_safety/
It's totally safe! (unless you have to take progesterone for the pregnancy)
The pregnancy can cause your milk to change flavor a bit, and some babies will self wean because of that.
It can also be painful for you, but it's totally safe!
I've nursed 6 kids and each time was pregnant during the lay few months of them nursing. I do lose my milk by the time I'm about 4 month along.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Some health care providers won't like it and will discourage it. I fought my OB on it and came with all this literature about why it was safe and she changed her stance.
It is fine to breastfeed while you are pregnant as long as you are not high risk. I would have Breastfed throughout my pregnancy, except my milk dried up around 12 weeks, and my kids never nursed for comfort - they only wanted milk. So, I couldn't get DD to suckle and increase supply.
If you have concerns read Adventures in Tandem Nursing - great book.
I have nursed through pregnancies. My midwife knew I was each time and was not concerned. Unless you are high risk for some reason there is no reason to stop.
My first child did cut back a lot while I was pregnant with my second. He didn't like the change in milk or being kicked by his little brother. He was almost 3 when my second was born. While he cut back he didn't totally stop though and for 2 months I nursed both of them.
My second was still nursing when I got pregnant with my third. He also nursed though a miscarriage. The nursing had nothing to do with the loss though.
There is a wonderful book called "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by Hilary Flower. It's got a lot of information in it. The link AV posted to Kellymom is also fantastic.
I breastfed through 3 pregnancies & know many Mamas who have. As long as you are feeling good & eat healthy, you'll do fine. Ironically, I got pregnant with our 3rd daughter about a month after my oldest (who was almost 3.5 yrs) quit nursing. Middle girl nursed til she was 3.5 also. Interestingly, middle girl potty trained herself once she saw her baby sister's poop-y diapers. I mean within a week of her sister being born, she NEVER wanted to wear a diaper again. I appreciated that! Good Luck!
i'm outa the loop! i never knew there was any advice NOT to do this!
my kids were too far apart for it to be an option, but i know my mom nursed while pregnant.
yeah, that was a LONG time ago.
:) khairete
S.
I breastfed my daughter until 20 weeks into my pregnancy with my son with no trouble. I didn't initiate stopping - she self-weaned. (She was 2 years 10 months by then.) She said the milk tasted different.
Unless there is a medical reason not to, you should be able to breastfeed through the pregnancy. Just be sure and pay close attention to your nutrition - you will need to choose nutrient rich foods to make sure that you are getting enough of the good stuff for you, your son, and the new kid.
It's totally fine...women have been breastfeeding while pregnant (and tandem feeding after) since the beginning of time. My two youngest are 22 months apart and I breastfed the older one until I was close to 5 months along (my oldest was close to 18 months old) and he self-weaned. Just make sure that you're taking good care of yourself and are able to eat and stay hydrated. I had a great experience with it but I'm not prone to morning sickness. If you're one who is prone to a lot of vomiting and have a hard time eating or drinking, or you're just too tired, then it may make sense to wean earlier but if you're feeling good, go for it as long as it works for you.
You can talk to your OB, but many women are able to nurse and maintain a pregnancy and tandem nurse later. kellymom.com has an entire page on this topic: http://kellymom.com/category/pregnancy/bf-preg/
I googled it because I always thought it was unsafe. The answers that came up said it's okay but the uterus can have contractions and be painful and I guess harmful if it's not stopped. But some mom's can breastfeed all the way through then breastfeed both babies when the next one is born.
