Nursing and Pregnant « Back to Group Discussions

[pleasantlyfurious]

Hi!  Just wanted to connect with other nursing and pregnant mamas.  My son is 17 months old and still nursing quite a bit.

Has anyone noticed a drop in supply already?  I was under the impression that supply didn't drop until the 2nd tri - but I'm pretty sure it has changed dramatically.  I had a pretty significant drop in supply each month near ovulation in my cycle - but not this much.  It's driving me crazy because he is nursing ALL NIGHT and I'm exhausted. 

Also, he still  nurses to sleep each night and for his naps.  I feel like I need to help guide him towards some more independence so that the baby transition isn't too shocking.  On the other hand I feel like maybe I should just see how things play out on their own and it will all work out.  Anyone else have a nurse-to-sleeper?  What are your plans?

[SarahDC]

I'm also nursing my 2 yr old DD.  I think my supply dropped a little right around conception, but it's okay now.  I am on progesterone until week 10, hoping that won't affect my supply.

Sleep is such an individual issue, but I'll share that DD nursed to sleep & coslept from the beginning.  We moved her to her own room/bed when we moved to a new house when she was about 18 months.  It went smoothly - seemed like she was ready for it.  We used the Sleep Lady Shuffle method and it was incredibly easy - a little fussing but no real crying - she was falling asleep by herself by the 4th day!

She has always nursed once or twice in the night still, but we're in the process of night weaning because I NEED sleep badly.  DH is going to her when she wakes at night, and she's not happy about it but falls back to sleep rather fast.  Just started 2 nights ago, hope she starts sleeping through the night soon.

I honestly wouldn't mind if DD weans herself during the pregnancy, but I'm not going to initiate it.  We'll just see how it goes :)  I'm pretty sure I'll be tandem nursing.

[AndtheStars]

Another nursing mama here...DS is 26 months and nurses to sleep every night.  That's the only time he nurses (unless I let him at 5 am like this morning because he will.not.leave.me.alone).  I don't know I consistently have milk anymore but he never seemed to care about the milk aspect anyway. 

PF, I'm with you...I would love to be able to stop nursing DS to sleep sometime during this pregnancy but I don't have high hopes.  We have managed to cut back significantly on the middle of the night nursing (except for the 5 amish one that I break down and give him once a week or so because I'm so effing tired) by just saying that the nurse is asleep.  In the beginning, he would cry and say 'nooooo' and roll over to DH (we co-sleep from first wake-up on), but roll back after 5 minutes, stick his hand down the back of my shirt and rub my back to sooth himself back to sleep.  It took about 2-3 weeks of actually saying no before he stopped asking and now just does the hand down the shirt thing.  I was actually sitting in the rocking chair nursing him last night thinking about how I was logistically going to tandem nurse to sleep.  Maybe if I get some energy in the 2nd tri, I'll consider actually doing something about it. 

[thegoodearth]

I am nursing my 19 month old son and I have definitely noticed a drop in supply already as well. I don't think he minds, but it has made it more uncomfortable for me. Our situation as far as sleep goes is much like SarahDC - we coslept from the beginning, but when we moved to a new house we made the transition to his own bed in his own room and its gone fantastic. :) We were so happy about that, because I really needed to get better sleep at night and he is an active sleeper. He's pretty much night weaned now, but on occasion wiill come wandering in our room at 5am, which is fine with me. I plan to keep on with the nursing until he doesn't want to anymore.

[zoe77]

My son is 3 and we nightweaned when he was about 27 months old.  I'm most worried about the sore nipple part.  Is anyone experiencing that yet?  I would be happy if my son weaned during the pregnancy but we are going to just take it one day at a time :)

[1babysmom]

.............

Edited by 1babysmom - 3/19/13 at 7:41am

[TenzinsMama]

I'm nursing a 14 month old.  Recently, as in two weeks ago, he started STTN and consquently he night weaned.  I'm barely into this pregnancy, and I have no idea what to expect.  But, since I'm anxious about the next several weeks with the pregnancy itself, I'm not thinking about what I'm going to be doing just yet.  I did have it in my mind that I would tandem nurse, but I guess I'll see how it goes with milk supply, nipple tenderness, and things like that.  I will also see what happens with my DS-- currently, I nurse him in the morning (big milk feed), before morning and afternoon nap (small feed, just until he's drowsy and then I put him down and he goes to sleep on his own... this is new as of two weeks ago, OMG I'm loving it!) and in the evening before bed (pretty good feed, then it's off to Daddy for 2 stories and it's lights out).  But, if he slows down on the nursing, who knows, maybe he will have self-weaned before baby comes? 

[sraplayas]

Hi Everyone! I'm nursing my 2yr/8mo-old and co-sleeping. He nurses to sleep and in the wee hours of the morning and also for naptime. (Thank goodness he still naps b/c I've been needing it!)

Yes, I have had sporadic nipple pain the last few days (the toe-curling kind) but only at night. I think it's when he is dropping off and not really sucking, IYKWIM, that really does it!

I've been looking for a toddler bed for him and his "room" (if you want to call it that) is so close that he can toddle over and climb in with us safely.

