Did anyone have a positive experience with breastfeeding while pregnant and tandem?

[kfillmore]

I am thinking about getting pregnant. I have a 20 year old who absolutely loves (LOVES!!) to nurse, nurses all the time, can't get to sleep without it. It is my big concern that we will have a hard time if I am pregnant. I hear so many stories about difficulties-I need a few positive ones to hold on to.

thanks

[aikigypsy]

I hope you mean a 20 month old!

Anyway, I got pregnant when DD was 19 months old, had a first trimester miscarriage, and got pregnant again a few months later. I had a complicated pregnancy, but nursing wasn't really a problem. I night-weaned her early on in the second pregnancy, because she was over 2 years old and definitely ready to STTN. My nipples were more sensitive at latch-on when I was pregnant, but not terribly uncomfortable. DD never complained about lack of milk, so I think my supply kept going.

I am now tandem nursing. The new baby was premature and in the nicu for 7 weeks. Having a nursing toddler helped me deal with engorgement, keep my supply up, and cut down on pumping sessions. Sooo much nicer to nurse a kid directly than to pump.

I try to nurse them separately. The little guy is still very small, and it's hard to get a comfortable position with both of them at once, but the times I've managed to have one on each side I've been overwhelmed by how adorable they are together.

I limit my older kid (now almost 3 years old) to nursing down to sleep (bedtime and nap time) and briefly on waking up in the morning. Those limits help keep me from feeling overwhelmed, or too physically drained. I did not plan to tandem nurse, but so far it has been fine, and less stressful than weaning the older one would be at this point in time.

[krazymamatoo]

Just want to share my positive experiences.

I nursed through two pregnancies and have tandem nursed (and triandem nursed for a month) with much success. As with the PP, I did experience some nipple soreness during the pregnancies but it was not excruciating, just unpleasant.

I have been nursing for over 13.5 years nonstop now. I am currently tandem nursing DD2 (6yrs) and my nephew (9mos.); and we've recently decided to TTC again. Since I have not had any problems in the past, I feel that this is fine for us.

I wish you all the best whether you decide to TTC now or later!

[woodchick]

I got pregnant with DD2 when DD1 was just 24mos old.. Nursing through pregnancy was not always comfortable, but was something that DD1 still needed. She nursed while I was in labor and picked it up when I got home from the hospital.

I found that tandom nursing was a wonderful bonding experience for my girls. Big sister delighted (really!) in 'teaching' little sister how to nurse and seemed so happy to share her 'milks' with her. We've been tandoming for 20 months now and it has been really nice.

Of note- DD1 was night weaned before I got pregnant, but would still often nurse to sleep for her nap. And she has had wildly fluctuating bouts of nursing tons and nursing once or twice a week before ramping up again.

Best of luck with your decision. Please feel free to ask more questions. It is hard to touch on all the nuances of it all in one post

[ekh]

I got pregnant when my first was 8 months old, and OUCH. It really didn't start to hurt until my milk started to dry up, though, in the 2nd trimester...

[tabrizia]

I'm going through my second round of nursing while pregnant and then tandem nursing. I tandemed through DD's pregnancy though due to DS' nursing habits I did limit him to only nursing once a day for 15 to 45 minutes. He was then allowed to nurse more when DD arrived, though DD always had first call on nursing.

I just weaned him about 4 weeks ago, so at 14 weeks pregnant with my third, because I didn't want to tandem with 3. DD is still nursing and actually it is a lot easier and she is not limited at all in how much she is allowed to nurse, okay I will say no sometimes, but I would do that when not pregnant as well, since being asked to nurse every 25 minutes by a 19 month old is just a bit annoying sometimes . I really haven't had any issues or reasons to limit DD this pregnancy. That being said both of mine were night weaned before I got pregnant, which has made life easier, and DD has never been one who needed to nurse to sleep, so she tend to nurse more during the day and when she needs snuggle time then at nap and bed times.

[Callimom]

I nursed twins who were 19 months old when I got pregnant all through my last pregnancy with no issues and then continued to nurse all three for about 2+ more years til the twins self weaned.

My oldest self weaned within DAYS of me getting pregnant with our twins. He was 2 and a half at the time.

[mamadelbosque]

DS1 was ~19/20 months old when I got pregnant w/ ds2. He nursed throughout my pregnancy and I tandemed briefly - a month or two. It was fine, it really was. My boobs got sore and tender so I discouraged nursing towards the end of pregnancy, but it was freaking fantastic to have an experienced nurser to relieve the engorgement after my milk came in

[ChetMC]

Crap Shoot

There are a lot of positive stories. A significant percentage of moms are successful - maybe a third. Have you seen Adventures in Tandem Nursing by Hilary Flower?

The problem is that it's a total crap shoot. There's no way to know which side you'll come out on. There's no way to know who will have issues and want to give it up, the mom, the baby/child, or both.

Personally, I loved that nursing during first trimester was the best treatment for morning sickness and nausea ever.

[babygrey]

Originally Posted by aikigypsy

I hope you mean a 20 month old!

tho, somedays I think my DD will come home from college on weekends to nurse

I was also scared of nursing while pg. I'm nearly 16 weeks now and still frequently nursing my 19mo, and, TBH, after a few adjustments it has been just fine.
It hurts a bit, but nothing unbearable (about how it felt when I was getting AF, if you have that experience), and, honestly, it is the ONLY way I can get DD just to lounge around with me when I'm feeling pregnant blah. This is a BIG help.
I really value the time to stop and cherish the one-on-one with DD, as well.

I'm looking forward to tandeming because I HATE the first weeks of engorgement and leakiness and, like pps said, I've heard that having a toddler there can sure help

oh! one thing- my supply took a HUGE hit. I'm not dry, but somedays (depending on hydration and puking), I'm close. I was prepared to feel really sad about it, but DD doesn't care that she's almost-dry-nursing and it doesn't bother me one bit. I'm sure you've heard/thought of the possibility of milk drying up, but I did want to add the perspective that the less milk hasn't hurt our nursing relationship.

[Tigerchild]

It would be helpful to know what you define as "positive."

I nursed my DD throughout my high risk twin pregnancy with the full knowledge and support of my perinatologist (she was 17 months old when the boys were born). For about a year, I was nursing three children. I had no difficulties maintaining a milk supply, no technical difficulties at all.

However, I found that I absolutely *detested* the sensation of nursing two kids at literally the same time. Even seeing pictures of it gives me the willies, even though they are now almost 9 and 7.5 years old and I have had no nurselings for almost 5 years now. Easy to deal with though, I just didn't have two boobs going at once unless it was an emergency (like two screaming newborns).

So, if by positive you mean that I was frolicking through the fields giddy with happiness and belching butterflies of joy as two children dangled from my nipples--no, sorry, can't help you there. But if by positive you mean it was super easy (it was), saved time (it did), saved $$ (most definitely did), and I have no regrets (I don't)--then there's a positive story for you.