Pregnant and Nursing...a lot

[Granola Momma]

Hi all,

I'll keep this simple:

I just found out I'm pregnant...4 weeks along.

I'm still nursing my 2-year-old (25 months old) anywhere from 6-10 times a day. Probably closer to 10 times a day right now.

Question: Is this "dangerous" to the new baby? I'm finding myself unable to relax about nursing my son because I'm worried that it is affecting the hormones that the new baby needs to survive in these very early stages. Honestly, I never dreamed I'd be pregnant and nursing at the same time...always thought my kids would be spread further in age, so I'm sort of at a loss.

If you have any POSITIVE insights or stories about nursing while pregnant, I'd love to hear them.

Thank you so much...

[strawberryprincess]

congrats on your pregnancy!!  I am also nursing my ds while pregnant.  The short answer is: Nursing through part or all of your pregnancy is totally safe!! Relax!!!

You should only worry if: you have a history of preterm, high risk pregnancy.  As some women aren't able to safely walk around while pregnant without having serious concerns, some women will have troubles with nursing too.  It's rare, and most women are just fine. If you are carrying twins, it may not be the best plan. or If you are seriously underweight or under-nurioushed, nursing while pregnant may also need a second thought.  But for a healthy woman with a healthy pregnancy, there shouldn't be any need for worry.

Many women find it more difficult to gain weight during the first few months while nursing, so keep good healthy foods a priority (totally difficult in the midst of morning sickness!)

Read: Adventures in Tandem Nursing.  A great resource that really explains in great detail the things you need to consider while nursing a baby and growing a baby.  Also, what you can expect, as far as milk reduction, pain/nipple soreness, weaning and so forth. 

I never thought I'd tandem nurse, but here I am 8 months pregnant with a 18month old boy who shows no sign of wanting to quit nursing. He was also nursing a lot during the day at the beginning.  As my milk supply has decreased, so has his desire/need to nurse.  He only nurses about 3-4 times a day now. I also nursed my first baby through the first 6 months of my second pregnancy.  That baby is a very healthy, happy 5 year old now! 

Good luck!!

[Granola Momma]

Thank you so, so much, Strawberry Princess! Your story is encouraging and boosted my spirit. I am very healthy, healthy weight and had a magical first pregnancy and unmedicated labor and delivery with my son, so there are no health issues that would keep me from nursing while pregnant.

I think I've just been nervous about how much he is still nursing and if the oxytocin, for example, could cause mild uterine contractions that would keep the embryo from being able to attach to the uterine wall.

You see, I know just enough information to be dangerous, but sometimes my facts get mixed up and that uncertainty is what gets me worried. And it doesn't help that I don't get to see my nurse midwife for a whole month from now!

But your story helped so much.

Thank you for taking time in your day to encourage me.

[LiLStar]

I tandemed the first few weeks of this pregnancy, (dd weaned when the flavor changed) no issues now at 27 weeks 2nd pregnancy, in the early weeks dd nursed a TON! My supply dwindled almost immediately and she was trying to get the same volume. It was probably around 20x a day for a while. I could barely peel the kid off of me! Ds came out 10lbs 2oz and absolutely perfect

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

[Granola Momma]

Lil Star,

Congrats on your sweet pea coming in November! And thank you thank you thank you for your story about your two kiddos. Oh my word...20x a day and then a 10-pound baby! You rock!

Your story has encouraged me so much tonight.

Peace...

[1love4ever]

I nursed til 21 weeks along.  DD nursed about 6 times a day.  I spotted a lot in the first trimester which made me worry but I had no need to worry because nothing bad came of it.  I even got the flu really bad and was practically unable to eat or drink for 3 days while still nursing and 7 weeks pregnant and I am not 28.5 weeks pregnant, everything is great, I did have an ultrasound which showed nothing of concern, my baby is growing just fine(actually a little on the large side) my weight gain is ok(I quite BFing because I wasnt gaining much and had lost a lot of weight in first tri, probably due mostly to getting the flu, but I felt it was time to wean and everything went fine. Not saying that you should wean, I TOTALLY support BFing during pregnancy!).

