Nursing While Pregnant - Valley Village,CA

My daughter pretty much self weaned when I was pregnant but it was mutual - milk was gone and it was hurting. She was just over 2 years old. Your son may or may not, you can nurse while pregnant. I was 5mos along when my daughter stopped.

Best wishes,
M.

Some things to keep in mind:
Your son is 8 months old.... for the 1st year of life, breastmilk/formula is the primary source of nutrition for a baby. Not solids, Not water or juice. This is per our Pediatrician. For the 1st year of life, a baby is getting "building block" nutrients from the breastmilk/formula per development.

Sure, lots of Moms nurse while pregnant. Sometimes when nursing during pregnancy, the breastmilk changes in taste and supply. It's nature. Some babies will not nurse when this happens. But each baby is different.

Next, your OB/GYN may or may not tell you to stop. BUT, your baby is only 8 months old... so breastfeeding/formula is still very crucial.

Not all babies will self-wean when a Mom is pregnant. I nursed both my kids. I believe in letting a child self-wean. That is me. My eldest, my daughter, self-weaned when she was about 2.5 years old. During that time, I got pregnant once... but miscarried. But it was not due to my still breastfeeding during that time. However, my OB/GYN said to stop nursing when pregnant... because it causes contractions... and it can take away nutrients from the growing fetus. But, then again, a body "is supposed" to compensate...

You seem unsure of (1) still wanting to nurse until your baby is at least 1 year old or 18 months old and, (2) that "for us the timing is right..." to try and get pregnant now.
- my recommendation is, that you NEED to be sure of what you want. Because, all said and done.... suppose you do get pregnant now... but, you may or may not even be able to nurse your baby, who is currently only 8 months old. Lots of things can happen and change. THEN, you NEED TO think about how all of this (getting pregnant) will impact your baby, now...in light of how long you wish to nurse him ideally. AND what is also best for HIM, versus the "timing" of getting pregnant?

Yes, trying to conceive can take time. It's not always a slam dunk. So, perhaps wait another 4 months before trying... and by then your baby will be 12 months old... and maybe this will be more palatable for you and him to "wean" if that is what you want?

I know, lots to think about. If that were me... I'd wait until my baby was at least 12 months old, before trying or getting pregnant. But that is just me. And mind you, I am not "young."

All the best in your decision,
Susan

I got pregnant when our daughter was 8 mo! She continued to nurse til she was 14 months! Every situation is different. If you want her to still nurse she will sense that and continue. If you don't she will sense that too. Buckle your seat belt having two close together! I wouldn't have it any other way :)

S.
http://www.ContentMommy.com

I was shocked to find out I was 9 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child. My oldest (13mos at conception of #2) was still nursing 2x a day, most voraciously in the morning. She weaned herself at the end of my first trimester. I was sad for a while but since she was a serious kicker while she nursed, it was good that she stopped.

I agree that waiting until your first is a year old is a good idea. If you had trouble conceiving your first, don't assume that you will have the same trouble with the second. We went to fertility therapy for our first and were very lucky to get pregnant successfully. The next one just happened without us trying.

I do want to caution you about Postpartum Depression. If you are not giving your body a break from the postpartum hormones from your first one, it may prove harder for your body to rally after the second one. I had a horrible case of ppd after my second was born. There are lots of reasons and stressors. Millions of moms tandem nurse without any ill effects. But it would be wise to learn the signs and discuss the options with your ob. (Note: there are plenty of meds you can take and still nurse. Get the book "Medications & Mother's Milk" by Hale. It will save you lots of stress b/c many nurses and doctors are not clued in to the latest research. I found that out the hard way and had to educate several practitioners in order to keep nursing.

Hi P. ~ Love your name!

Anyway, I am currently 16 weeks pregnant and still happily nursing my 14 month old daughter. I too had the very same concerns that you did. I have lots of friends who have nursed through pregnancy and did tandem nursing with great success so that was helpful. I was still concerned about my milk drying up. My husband and I decided to start TTC when my daughter was about a year old so that IF worst case scenario she weaned on her own, at the very least she would have nursed for a year.

