Doctors Recommend Weaning When Pregnant?

[Keeper at Home]

I am 8 weeks pregnant with Baby #2. My 12 mo DD is still breastfeeding. I went in for my first prenatal appointment yesterday and was immediately told I "had" to start weaning her off completely "within a month."

Doc said it was because it could cause me to go into preterm labor.

Is this something OBs often/always recommend? Is there any good info out there that I can utilize should the issue come up again? (Thankfully this doc was not my regular OB, but now I wonder if this is something I'll be told regardless.)

[ambivamom]

I believe that this is not necessary unless you have a history of miscarriage or preterm labor.

Looking for source.....

[Mama Mko]

No, you do not have to wean. http://kellymom.com/nursingtwo/faq/index.html has a lot of good information. I nursed all through my second pregnancy (and tandem nursed for 6 months after) and did not have any problems.

[LittlePeanut]

Hogwash! Unless you are a high risk pregnancy, there is NO reason for you to wean. Your toddler may find your supply changes around the 4-5 month mark though.

Is it safe to nurse during pregnancy? @ kellymom

LP

[ambivamom]

And here is one highlighted part with footnotes about the uterus:
http://www.kellymom.com/nursingtwo/a...ty.html#uterus

[maine06]

The PPs have all provided great links, all the info I was going to reply with.

Additionally, though, you may consider printing this information and bringing it with you to your next appt. Let the OBs know that they are giving out bad advice… maybe you’ll keep another nursing, pregnant Mom from weaning unnecessarily!

[luvmy3bees]

I miscarried my first. Was pregnant with dd and got pregnant with ds when dd was 9 months, Midwife never recommended weaning. DD weaned at 13 months. Good luck and congrats!

[Emmeline II]

You should pick up "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" (and if you think it's worth it donate a copy to your OB's office). There is a lot of good information in there about this topic and others that you will want to know now rather than later.

Drs are ignorant about lactation in general. Have you considered a midwife? (for a different type of care, not just the bf issue) I had a great homebirth with #2.

I breastfed while pregnant with #2 despite the stress of my father dying when I was 5.5 months along, catching pertussis from my nursling, the norovirus, and strep from my niece while home for the funeral (I was home for a month). I think we did have a period of dry nursing for a while, but nursing was a great way of getting my little acrobat to sit down and watch E! with me. If I wasn't nursing I wouldn't have gotten any rest! Nursing through morning sickness was tough as it was worse with #2.

[Ruthla]

WTF?? My mom was told this when she got pg with me in 1972. I thought we knew better by now!

[SMR]

still nursing my 2.5 year old to sleep and I'm 25 weeks pregnant. My milk dried up pretty fast though and so her nursing went down... from probably 3 times a day to 1 now.. it's alright with me though, since it's been a tad painful for her to nurse.

[Carma]

I nursed during pregnancy. ObGyn said it was up to me and how comfortable I was even though I did have preterm contractions with my first around 20 weeks (due to a fibroid that got pinched off). I did feel contractions now and then due to nursing, I just latched her off and tried again a bit later. Also staying well hydrated is good to avoid early labour (moreso when you make milk also). The contractions from nursing were similar to those after having orgasm in my case. My milk dried up quite early, but DD didn't mind. In the end of the pregnancy the nursing helped my body get ready for labour I believe. My second birth was about 10 times faster then my first, I was at 10 cm about 1.5 hours after the first painful contraction. I was nursing my DD to sleep when I had the first painful contraction at exactly 40 weeks.

Carma

[momma2libby]

I nursed my now 2 year old throughout my pregnancy (I have a 2 week old now)...It didn't make me go into preterm labor. In fact I went to 42 weeks and ended up with a repeat c-sec.

Unless you have a history of preterm labor I really wouldn't worry about it.

[tulipmama]

My IBCLC/LLL has said that unless your doctor puts you on total pelvic rest and says no sex, then nursing is safe, because an orgasm causes way more oxytocin to be released than nursing does.

[boobyfeeder]

I nursed through my 2nd pregnancy, tandem nursed, then was still nursing both of them when I got pregnant with this one. They have both since weaned (on their own), but the only issues I ever had were pain/sensitivity while nursing, which is common.

[rmzbm]

I nursed through my last pregnancy just fine...and next time likely I will be nursing two.

I wouldn't wean without a good reason. (History of m/c, etc.)

[DWAXSMOM]

I had a hx of preterm labor with my first but nursed until 26 weeks pregnant with my second. There is some research that shows that IF YOU HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRETERM LABOR and nurse past 26 weeks, nursing can cause contractions. I nursed until 25 weeks and 6 days! This was OKd by an OB and a perinatologist. I do not know how I wold have made it through without being able to lay down and nurse.

[Apple Girl]

A couple of weeks ago I was WISHING that nursing my toddler would start labor. (I went a week overdue with this baby.) I nursed the entire pregnancy. Now that DS2 is here, we're tandem nursing. He's glad the milk's back... there were several months where I know he wasn't getting much!

The only thing my midwife said about nursing during pregnancy was that it might become uncomfortable for me when my milk decreases. It was, but we kept nursing because DS1 simply wasn't ready to quit. :

[sahmama_12]

a common thread in all this is to possibly wean with a history of m/c. Now my question is I'm not pregnant but I plan to continue to nurse my son when I do become pg (months from now but pre research never hurts ) I have had a m/c between each of my kids, so should I wean to be safe?? m/c sucks and if nursing'll cause it I don't want that. Anyone got any stats for me or links etc??
TIA

[indiemamma]

I had medwives for my second pregnancy and just kept my mouth shut about nursing Jonathan until he asked for Mommy Milk during an appointment. I figured since it wasn't bothering me I wouldn't bring it up. Well, when he asked, the medwife didn't react at all as I latched him on and we continued discussing nutrition. She did say that I should double up on calcium, but I think you have to do that anyways when your pg.

Good luck! I'm now TBFing an almost 3 year old and a wiggly 8 month old! Fun times!

[pantufla]

Originally Posted by sahmama_12

a common thread in all this is to possibly wean with a history of m/c. Now my question is I'm not pregnant but I plan to continue to nurse my son when I do become pg (months from now but pre research never hurts ) I have had a m/c between each of my kids, so should I wean to be safe?? m/c sucks and if nursing'll cause it I don't want that. Anyone got any stats for me or links etc??
TIA

I doubt that there have been any actual studies, but Kellymom.com is a great place to start, and Adventures in Tandem Nursing is also a great resource with lots of scientific info.