Anyway, as long as you are eating a healthy diet and taking a good whole foods prenatal like Garden of Life prenatal I am sure you will be fine.  Sometimes a Dr will tell you to wean because they do not actually know if it is safe or not and dont even bother to look into it. 

Good luck and congrats!  :)

[Granola Momma]

1love4ever, thank you so much for sharing your story. It means the world to me. I'm actually sick right now with a cold, so it's interesting that you mentioned having the flu. I've been concerned the past few days that still nursing my son so much and being sick are just a recipe for problems with my pregnancy. Sometimes I suppose I forget how resilient and tenacious these new little lives are!

Thank you again for your kind words and congrats on your little one coming in November!

[1love4ever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granola Momma 

1love4ever, thank you so much for sharing your story. It means the world to me. I'm actually sick right now with a cold, so it's interesting that you mentioned having the flu. I've been concerned the past few days that still nursing my son so much and being sick are just a recipe for problems with my pregnancy. Sometimes I suppose I forget how resilient and tenacious these new little lives are!

Thank you again for your kind words and congrats on your little one coming in November!

I'm so glad I could help!  I personally believe that diet has a lot to do with the outcome of a pregnancy, and especially if you are breastfeeding too.  The person who will suffer from lack of good nutrition the most is you, because your body will take care of the new baby first, then the nursling, then you if there is anything left over.  Lots of calcium is important.  One thing I like to tell others about who are in this situation is raw goats milk, or any raw milk for that matter, I just mention goats milk because it is slightly higher in calcium, phosphorus(also important for maintaining bone strength) and protein(VERY important in pregnancyt) per serving than cows milk.  I also like raw milk cheese(not Organic Valley brand because theirs is basically pasturized).  More info on raw milk is in this video http://nourishedkitchen.com/mark-mcafee-raw-milk-interview/  although its talking about cow milk not goats, but everything is basically the same.  Store bought milk is depleted of nutrients and beneficial enzymes so I believe that raw milk is better period.  Phosphorus is not present in pasturized milk because the heat destroys it.

I remember while I was nursing and pregnant being scared when I would fall and always being overly careful because I was afraid of breaking a bone!  Ha ha, I dont know if my bone density is actually depleted but I would bet that it is because I've been either pregnant, BFing, or both for 2 and a half years so drinking the raw goats milk makes me feel a little less nervous that I will at any second break a bone lol!

Well anyway hope this helps you and congrats!

[Granola Momma]

Originally Posted by 1love4ever

 

I'm so glad I could help!  I personally believe that diet has a lot to do with the outcome of a pregnancy, and especially if you are breastfeeding too.  The person who will suffer from lack of good nutrition the most is you, because your body will take care of the new baby first, then the nursling, then you if there is anything left over.  Lots of calcium is important.  One thing I like to tell others about who are in this situation is raw goats milk, or any raw milk for that matter, I just mention goats milk because it is slightly higher in calcium, phosphorus(also important for maintaining bone strength) and protein(VERY important in pregnancyt) per serving than cows milk.

Thank you so much for the fantastic info about raw goat's milk. It's sold at our farmers' market (but only to given to animals, of course!). I'll definitely look into and begin taking a calcium supplement.

Thank you again.

Take care...

[1love4ever]

Originally Posted by Granola Momma 

Thank you so much for the fantastic info about raw goat's milk. It's sold at our farmers' market (but only to given to animals, of course!). I'll definitely look into and begin taking a calcium supplement.

Thank you again.

Take care...

I'm thrilled to hear that!  I do prefer to get my nutrients from food, and I take whole foods based supps(the ones I mentioned earlier).  I was also going to say that raw nuts and seeds are high in the things that that supp does not have enough of, so that is another way that I get what I need for my body other than through supps:)   I like food better than supplements because food offers your body so much more benefit than just a certain vitamin or mineral, and it is much more bioavailable!