So glad to have a group of nursing mamas to share this journey with!

[crystal_buffaloe]

I'm nursing my 16mo, but I'd like to gently wean during the pregnancy -- and the BFP gave me the impetus to night wean starting on Sunday. Sunday night was rough (DD went down at 8 and woke at midnight. I patted her from 12-2 and then DH took over from 2-4 -- it was all very low-level half-asleep fussing, but it turned into wails if I stepped away when she got quiet), but she's slept through the night Monday and Tuesday. I've got my fingers crossed -- and if it really was that easy, I'm pinching myself.

She nurses at wakeup, upon pickup from daycare or to sleep at nap if I'm home, sometimes there's a meltdown that only nursing can fix, and to bed at night.

[jenmn]

I'm nursing my 2 year old and we are still going pretty strong.  I nursed my older daughter through my second pregnancy and then tandem nursed for about a year, so I am open to that again. 

I thought my supply went down at first when I got my BFP, but now (at just over 6w) I think my supply is pretty normal again. 

We had started nightweaning a few weeks before I got pregnant and we are still working on it.  I'd really like more sleep!

[rebirth]

I am nursing my 22 mo old, 2-5 times overnight, and many times each day (i believe I counted 13 yesterday :)

I have no plans to nightwean and really hope to tandem nurse with this new baby!

I have noticed a tiny bit of soreness, but I am actually having more milk today, not less. I actually just had a letdown while not nursing, and I cannot even remember the last time that happened! I am making sure I really bump up my food intake, and also that I drink loads of water. I just ordered from Mt. Rose herbs so I can make a pregnancy tea blend that is breast-milk producing as well. I also am trying to eat lots of oats.

[AndtheStars]

It makes me happy to see so many EBF, pregnant mamas

[pleasantlyfurious]

Originally Posted by AndtheStars 

It makes me happy to see so many EBF, pregnant mamas

Me too! 

We are cosleeping and I'm very happy with the arrangement currently.  If my supply re-stabilizes I may just wait and see what happens.  I don't want to wean (mostly selfish - emotional and laziness) and I think DS will adapt pretty well - fingers crossed. 

[SarahDC]

Great thread - so nice to have so many other nursing & pregnant mamas to share this journey with!

[dkenagy]

I am currently nursing my 16 mo son. In fact, I've entered every pregnancy since my second with a nursling (this is my 7th pregnancy). I've always noticed a bit of a dip in supply around AF and then, also, in the beginning of a pregnancy. But I've been able to continue on nursing into my second tri with each one. They have all weaned themselves (except my first dd) around the middle of my second tri, when I think my milk begins to turn back to colostrum. All of my nurslings were nurse-to-sleep-ers and each weaned themselves without much ado, all between 20-22 months. I assume things will go along the same with this one... I guess we shall see!

Nice to see so many other nursing mamas here!

[pleasantlyfurious]

Originally Posted by dkenagy 

I am currently nursing my 16 mo son. In fact, I've entered every pregnancy since my second with a nursling (this is my 7th pregnancy). I've always noticed a bit of a dip in supply around AF and then, also, in the beginning of a pregnancy. But I've been able to continue on nursing into my second tri with each one. They have all weaned themselves (except my first dd) around the middle of my second tri, when I think my milk begins to turn back to colostrum. All of my nurslings were nurse-to-sleep-ers and each weaned themselves without much ado, all between 20-22 months. I assume things will go along the same with this one... I guess we shall see!

Nice to see so many other nursing mamas here!

That is EXACTLY what I wanted someone to say.  I realize it may not be our case - but I need permission to just sit back and let it work itself out.  And if he doesn't wean - nursing will be a great tool to have when he's feeling like he needs extra comfort.  It's gonna work out either way.  I'm sure of it.  (right?)

[dkenagy]

Absolutely. It WILL work out, either way.

You seem familiar... were we in the May 2010 DDC together, maybe? How old is your LO again?

ETA: Wait, I just scrolled all the way back up and saw that your LO is 17 mo... so maybe that is where we originally 'met', Pleasantly....

[pleasantlyfurious]

Originally Posted by dkenagy 
ETA: Wait, I just scrolled all the way back up and saw that your LO is 17 mo... so maybe that is where we originally 'met', Pleasantly....

Yes!  I remember you and Tenk from our last DDC!  Fun! 

[dkenagy]

Originally Posted by pleasantlyfurious 

Yes!  I remember you and Tenk from our last DDC!  Fun! 

Yay! A reunion! ;)

[1babysmom]

That's pretty much how we've approached it too.  I've never had a child wean during pregnancy.  Cut back significantly, yes, but not wean (and usually they resumed normal nursing after the birth).  But it's been good because I would have considered it too early for my younger ones to wean during my previous pregnancies (DD1 was 18 months and DD2 was 13 months).  The last pregnancy DD1 was already nearly 4 when I got pregnant, so I was fine with her weaning, but she ended up continuing for 8 more months (shortly after DS was born).  I think it's so much easier to approach it without any plans, because things can change so quickly and it's hard to deal with knowing things didn't work out how you wanted them to, KWIM?