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Originally Posted by Guinevere  Congrats, mama! You are definitely an incubator and milk-making machine!  With that said, though, you definitely need to watch your little one's weight gain, b/c while there will always be the super lucky mama able to maintain a full milk supply during pg, the truth is that most of us do experience a diminished supply and would find it almost impossible to produce enough to nurse an infant full-time.
Hard as it may be to accept, you may indeed come to a point in your pg when you need to supplement to make sure your first baby is getting enough. 4 1/2 mos. is very young, too young to transition to solids to help make up for a diminished supply, and definitely too young to not be getting lots and lots of milk. Just be aware of what to look for (weight and length gains slowing or stopping, nursing frequently but not seeming satisfied, more lethargic, fewer wet/poopy diapers) and be ready to address the problem should it arise, and you should both be just fine. 
Guin |
Thanks for saying this Guin, as these are very important points to consider.
Most babies who successfully nurse through a new pregnancy are able to do so because they are getting their nutritional needs met else where (usually through solid food) and continue to nurse because of the emotional and physical attachment to their mother. If your milk changes over to colostrum half way through your pregnancy, or even towards the end, it won't be nutritionally appropriate for an 8 -10 month old to grow on. Putting a back-up plan in place now would be a great idea.
Ask yourself a few questions... do I want to wean my baby to a cup or bottle and supplement with formula (appropriate at this young age), or do you have a source of breastmilk to feed your baby should your milk completely change in a few months (like donor milk or some of your own you have stashed away?).
Do you want to tandem nurse? If so, consider a SNS feeding system, so that even if you have to supplement your baby with something, you can do so directly at the breast, then after your new baby is born, your older baby will still be fully breastfeeding and you won't have to try and get your baby back on the breast from a bottle or cup.
And definitely, definitely keep an eye on your baby's wet diaper count. It's the fastest way to tell if your baby is staying hydrated...ie getting enough of your milk. I counseled a mother once who's milk dried up during her pregnancy, but she didn't realize the severity of the situation until she started a wet diaper count on her nursing four month old. He was so dehydrated that he didn't have a wet diaper for 24 hours! I don't mean to be so dramatic, but having a back-up plan in place now could really come in handy a few months from now.
Congrats on your pregnancy! And good luck!
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I guess I should be jumping for joy that it wasn't before the test turned + like last time, I'm 5-6 weeks now, but it still is painful. I have milk though, 
so we'll see what happens...i wish i had more patience to keep up with however long she wants to, but i just don't and i feel guilty about that..