[midkiffsjoy]

TY for posting this question!!!!  I just found out that I'm about 7 weeks along and my 27mo would hold me down against my will if I told her she couldnt have her dinks.  That girl is STRONG.  lol  *hugs*

[mommajam]

I am a mother of six, currently expecting my seventh child.  I have been nursing non-stop since my first child was born 11 years ago.  I have tandem nursed for most of that time.  Typically, soon after I get pregnant again and the nipple soreness kicks in, I would end up weaning the older child but continue nursing the younger one all the way through. By that point the older one was usually around three year old. So, really, there have been several pregnancies where I actually started out nursing TWO children for the first month or two, although, again, the older child was old enough not to be nursing very often any more. There have been some difficulties here and there that required partial weaning in order to keep sanity.  For instance, my first child was only 15 months when my second was born.  He had reduced his nursing after the fourth month of pregnancy when my supply had dwindled a great deal. However, once the milk came back in when the newborn came, he ditched food again and went back to nursing full-time! I could handle it during the day ok, but at night I coudn't do it, so I had to wean him down to just a couple of times during the night for about 15 minutes.  So I didn't completely wean him, only to the point where I could keep my sanity, but he still got to nurse quite a bit.  Mostly, however, despite a few glitches like that one here and there, things have gone pretty smoothly and I am really glad I did it this way.  I think, though, that a really good prenatal, like the Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal, is really helpful to make sure you are getting enough nutrients yourself, even if you do eat pretty well.  I haven't actually taken prenatals the whole time at all, but I did like when I was able to.

Will be happy to answer any questions, and hope you continue to enjoy both of your little ones.:)

[1love4ever]

Originally Posted by mommajam 

I am a mother of six, currently expecting my seventh child.  I have been nursing non-stop since my first child was born 11 years ago.  I have tandem nursed for most of that time.  Typically, soon after I get pregnant again and the nipple soreness kicks in, I would end up weaning the older child but continue nursing the younger one all the way through. By that point the older one was usually around three year old. So, really, there have been several pregnancies where I actually started out nursing TWO children for the first month or two, although, again, the older child was old enough not to be nursing very often any more. There have been some difficulties here and there that required partial weaning in order to keep sanity.  For instance, my first child was only 15 months when my second was born.  He had reduced his nursing after the fourth month of pregnancy when my supply had dwindled a great deal. However, once the milk came back in when the newborn came, he ditched food again and went back to nursing full-time! I could handle it during the day ok, but at night I coudn't do it, so I had to wean him down to just a couple of times during the night for about 15 minutes.  So I didn't completely wean him, only to the point where I could keep my sanity, but he still got to nurse quite a bit.  Mostly, however, despite a few glitches like that one here and there, things have gone pretty smoothly and I am really glad I did it this way.  I think, though, that a really good prenatal, like the Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal, is really helpful to make sure you are getting enough nutrients yourself, even if you do eat pretty well.  I haven't actually taken prenatals the whole time at all, but I did like when I was able to.

Will be happy to answer any questions, and hope you continue to enjoy both of your little ones.:)

Oh goodness mamma!  How do you do it!  I admire you!  Thank you for sharing, your story is very encouraging!  And I agree with your prenatal vitamin recommendation, those are the best out there IMO!!

Oh I wanted to tell you OP that my milk supply never changed at all while I was pregnant(for the first 21 weeks til I weaned anyway) and nursing so if you are worried about that happening(or about drying up completely), it will not necessarily happen:)

[Granola Momma]

TY for posting this question!!!!  I just found out that I'm about 7 weeks along and my 27mo would hold me down against my will if I told her she couldnt have her dinks.  That girl is STRONG.  lol  *hugs*

This is hilarious! Thanks for sharing. I'm so glad it helped you and I'm happy to know I'm not alone! My little man is strong too...a 30-pound, 35-inch-tall, 2-year-old solid hunk of hoss. I'm 5'1" and barely over 100 pounds. He'd destroy me if I told him "nummies all gone"! Ha...I'm cracking up just imagining this scene. Thanks for the laugh!

Cheers...