Well, it's been 16 weeks and she is still addicted to my boobers LOL She was a champion nurser and we even delayed solids (we introduced at 9 mos) and she has not lost any interest. During my first trimester, my nipples were very sore so I chose to wean her off down on night nursing. She was eating 4 times a night!! Before getting pregnant, I would sleep through her midnight snacks but since it was painful now, I wasn't getting any sleep. My husband now will give her a bottle if she cries for her boobers. She still nurses anywhere from 8-10 times a day. And I honestly don't see that changing any time soon.

My close friend did say her son stopped nursing when the colostrum came in but then resumed as soon as it turned back into milk and continued nursing for another 8 months!

Oh and it does not take any nutrients from the fetus. If anyone says it does, they are quoting out dated information. Just had an ultrasound yesterday and baby is plump and measuring perfect :) (lots of doctors are not up to date on breastfeeding sadly)

I take a rainbow light prenatal, Nordic Naturals DHA, and a probiotic. I also make sure I eat a lot of healthy yummy food or I do tend to get a headache. I don't mind eating more ;)

Hope this was helpful to you and feel free to ask me any other questions. Good luck!! :)

I would discuss it with your Dr as well because I have heard that with some woman, nursing while pregnant can cause contractions. That could definitely cause you some problems during pregnancy. As you can see by the other stories, that didn't seem to be an issue for them. Just something to keep in mind though as a possibility.

my son was 10 mo when we got preg and he did wean himself with in about a month. according to my midwife the taste changes when you get pregnant and the level of fat content decreases. i was only planning on nursing two more months so it was not too big of a deal. my sister in law got preg when she her son was 5 mo old and she nursed all the way thru so it is different for every woman. good luck.

My son (now almost 4) nursed all through my pregnancy with daughter #1 and continued after the baby was born. However, my daughter weaned herself about two months into my pregnancy with daughter #2. So it depends on your son. Your milk will, without doubt, diminish considerably.

It is possible to nurse while pregnant, but you must be prepared for the physical strain it will put on you. Plus, I recommend a supplement wit DHA because both babies need it for brain development and you are most likely still depleted from your last pregnancy.

Perhaps you might want to reconsider waiting til your son is a little closer to a year old.

Best wishes to you, whatever you decide.

While I have no first hand experience with this, plenty of my friends have. They tell me that moma's milk decreased during pregnancy and that sometimes pushes the weaning process more quickly. Good luck!

Dear P.:

I nursed throughout my second pregnancy but my daughter didn't self-wean. Maybe it's because she was exclusively breastfed (no other options!). Babies may find it easier to self-wean early if they've already been eating table foods. (That is not science; that's simply my opinion.)

I became pregnant when she was nine months old and she ended up nursing for a total of three years. In our case, we had been in a hurry to have our kids because we thought we were advanced in age (hee hee hee!) but we laugh about it now. Kids are a blessing no matter when they show up.

I do respect the opinion of S H (Susan) below. It would be very unfortunate if your child were to self-wean early. You might want to gauge if he's very attached to the breast and if he's pretty much not interested in table food. My daughter wasn't and that gave me the confidence to try for my second child.

Oh, one other thing. Because I knew that I'd try having my children in rapid succession, I never concerned myself much with dieting to lose weight in between them. I ate VERY well and never stopped my prenatals for the entire time I was pregnant and/or nursing (five years). I think eating super-healthy foods in moderate amounts helps your production stay consistent.

Best wishes,

M.

I, too, tried getting pregnant while nursing. I had two miscarriages. Then I stopped nursing (my daughter was 21 months by then) and three months later I got pregnant with my son now 7.5 months old.
It could have been coincidence and many mothers nurse while still pregnant, but I think it's less of a burden then on the mother.

My first child I nursed until he was 13 months when I became pregnant with my daughter. He's a total brainiac (he reads German and English and does multiplication and division, as well as algebra with such delight) even though I stopped nursing him at 13 months.
I recommend 12 months of nursing, but even 8 months is long enough time to have given him the best you could give him.
Good luck

check with your ob b/c i've heard you're not supposed to breasfeed while pregnant

I got pregnant when our daughter was 10mo. She nursed until 13mo when I weaned her because I simply could not keep up with the calorie intake needed for breast feeding and pregnancy and was getting lightheaded. 500 cal for BF and 300 for pregnancy plus your usual is a lot. I'm now breastfeeding the second one and he's 11mo and I thought the milk supply stopped with #1 due to the pregnancy, but I'm not pregnant now and the supply when I pump is minimal. I know he'll be weaned by a year. One year is great and what is recommended. Longer is fine if you want and there is no medical reason not to BF when pregnant but can be hard on your body.
Good luck!

