contmplating pregnancy have a few qusetions about nursing while pregnant

[sosurreal09]

Hi DD is 10 m/o right now and we are contemplating TTC when she turns one, however i am nervous about my supply dropping or dissapearing which i know happens a lot. I read it happens mostly once the second trimester hits which would mean DD might only be 15 or 18 m/o or so. i want to tandem nurse and in no way want DD to wean. She is a very spirited and i am thinking she wont dry nurse and im sure she will be super irritated when my supply dips and may wean herself...
we do not drink cows milk for moral reasons but also DD is currently intolerant to it. so what are the nutritional "requirements" as to what i could supplement her with at that age?
any tips for nursing while pregnant? have any babies weaned themselves while mom was pregnant then picked up nursing after the baby was born?

TY

[akind1]

DS is nearly 9 months and we have the same intentions. We aren't opposed to cows milk, though.

Are you opposed to all animal milks, or just cows? Just curious, as that would help narrow the field, so to speak.

[sosurreal09]

yeah i am pretty grossed out about "stealing" another animals milk for interspecies consumption

[LadyCatherine185]

I got pregnant when my DS was just shy of 18 months. At that time he was still nursing quite a bit, but eating lots of solids. My milk dried up pretty quickly.. I'd say before 12 weeks.

Do you avoid all dairy, or just milk?

My DS was also intolerant to cow's milk so I gave him Coconut Milk. He does eat cheese and yogurt though.

For me, making sure DS got lots of breastmilk for at least 18 months was very important, so I waited until then to get pregnant.

[sosurreal09]

we avoid all...but im not as against DD eating cheese...

[sosurreal09]

wait so they only NEED milk until 18 m/o? i drink coconut milk and plan to have her drink that once she weans herself... did you're baby want milk again once you had the baby? did he dry nurse at all?

[rightkindofme]

I'm going to ignore the dairy cracks.

I'm 38 weeks pregnant and still nursing my 26 month old. It's been remarkably smooth sailing. I've had periods of lower than optimal production but I've never gone dry. I've had some times when it wasn't comfortable but it wasn't truly 'painful'. Overall it's been smooth sailing.

[sh0rtchica]

i'm TTC right now with a 17-month-old. also no plans to wean, but we'll see what happens when i get pregnant. he's very attached, so he may fight through and tandem nurse. at this point i hope that's the case!

he's never had cow milk, only mama milk. if i do dry up, we'll switch him to rice or almond milk. i've never liked cow milk and have a sensitivity to it (and other dairy), and suspect he does as well. and it's important to remember that you can get all the nutrients your body needs from food - milk (aside from BM) is just a fortified beverage. a well-rounded diet doesn't need the fortification.

best of luck to you

[princesstutu]

I don't understand...why is dairy being discussed? (Not snarky, truly curious) If your baby is eating solids if/when your supply decrease, all should be fine.

I was pregnant while nursing 3 times. My boys (2 of those 3) weaned 2 months before I gave birth. They did not go back to nursing after. My dd1 nursed throughout pregnancy, even tho she was leaving a lot of slobber on my boobs toward the end due to decrease in supply. She kept nursing afterward and we tandemed for a while.

Tips: Prepare for it to hurt a lot at first. You get used to it rather quickly, tho, I think. My oldest was 7 months old when I got preg again, so 14 months when he weaned. He just ate food. No milk substitutes. He liked watered down apple juice, tho.

Good luck!

[sosurreal09]

i was under the impression they NEEDED milk until at least age 2. i think a Dr told me that? i dont remember...i know my bff's DD was FF and she put her on cow's milk at 12 m/o and she said the her Dr said DD NEEDS 32oz of cows milk a day in order to grow right...idk i told her the doc was nuts but regardless she's pumping cows milk down the kids throat every chance she gets to try and fill the daily quota.
so it would not be an issue then correct? we drink so delicious coconut milk too.

[LadyCatherine185]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09

wait so they only NEED milk until 18 m/o? i drink coconut milk and plan to have her drink that once she weans herself... did you're baby want milk again once you had the baby? did he dry nurse at all?

well 18 months was the age I was comfortable with my milk drying up, if that were to be the case. You don't HAVE to have milk, or dairy, but you will need to make sure you are feeding her a complete, well balanced diet. Milk really just helps fill in the gaps, which is why I think so many doctors push the "need" for milk. I am still pregnant, my milk is gone, but my DS still nurses a few times a day. I suspect once baby is here he will nurse more. He drinks coconut milk, but also eats a very wide variety of solids and eats dairy products (yogurt and cheese).

[LadyCatherine185]

Originally Posted by princesstutu

Tips: Prepare for it to hurt a lot at first. You get used to it rather quickly, tho, I think.

It still hurts me a lot to nurse, though in the last 2 weeks or so it has hurt less. Nursing was excruciating for awhile (like, from beginning of pregnancy to now, so about 6 months), not just painful, but I had these horrible creepy crawly feelings too. So be prepared for that as well.

[princesstutu]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09

i was under the impression they NEEDED milk until at least age 2. i think a Dr told me that? i dont remember...i know my bff's DD was FF and she put her on cow's milk at 12 m/o and she said the her Dr said DD NEEDS 32oz of cows milk a day in order to grow right...idk i told her the doc was nuts but regardless she's pumping cows milk down the kids throat every chance she gets to try and fill the daily quota.
so it would not be an issue then correct? we drink so delicious coconut milk too.

Nah, they don't need milk til 2...esp. not cow milk. But, if you're concerned that your child won't get enough calcium, check out these sites for non-dairy sources:
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/calcium.html
http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od...lciumFoods.htm

Also, pump now and freeze your milk if you're still concerned and able.

My middle dd has never had cow milk. She's 6 and taller than many 8 year olds we know and extremely healthy as far as doctors are concerned. Cow milk is not necessary for optimal human health. For a lot of ppl, it's quite the opposite. If your kid won't/can't take dairy, it's okay.

[sosurreal09]

wow thanks see i had NO idea lol