Nursing while pregnant ok when older?

[Family4Christ]

Hi mamas,

I'm reading a lot of conflicting info about the safety of older mamas nursing while pregnant and would like to hear what y'all think.

I nursed with this last pregnancy that ended in m/c at 9 weeks, so I'm a bit paranoid. Oh, and I'm 37.

I really don't want to quit nursing!

[Headmeister]

I got pg at almost 39 yrs old when my DD was 14 mo. I nursed her until she was 18 mo and would have kept going but my nipples were so sensitive, it got so bad I'd cry while nursing her. So I sadly weaned her. But I never had a cramp, anything, from nursing her...

[rightkindofme]

I'm not sure why maternal age would affect it... I have had two miscarriages while nursing my daughter and now I am six months pregnant. According to my midwife and every source I trust the miscarriages are really not caused by nursing. You get the same kinds of contractions from nursing that you get from sex. If you do not have a compromised pelvic floor it should be fine.

[MamaMonica]

I nursed through a pregnancy when I was 38. My midwife never brought up that there was a risk to it due to age.

[Family4Christ]

Sorry, guys, I shouldn't been more specific. It's got nothing to do with contractions, but rather something about prolactin and depletion.

[aikigypsy]

I'm 39. I got pregnant last summer, shortly before my birthday, and found out at the 11-week ultrasound that I'd had a missed miscarriage. Started bleeding a few days later.

I nursed through that pregnancy and miscarriage, and was starting to cut back on nursing (to 3 times a day, sometimes 1 or 2 more, but usually 3) by the time I got pregnant again in early January. I am now about 5 months pregnant, all is going well, and I'm still nursing my 2-year-old 3 times a day (bedtime, morning, and nap-time). It's been fine, but sometimes I think it's a bit draining, energy-wise. this is the first time I've heard that there could be an age-related issue.

[lillymonster]

I only 8 weeks, but I am nursing my 3 year old and I am 39. This is the first I have ever heard of anything and my midwife knows I am nursing. I think my daughter is starting to gradually wean though, before I was pregnant she nursed 3-4 times a day and now it's 1 to 2

[mommysaurus]

i'm 41, currently 36 weeks pg & nursing my 19 month old. not a problem here.

[rparker]

I've read Adventures in Tandem Nursing twice in the past year and I don't recall it including any information about it being inadvisable for older mothers to nurse through pregnancy and she did lots of research. The only outright contraindication I recall was continuing to nurse when pregnant with 2 or more (and even then she included stories of women who had opted not to wean during their twin pregnancies) and that had more to do with nutrition and calorie needs than anything else.

That book talks a lot about miscarriage. The one thing the author suggests when making the decision to wean/not wean because of the threat of miscarriage is to consider how you will feel if you wean and then miscarry anyway. (She doesn't believe that there is a connection in general with nursing and miscarriage btw.)

Anecdotally, I'm under 30 but I've miscarried when not nursing, miscarried while nursing, and have now made it to 21 weeks while continuing to nurse. A good friend of mine is 37, pregnant after fertility issues, and still nursing her 1 year old.

[sarmis35]

Just another one who nursed almost through this whole pregnancy (just weaned at 32 weeks) and I am 39. Never heard anything about maternal age being a factor.