What happens physiologically with nursing when a new baby arrives?

[newyorkmommy]

Hi everyone!

I'm cross posting this a couple of places because I'm also in a due date club at the moment and hoping to garner as much wisdom as possible.

My youngest will be 3 and a few months when this one is born (in the fall). She usually just nurses to sleep, sometimes one or two other times during the day.

My milk supply decreased to just about nothing a while back, but she's kept nursing and I've gotten to the point where I'm good with it. However I do have questions about what will happen physically after the baby arrives.

The colostrum is only around for the first couple of days, and if I should only give that to the baby, then that means not allowing my youngest to visit me in the hospital during that time (I'll have had a cesarean), which would be very tough for both of us. Any advice?

Also wondering whether my youngest nursing right up until delivery will help my milk come in again? I would it if this were true since sometimes it takes a little longer after a cesarean.

Thoughts/experience? Thanks in advance!

[Marissamom]

everyone's experience is going to be different, but here's mine: DD was 22 months when her brother was born, and nursed all through my pregnancy, several times a day. I produced quite a bit of colostrum, so didn't worry about when she nursed in relation to the baby before my milk came in, but you can either nurse the baby before nursing the toddler, or restrict the toddler to one side, completely banning your older nursling from seeing you for a few days would be really traumatic and not necessary. when my milk came in, it was a lot more than I produced the first time around, there was plenty of milk to go around even though DD was nursing more often during the day then the baby was (I had to pump some because I was engorged) (I went up another cup size compared to when I was only nursing one baby). I gave her almost unlimited access to nursing during the day for the first several weeks so that I would build a good-sized supply, and then started getting her down to fewer nursing sessions. now, DS is 5 months, she's nursing about 3-5 times a day, which is how much she was nursing before he was born. 

[HenAlexa]

I am in a similar situation.  My two year old still nurses to sleep and a couple times during the night and I am due in December.  I have read of mothers who restrict the toddler to one side at the very end of the pregnancy in order to have true colostrum on one side.  I am not sure what the differences are between the colostrum on each side then, but I know that each side adjusts to the child nursing on that side!  I think I might try this.

[Marissamom]

oh, wanted to add, even with my toddler nursing several times a day, DS only lost 3 oz, so obviously he was getting plenty of colostrum even without me restricting my toddler. 

[Chloe'sMama]

I let DD1 nurse when she wanted (mostly after DD2 had nursed).  She often nursed on the same side, but it was not on purpose.  DD2 gained well in the beginning, so nothing to worry about.

Good luck and congrats!

[etsdtm99]

i tandem nursed when my 2nd and 3rd babies were born..both of them regained birth weight plus several ounces (in my 3rd that meant a gain of 1lb 5oz) by one week old .  my milk came in much faster each time .. (5 days first baby, 2.5 days 2nd baby, 1.5 days 3rd baby)  i did not restrict my toddler(s) from nursing, but they pretty much only nursed to sleep or once a day the first few days/week - my 2nd nursed more than my 1st had when i had a newborn and i had a lot less engorgement the 3rd time around..(hopefully thats not too confusing, lots of numbers lol) i think the toddler fulling draining the breasts once a day helped with the engorgement ..

[prothyraia]

Just a potential heads-up-  when my oldest nursed immediately after his little brother was born (older son was 20 months old), he said my milk was "yuck!".  And I was all because dry-nursing was horrible and I thought it was all going to be for naught if he weaned just then. 

Worked out alright in the end, though, because I didn't WANT to nurse him with the horrible afterpains that came with #2, and he was happy to pick up again once my milk was in, and he seriously helped with the engorgement/overactive-letdown and saved his brother from constantly choking and spluttering.

Just a PSA there.