I just got so much garbage from OB/GYN

[monkey's mom]

Man--I am 8 weeks pregnant and nursing my 3 (in Dec.) year old son. I went to my second OB/GYN visit with Kaiser today--mostly so I could get a referral to the Birthing Center. Anyway, this nurse and I were discussing medication for my morning sickness and I said that I was nursing, so I wanted to be careful of that.

She was AGHAST! Totally incredulous that I was nursing, told me that I would go into pre-term labor b/c nursing causes contractions, don't you know!

I said that my last pregnancy was totally normal, that I NEVER had pre-term contractions and that I wasn't worried. She totally scoffed, and said "You've only been pregnant ONCE and you weren't nursing, so how do you know it won't happen?!"

Told me it was unadvised, but that she wasn't going to come to my house and hold down my breasts.

I am so pissed off and was so taken aback by her attitude. I think it was clear that I was really mad, b/c she started being really nice to me after that, but c'mon! Can I really be the FIRST woman to nurse through a pregnancy?

Grrrrrrrr....

Edited to remove implied profanity...

[Galatea]

Next time you can remind her that the uterus is not sensitive to oxytocin until 23 or 24 weeks.

[FillingMyQuiver]

I think it's more of a "hush hush" thing among women who go to OBs. When I went for my yearly exam, my OB told me that if I got pg, I would HAVE to wean DS in the first month : I don't think so : Extended bfing and tandem nursing aren't really accepted by mainstream drs and nurses , it's very unfortunate

[BlueStateMama]

I haven't gotten any flack yet from my OB's office (I make a point of working through the docs b/c I don't know which one will end up attending the birth.) The one I'm seeing next time is the most likely to give me a hard time re nursing during this pg (esp as I'm approaching the *gasp* 20 week mark! ), but I'll bend his ear right back. We're the same age, went to the same college, but I became a lawyer and he went the MD route. I have no problem standing up to him, and I'm actually looking forward to sparring a bit

The way I see it, if there's no issue with my continuing to have sex, why would nursing possibly be a problem?

I'm sorry they gave you a hard time though At least she didn't hand you some free formula!

[TiredX2]

The way I see it, if there's no issue with my continuing to have sex, why would nursing possibly be a problem?

Thank you for bringing that up.

From what I have read, if you have no restrictions on sexual activity (specifically, restrictions on female orgasm or vaginal penetration) then there should generally be no restrictions on nursing. If you do have those restrictions, you need to discuss it with your doctor.

DD's pediatrician responded that I needed to wean her when I reported my pg with DS. I explained and, while she was shocked and had never encountered the situation before, seemed to except my reasoning. Of course, she has realized in the past four years that I make well researched decisions and will generally provide reading material for her (and she will go check--- she has even changed her recommendations before) if she wants confirmation.

[dziejen]

Oh I sympathize. I am actually a year overdue (in Jan.) for my yearly OB/GYN pap-test etc. but I have avoided it because I know I am going to get crap for nursing my 3yr old. It's terrible and stupid but I can't bring myself to go yet. I wish more docs were educated about this stuff. Good luck and congrats on the pregnancy!

[Kari_mom]

Egads, how rude and misinformed. Sorry you had to encounter this. Can you tell me, I am a bit confused from your post, is this woman an OB nurse or an OB doctor? Thanks.

[Rach]

Well, my OB says, "When they're old enough to ask for a cookie..."
Hopefully you don't have to deal with much silliness like that. I figure women have been nursing while pregnant since the beginning of time, and our bodies will let us know what we need to do and not do, ya know?
I agree with the poster who said if there are no limitations (sex, etc..) then there shouldn't be any limitations nursing while pregnant.
When my doc made the cookie comment, I just smiled and nodded. I nursed my daughter while I got my pap and my doctor didn't even notice until she helped me sit up.
Good luck to you! Congrats on your pregnancy!!

[LittleOne03]

I'm so sorry that you got crap from your OB. Kaiser is usually incredibly pro-breastfeeding, too! I got pregnant again when my first was only 6 months old, and my midwife (Kaiser) and I discussed weaning or continuing to nurse. I DID have preterm labor in my first pregnancy (at 29 weeks), and she still encouraged me to continue to breastfeed as long as it was not causing contractions. I did eventually have to wean my son a few months later because of contractions, and she mourned right along with me and highly encouraged me to really work to get my son nursing again when the new baby comes! Maybe you should try looking for another OB or a midwife at your Kaiser office that will be more supportive of your choice to continue breastfeeding!

[soccerchic21]

I am worried about that. I just found out I am pregnant with #2 about 4 weeks along and I am nursing DD who is 16 months. My first appt is in the middle of Dec and I am expecting to still be bfing DD then (hopefully through the whole pregnancy and beyond).

When I went in for my annual the nurse looked excited that I was still nursing DD then but Riley was 13 months back then I am considering just lying about it but is that good?

[HelloKitty]

When I got pregnant my OB knew that I was still nursing and he told me this "This is the part where I'm suppose to tell you to stop nursing because there is a slight increase in the chance of pre-term labor, but that said I've had other patients that have nursed all through their pregnancies and had no problems. So here's the deal - you pretend you've weaned and I'll pretend to believe you and we'll be just fine!" :LOL

Kitty

[TiredX2]

When I went in for my annual the nurse looked excited that I was still nursing DD then but Riley was 13 months back then I am considering just lying about it but is that good?

When I got pregnant my OB knew that I was still nursing and he told me this "This is the part where I'm suppose to tell you to stop nursing because there is a slight increase in the chance of pre-term labor, but that said I've had other patients that have nursed all through their pregnancies and had no problems. So here's the deal - you pretend you've weaned and I'll pretend to believe you and we'll be just fine!"