You can nurse while pregnant. I can see why you would want to have another now. I was ready to have another one about the same time, and let me tell you, we didn't get pregnant and I am sooooooooooooo glad. He will be walking (and talking) soon and that opens up a whole new world for you and them... We decided to wait until we have my daughter in school, cause she requires lots of stimulation and I am unsure of my ability to entertain her and deal with baby...
Anyway, yes you can nurse, but you need 500 calories a day for nursing PLUS 500 for pregnancy IN ADDITION to your at least 2500 daily amount... More if you are still heavy from the last pregnancy, so NO DIETING!!!!!
Good luck!
R.

My experience: I nursed my first little one through my second pregnancy. During the first 12 weeks, my nipples were sooooo painfully sensitive, but nursing was so important to my toddler. So positioning and stillness was vital. My toddler "weaned" in the last month of the pregnancy as my milk switched to more colostrum and tasted different to her. Then she briefly tandem nursed after her baby sister arrived. Eventually, she decided the baby needed "nummies" but she didn't.

Unless you have preterm labor signs, there is no risk to you or the baby to continue nursing your 1st born. Do be thoughtful in planning out a well-balanced, healthy diet and proper fluid intake.

My suggestion is think about how far apart you really want your children to be. I had a son in feb of last year breastfed for 9 months and suddenly could not breastfeed anymore the milk stopped. I took vitamins and fenugreek to boost milk supply and it did not help. Low and behold I found out I was pregnant 5 weeks later. I am now 3 months pregnant with my 5th child. I breastfed all of them for over a year. My last son did not get that lucky due to the nature of life. Please breastfeed as long as you want to before hurrying another child unless you want them very close for a reason. I thought breastfeeding helped you not get pregnant. wrong what ever god's plan is. is what ends up being fate I believe. My 2nd and 3rd son are 2 years and a week apart that was pretty close but comfprtable for us this one will be 18mo. apart from my little one It will probably be much tougher. Good luck to you.

My OB told me the body naturally weans your current baby when you become pregnant and it begins to prepare for your next baby. This has proven to be true with me. I am currently 12 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is 16, almost 17 months-old and though she has been fighting for it, the milk is drying up. I have begun to not nurse her throughout the day but at night she is really adamant and stubborn. (Maybe the milk would not be drying up if I was still allowing her to nurse during the day.)
As you've heard, I have also heard before that many women are able to nurse through their entire pregnancy and some have even continued to tandem nurse both babies. I think it will be your own body that dictates. I think, if your son continues to nurse well, and your body has all the nutrients/fluids it needs it will continue to meet his demands as well as your developing baby's. (My own observations and thoughts only.)
As for nursing causing contractions: Yes, I can attest to the fact that milk flow can do that, however, I do not believe it would happen if your baby is not ready to be born. (When I went into labor: Pains started about 5:30AM. We went to hospital about 9:30AM because pains were 5-10 minutes apart, but after being therre about 1.5 hours were sent home as I was only 2mm dilated. All day it continued the same. At about 10:30PM, I remembered the lactation nurse had mentioned that we should be careful when massaging or otherwise stimulating breasts in the last leg of pregnancy because if milk started flowing, it could cause you to go into labor. I asked my husband to get my milk flowing, he did and within 10 minutes I was having strong contractions. We went to the hospital. I was admitted at 11:30PM being at 4mm dilated. Baby was born at 1:52AM.)
Another thing to consider is that even though you're trying, it doesn't mean that you will get pregnant right away. Though not everyone fits the mold, many people who are not on birth control tend to have children roughly 2 years apart. I have heard, the lactation nurse was one source, that breastfeeding has a tendency to "prevent" pregnancy for about the first year to year and a half. (This was true for me.)
Ultimately you should speak to your OB and your little one's Pediatrician. Knowing your history and any possible risks they can best guide you.
Good luck to you.
-I.