Breastfeeding While Pregnant - Columbus,OH

I breastfed through my second pregnancy and half of my third pregnancy. Calcium/Magnesium supplements can help. Get Calcium citrate instead of carbonate, it's more readily absorbed. Costco has a CalCit/Mag/Zinc in their own brand that is less than half what Caltrate Plus costs and is the same thing! CVS has a CalCit/Mag without zinc. I'm finding out if Fenugreek is safe to take while pregnant, I'll get back to you on it. I'll change this response and PM you if I find out it's safe.

Go to a La Leche League meeting, ESPECIALLY if there's a toddler meeting in your area -- more than half the moms who go to our toddler group have nursed while pregnant or tandem nursed. Plenty of been there, done that help and in person brainstorming!

You can find a meeting near you at http://www.llli.org/webus.html

There's a great book called "Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond " by Hilary Flower http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tandem-Nursing-Breastfee...
I got it when I got pregnant with my second as my first was nursing at the time. He was a lttle older though, he'd just turned 2.
It has some absolutely wonderful information in it. I loved it!
I went on to nurse my first through my entire pregnancy although he did cut back on how much. I nursed both of them for 2 months as well.
I nursed my second through one pregnancy that ended in miscarriage(not becuase I was nursing) and a couple months of my pregnancy with my third child.
Some women experience no change in their milk at all. Some mothers do. It's hard to tell what our body is going to do.

You might want to try a supplemental feeder (you might have to talk to your pediatrician to get one). You put the formula in a bag, which has a little tube which sticks to your nipple. When your baby nurses, she also gets formula and stimulates your milk production, so supplementing this way won't decrease your milk supply.

You should also call a lactation consultant -- she might have more and better suggestions.

Why do you think your supply is diminishing? Your 9 month old is either in or going to be in a growth spurt which means lots of suckling and feeding all the time for about a week. Don't assume or gauge your supply by what you can pump... it's amazing at this far along (9months) that you are even able to pump anything!! I was unable to pump more than an ounce a pumping session at around 4 months, but I exclusively breastfed until 9 months and continue to nurse on demand until my child was over 3 y/o.

Unless you are working long hours and away from your child, I'd advise to stop pumping and simply breastfeed on demand, not express and bottle feed.

If worst comes to worst... nothing wrong with supplementing with formula while you are working and breastfeeding exclusively while you are with your daughter.

Congratulations! I just wanted to say good for you for sticking with breastfeeding while pregnant.

I don't have any advice, because I'm a terrible ovulator and never even got my period until my babies were more than a year old, let alone getting pregnant while breastfeeding. So my kids have never had formula. But I'm wondering if you introduce it in a sippy cup, your baby might be less likely to get upset, because the milk will be in a "different format". But you seem like a strong and confident lady so I bet everything will be really smooth!

I got pregnant when I had a 2 month old. My milk lasted till he was 6 mos old and then it just got too slim and he was always hungry and I had to switch to formula. I'm sure your diet and calorie intake can be sorted out to keep the milk, but consider the fact that your body is now making another human being and all of its energy is going towards that new baby.... It's probably healthier for your fetus to stop breast feeding. But if you are lucky enough to continue and keep rich enough milk, my hat is off to you!

Fenugreek?

I dont know about taking it while pregnant so look into it first.

It helped boost production and I could take over and above drinking mothers milk tea.