I know lying in this situation seems to be a popular "solution" but I have to advocate strongly against it.

1) Your care may be changed if you are nursing (if you need to take a medication, you need to be getting one that is good for your nursling as well as babe in utero).

2) You are setting up yourself to be caught in a lie.

3) You are allowing the belief that nursing while pregnant is harmful to continue, perhaps harming another mother who will be told to wean (and not have the knowledge or support to continue) while pg.

I'm sorry, but that quote from the OB "you pretend you've weaned and I'll pretend to believe you and we'll be just fine!" really drives me crazy! Why not say, "there is a statistically insignficant chance of increased pre-term labor, but the benifits in many situations outweigh the negatives. I'll put in your chart you are still nursing, but please tell me if that changes or you have any concerns." That information could be IMPORTANT, why would a doctor encourage the subterfuge!?!?!

[pinky]

By the way, the AAFP specifically okays nursing during pregnancy in their position paper on breastfeeding. In fact, they mention that weaning the older child before two puts them at risk for health problems. They also encourage docs to support moms in tandem nursing. You can check out the whole article here.

And just BTW, I am 39 weeks pregnant, have nursed throughout, and have never had a single contraction in response to nursing.

[HelloKitty]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

I'm sorry, but that quote from the OB "you pretend you've weaned and I'll pretend to believe you and we'll be just fine!" really drives me crazy! Why not say, "there is a statistically insignficant chance of increased pre-term labor, but the benifits in many situations outweigh the negatives. I'll put in your chart you are still nursing, but please tell me if that changes or you have any concerns." That information could be IMPORTANT, why would a doctor encourage the subterfuge!?!?!

Maybe because it was a joke and he was trying to make me laugh?? He does have in my chart that I am nursing, he knows I'm nursing - when we discuss care he mentions the fact that I'm nursing. It was simply a joke that I actually thought was pretty funny... I understand your point but really it was all meant in humor and was taken that way. He's been my doctor since I was 12 and has delivered all my kids - he knows I don't take him seriously when he says things like that.

BTW the quote you substituted would not be his opinion - he did not say statistically insignifigant, he said a slight increase which is different. Also I do not believe he thinks the benefits outweigh the negatives so he would not have said that - but he does understand that I'm not going to stop nursing just like his other patients did not stop nursing. So his advice is to wean but he understood that wasn't going to happen, hence the joke.

[Peppamint]

Originally Posted by dziejen

Oh I sympathize. I am actually a year overdue (in Jan.) for my yearly OB/GYN pap-test etc. but I have avoided it because I know I am going to get crap for nursing my 3yr old. It's terrible and stupid but I can't bring myself to go yet. I wish more docs were educated about this stuff. Good luck and congrats on the pregnancy!

If you had never had an abnormal pap, you can go up to three years in between. Of course, I don't think they tell you this because of concerns about cervical cancer which seems to be caused by HPV so I would assume this recommendation is for those in a monogamous relationship? Maybe I have that all screwed up.

Either way, an OB went ahead and did a pap during my last pregnancy despite the fact that I had had a pap 14 months prior as well as 2 months prior so I had three paps in 14 months- never an abnormal pap. except she was so rough that I contracted and hurt for a few days afterwards at only 15 weeks along. : After the "abuse" (not necessarily sexual, but the forcing of medical procedures) I haven't been able to make myself go for a female exam, although I didn't have a problem with my midwife checking dialation. I think I have white coat syndrome now, because I feel my BP going up as I type this. I think I need to process this and get on with my life!

That same OB told me I HAD to wean dd (then 19-20mo) because she would get jealous of the new baby. Umm, good reasoning? I think forcibly ending the relationship would have created jealousy!

Next time I'm preggers I doubt I'll go to an OB at all unless something is wrong, I get sick just thinking about it. I'll shut up now.

[captain optimism]

[QUOTE=busybusymomma]Either way, an OB went ahead and did a pap during my last pregnancy despite the fact that I had had a pap 14 months prior as well as 2 months prior so I had three paps in 14 months- never an abnormal pap. except she was so rough that I contracted and hurt for a few days afterwards at only 15 weeks along. : After the "abuse" (not necessarily sexual, but the forcing of medical procedures) I haven't been able to make myself go for a female exam, although I didn't have a problem with my midwife checking dialation. I think I have white coat syndrome now, because I feel my BP going up as I type this. I think I need to process this and get on with my life!
[QUOTE]

Don't criticize yourself for feeling bad about this. It sounds like a bad situation. I think a lot of us have had bad encounters with doctors and nurses, and it's not very easy to get over it. I suspect for the same reason the people have trouble getting over being abused by clergy or teachers--the person is in a role where they are supposed to take care of you.

[Kari_mom]

My OB told me at my 6 week postpartum that you can go 3 years between PAPs IF you are negative with a different kind of PAP test, that is read differently in the lab. I don't have any more details. Just a thought if you are thinking about skipping a few, maybe look into it further. My OB totally supports extended nursing, btw.

busybusymomma, to you.

Also, am I crazy because I keep re-reading the OP and I swear she says it was an OB nurse and not a doctor who gave her the wrong information. Still bad advice, but not as surprising IME. This is not to offend nurses, I and respect many, but some of the worst non-scientifically based medical advice I have been given came from nurses, not doctors.

OK, I am done. Sorry to disturb.

[Greaseball]

T
Why do so many gyns care if a child is nursing? Even if the mom isn't pregnant and doesn't need medication? Why does a doc who isn't even a ped care what a child does?