6 1/2 wks PG and OBGYN says to wean 10month old off breastfeeding

[Kelizondo]

Hi, i am a brand new member and i really need some advice. I just found out that i am 6 1/2 wks PG and i have a 10 month old who is exclusively breastfeed. I am not ready to wean her, but Dr says if i continue the new baby won't get enough nutrients. is this true? HELP Kim

[blessedwithboys]

Hi!  Welcome to MDC! 

You doctor is not correct.  Getting pregnant so soon after having a baby is not ideal, and neither is getting pregnant while nursing, but you absolutely do NOT have to wean your older babe.

What you do need to do is take extra care to get plenty of calories and rest.  Be aware that as your pregnancy progresses, your milk will revert back to colostrum and your older babe may wean without any extra help from you.  But by then, she will be old enough not to need formula.  It may even happen that she is happy to suck without getting milk, though you may not want her to.  And she can always be offered the breast again after you deliver.

Good luck on your journey.  :)

[Kelizondo]

I thank you for the feedback... it is good to hear positive things about being pregnant and breastfeeding.

[~Amy~]

I'm pregnant & breastfeeding as well.  My doc didn't bat an eye about it & the nurse actually told me how great it was that my 2.5 yo is still breastfeeding.  Your doctor is unfortunately misinformed.  Congrats on your pregnancy...hope you're feeling well & that things go smoothly for you:)

[prothyraia]

I conceived my second child when his brother was 11 months old.  I didn't wean, and baby was 9 1/2lbs, so I think he got enough nutrition ;)

Check out http://www.kellymom.com/bf/tandem/ for some solid information about nursing through pregnancy.

[annettemarie]

Moved out to the main forum.

[fruitfulmomma]

I second reading Kellymom. Great source and she has a whole section on bf'ing while pregnant and tandem. I've nursed through most of my pregnancies and had no problems. I make big babies too.

Unfortunantly most doctors don't seem to know squat about bf'ing. One in the ER a few weeks ago acted like I could just turn it off cold turkey with no problems and then proceeded to tell me that she didn't need it anymore (dd was just shy of 2 at that point) and that all of the stuff she needed breastmilk for was gone by 6 months anyway.

Do be sure to stay hydrated and well rested.

[berkley]

I have a 2.5yo and a 5mo. Both are still nursing. I got the book Adventures in Tandem Nursing. It was a reassurance.

Priority for your body will be growing the baby. Next is your nursing 10mo. Then your body. I had to make sure to drink enough, sleep enough, and eat enough. That was my life for the first trimester. Take good care of yourself and the rest will follow.

Enjoy!! 

[dakotablue]

Main things about breastfeeding and pregnancy I have learned (I'm 33 weeks still nursing a 14 almost 15 month old) Increase your protein or else you'll be tired and drink. I mean tons of water. There are days where I have no milk, and the next when I push my self to drink I have milk again.

Though I will say not every women continues to have milk through out pregnancy due to no fault of their own.

Your doctor probably know nothing about breastfeeding, extended, tandem or otherwise. Breastfeeding is not something they are commonly taught and the whole baby won't get enough is a common misconception. 

[KoalaMommy]

I got pregnant when I had a 6 month old, I nursed her until she refused to nurse anymore because the milk was gone, that was at about 7 months of pregnancy, she was 13 months old.  I did have to start supplementing with formula about half way through my pregnancy, but likely you'll escape that because your babe is older. 

My baby in utero came out beautiful and healthy, no signs of any kind of nutritional deficiency or anything.  No medical professional ever suggested I wean.   Your doctor doesn't know anything, women do this ALL THE TIME, and have for centuries!

[LiLStar]

*snicker* I nursed throughout pregnancy, and out came a 10+lb newborn! He definitely wasn't being deprived of anything in there ;)

[mamadelbosque]

DS1 was ~20 months when I got pregnant w/ ds2. He nursed throughout my pregnancy and it was a freaking huge blessing to have an older nursling to nurse when I got engorged after ds2 was born - theres nothin like a 2 yr old nurser when your engorged, lemme tell you what!! :)

[berkley]

Something in addition to the food/protein, water, and sleep that I mentioned before... I found that it was similar to the luteal phase (second half of my menstrual cycle, between ovulation and menses) - I needed 1000mg of calcium + magnesium every day to maintain my supply.

[LiLStar]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque 

DS1 was ~20 months when I got pregnant w/ ds2. He nursed throughout my pregnancy and it was a freaking huge blessing to have an older nursling to nurse when I got engorged after ds2 was born - theres nothin like a 2 yr old nurser when your engorged, lemme tell you what!! :)

NO KIDDING! When my milk comes in, it *means business*. I would be sitting there with breasts painfully full, staring at my newborn, with his just filled marble sized tummy, sleeping peacefully.. knowing he won't be hungry again for a couple hours. For the first week or two after my milk come in, I'd wake around 5am or so, ds would barely put a dent in the engorgement.. so I poked dh, "go get dd!!!" she'd stir a little bit, and in under 5 minutes she'd have drank both of them from rock hard, probably like a J cup or something crazy like that, to completely flat. It was so awesome. That is the best part of tandem!

[Kelizondo]

Thank you so much, for your advice. I will drink tons of water and i have noticed that this week i wake up in the middle of the night and i am soooo thirsty i get up and drink a whole glass and back to bed i go. :)

[Chloe'sMama]

I agree with all these moms.  I nursed through pregnancy and had an almost 10 lb baby and am still nursing both!  

I would recommend maybe looking into another OB.  Sounds like she won't be very supportive of your choice if you continue (and maybe other natural choices you may make in pregnancy).  

Good luck and CONGRATS!

[averlee]

I think you need a new doctor. You are only a few weeks in and already giving you misinformation and being discouraging would indicate things are not going to go well over the next trimesters. 

[ChinaDoll]

Originally Posted by prothyraia 

I conceived my second child when his brother was 11 months old.  I didn't wean, and baby was 9 1/2lbs, so I think he got enough nutrition ;)

Check out http://www.kellymom.com/bf/tandem/ for some solid information about nursing through pregnancy.

yes - I conceived DS when DD was 12 months old. We didn't wean and DS was 8.5 lbs (DD had only been 6.5; both full-term). Definitely read the Kellymom page and Adventures in Tandem Nursing. Congrats!

[Sleepymamaov2]

I got pregnant when DS1 was 13 months old.  My lack of milk supply plus severe nipple pain from continuing to nurse despite having no milk left forced me to wean a very unhappy baby at around 6 months pregnant, and DS1 was around 18 months old.  My OB/GYN said to wean as well early on, but my midwife said "go ahead and nurse your baby" since I had no prior history of early labor.  It was quite sad for both me and DS1.  He was sooooo hurt, but I was in so much pain and it was stressing me out.  We got through it somehow, but it helped that DS1 had started drinking cow's milk at around 13 months, and we began a gradual weaning process.  He finally got past it at around 20 months but would still ask to nurse.  When I told him, "No nurse, sweety. It hurts Mommy,"  he would stare sadly at my boobs but look at me understandingly and say "okay".  I did my best to substitute the closeness of nursing by snuggling when reading books at bedtime and in the morning when he woke up.  I often told him "No nurse, but we can snuggle.  Wanna snuggle?"  He eventually came to look forward to our snuggle sessions.  Now, he is 27 months and is doing well.  He still looks at me nostalgically when I'm nursing DS2, but no longer asks to nurse.

Best of luck with your little one!

[JudiAU]

Welcome.

No, it is not true. Your doctor is not very well informed about bf'ing. You can continue to nurse on demand as long as you and your baby like. It won't effect the fetus at all.