Edited by Granola Momma - 8/16/11 at 6:01pm

[Granola Momma]

mommajam,

You just absolutely rock! Thank you so much for this incredible story of pregnancy and nursing. It reminded me that this is what a woman's body is made for - giving life, nurturing, nourishing. Your story is powerful and so encouraging to me. I know every woman's body is different, but your story strengthens me and makes me feel like I can really do this.

And yes to the prenatal. I LOVE my New Chapter Whole Food prenatal. I've been taking it from the second I found out I was pregnant with my first, all through nursing, along with some fantastic omegas and a whole food B-complex. I'm juicing daily as well and eating lots of veggies and proteins (thanks to my new cravings!). It feels good to eat well for myself, my son and the new little life.

Thank you again so much for taking time to share your story with all of us.

Peace...

[RachaelsMommy]

I nursed my DD all through my pregnancy, and now I'n nursing DS and I'm 9 weeks pregnant. Oxytocin shouldn't be an issue at this point, b/c your uterus is tiny, so there are less receptors. Everybody is different, but nursing DD never caused me to have contractions and I carried DS to almost 41 weeks. I did lose my milk at around 17 weeks, then I noticed colostrum at 21 weeks. There was a period where it was very uncomfortable, but we worked through it.

[Dov'sMom]

Aargh! Just deleted a long message!

Anyway, when I looked into this a while back, I was told that nursing only causes oxytocin production when your body is otherwise primed for it -- i.e., the first few weeks prior to birth and again close to birth. My own experience has borne this out.

I am 27 weeks pregnant with #4. #1 was 5 months old when I got pregnant with #2; #2 was 15 months old when I got pregnant with #3, and #3 was just a year when I got pregnant this time. #1 was heavily supplemented with formula during the second pregnancy because my milk supply tanked and he really was dependent on it. #1 nursed through pregnancies 2 and 3, weaning at 3.5 a couple months after #3 was born. #2 nursed through pregnancy 3 and halfway through pregnancy 4, weaning also at 3.5, when I was 20 weeks pregnant. #3 is showing no signs of weaning, and I expect I'll be tandeming again in a few months.

Throughout my pregnancies, I have had no contractions from nursing until the last week of each pregnancy. I have a ton of strong BH contractions, but not tied to nursing at all. However, about 5 days before I gave birth (both times after my due date) I started to have "real" (i.e., not BH) contractions during nursing. They got worse over the next few days, and then I'd have contractions during and for 1/2 hour after nursing, and then labor would finally start. Once labor started, I couldn't nurse anymore because it was just altogether too painful.

I'm confident that incipient labor caused the nursing/contractions interaction, not the other way around, because of the timing of it all. There were no nursing-related contractions until I was 40+ weeks.

[lizsky]

Hi OP, I don't have any advice but just wanted to send and say that I'm there with you!  My 17 month old is still nursing and I'm a little over 9 weeks along.  Before I got pregnant, DD was nursing 5-6 times a day.  I've already noticed a pretty significant drop in my supply, and DD initially responded by asking to nurse very frequently.  But then she seemed to lose interest (maybe the taste changed?) and we are down to just 2 times a day.  Part of me is sad because nursing her is so special, but I'm also at peace with weaning if thats where our journey takes us...my nipples have gotten very sensitive and I'm really not sure that I can emotionally handle tandem nursing...right now having just one nursling at a time feels like a better fit for me (although I totally respect and admire mamas who tandem).  Best wishes to you with your pregnancy and with your nursing relationship, however it may develop.  

[Granola Momma]

Originally Posted by Dov'sMom

 

There were no nursing-related contractions until I was 40+ weeks.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and this info. Very encouraging and has helped me not feel freaked out when nursing my son.

Peace...

[Granola Momma]

Originally Posted by lizsky

 

Best wishes to you with your pregnancy and with your nursing relationship, however it may develop.

Thank you so much for your story. I must admit, I am overwhelmed by the thought of tandem nursing too. But I am already emotionally preparing for it because my little man is still nursing anywhere from 6-12 times a day. I don't foresee him weaning in the next eight months. And I think when he sees a little brother or sister nursing in eight months from now, he'll hop right back on even if he does wean!