Pregnant and still BF

[susanrc]

Hi ladies, Love to join ya all:) Just found out pg on Monday. Very excited although wasn't expecting so soon. I have a 19 mon old that still nurses quite a bit so I thought getting pg would be a challenge this time around. I'm a little nervous about nipple sensitivity and breastfeeding. Anyone having this problem? Well excited to get to know all of you December mamas to be:)

[wife&mommy]

I'm still breastfeeding too, DS is 21 months. I am worried about it too although it hasn't been bad yet.

[weliveintheforest]

Hi!
My dd is a 9/05 baby too and still nurses a lot. I find it only hurts when she gets lazy with her latch (which is often) so we are working on that right now :)

[sparkle&shine]

I still occasionaly nurse DS 29months. Usually only at night time for a 'little bit'. So far I haven't had a problem with sensitivity. I am not really sure how much of a supply I have left.

[susanrc]

I still occasionaly nurse DS 29months. Usually only at night time for a 'little bit'. So far I haven't had a problem with sensitivity. I am not really sure how much of a supply I have left.

Oh I'm wondering that also....I've heard your milk drys up when you are pg. Don't know when? I've also heard some women bf through there entire pregnancy. Who knows?

[moderngal]

I'm still BFing DS at 23 months. :)
I do have pains that seem to come and go. I am trying to be more vigilant about making sure his latch is right- and that helps.

My plan was to nurse 2 years, and we're almost there. I'm not sure how much longer I will nurse after that though- I'm not really sure that I want to tandem. At the same time though, I think weaning might be too much for him emotionally while adding a new baby, starting to potty train, and switching to a big boy bed. I have some time to ponder that, I guess.

[mama_b]

I'm nursing my 22 month old. She still nurses LOTS. My nipples are very sensitive and it seems to hurt worse every day. I hope it gets better because I'm not willing to wean her. She still really needs it.

[donutmolly]

I'm nursing my 22 month old DD too! And oh no! Weaning is not anywhere in the near future for us... she's the type (I think) that would keep nursing even if there was no more milk. I'm a little apprehensive about tandeming but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. No sensitive nipples here yet... hope it lasts...

[kirk_heidi]

I am still nursing my 18 month old twins. I haven't had that much sensitivity yet but I have 2 friends that are pg and both of them said that their milk supply either cut way back or dried up and that it was like nursing with glass shards on your nipples. UMMMMMM...I hope it isn't like that for me. I wasn't sure if I should wean or not. I don't really want to tandem with 3 but my babies aren't ready to wean yet so I am still thinking about it.

[Beppie]

I am also nursing a toddler, 20 months old. She shows NO signs of weaning in the near future, but I have a hard time imagining nursing 2 at the same time, come December. I'm glad to hear of other mamas in the same shoes, nursing one child with another on the way!

[jlwagner]

My 17mo old is still exclusively bf. Last week my nipples got really sensitive and nursing started hurting. :( Oh well, I'm set on tandeming so I'm determined to stick it out. I'm really hoping my supply won't dwindle too much, though.

[beth144]

i still nurse my 24mo quite often and in fact my nipples are pretty sore this morning due to nursing for extending periods of time last night. i'm probably going to work on cutting back a little bit though. to answer your question about when your milk might dry up, i think it depends on several factors, but i've heard that most moms dry up a lot around 4mo pregnant. HTH!

[KLK7]

My 20-month old daughter still nurses a lot. My supply is way down but it hasn't bothered her that much so far. She also has a cold this week and that is bothering nursing more than anything else.

I definately plan on tandem nursing because my original goal was to nurse my DD until she was at least 4.

[weliveintheforest]

I've been feeding my dd half an avacado at bedtime the last 3 or 4 nights and it has helped cut down on her night nursing
(Just in case anyone was going nuts wth the constant night nursing like I was)

[boobs4milk]

i am nursing my 16 mo dd. my nips don't hurt while nursing, but when she rolls them around in her fingers (bad habit, but it didn't hurt before) i wanna scream!

[susanrc]

I've been feeding my dd half an avacado at bedtime the last 3 or 4 nights and it has helped cut down on her night nursing
(Just in case anyone was going nuts wth the constant night nursing like I was)

If you don't mind me asking. What's with the avocado?? Is it suppose to help w/ less frequent night wakings or is it just a snack b-4 bedtime? I think I have tried just about everything, but my DD still wakes up ALOT:( It will be hard if she is still not sleeping through the night when the new baby comes.

[moderngal]

avocado is high in good fats and a nutrient booster. :)

[zjande]

:bump:

I'm still breastfeeding my 16 month old about 87 zillion times a day & night. He loves the boobie so much, I will be sad if/when my milk decreases. I hope to tandem nurse. I also hope he starts nursing less during the night. Um, he NEEDS to nurse less during the night to prevent me from losing my last marbles. :dizzy:

[penquinmom]

I am still BF my 24mo old about three times a day. I haven't really noticed any diffference yet, but I know I didn't have much of a supply to begin with. I was shocked when I got a :+ , because with DD my entire breasts were soooo sore, since they weren't this time I didn't think it could be!!

[Belleweather]

I'm still nursing my 17 month old, but I don't know for how much longer. We started trying to cut back on NIP, and it seems to have turned into general weaning. He's down to really only nursing at bedtime and first thing in the morning, and I don't think he's getting much. I didn't expect it, but I'm really sad to lose that connection to him. :(

[Katfka]

Still nursing here as well.
My ~20m Loveessss Momo, and will have quite a hard time if my supply dries up.
I'm eating a huge bowl of oatmeal a day, and if that doesn't start to improve my supply - I will then go to fenugreek, and we'll see from there.

I'd be quite devastated if I dried up in the near future. I'm just not done nursing him. :(

[salmontree]

Yeah... I'm worried about losing my supply too. My 20 mo. DD is still a heavy nurser.. she probably still gets about 85-90% of her nutrition from mama's milk. She loves her nummies and I really don't feel like she is anywhere close to being ready to wean. It is getting exhausting though, and part of me wants her to wean for selfish reasons but I just can't bring myself to try to push the issue. I haven't experienced nipple pain beyond just abit of added sensitivity and I'm really hoping it doesn't get to the glass shards digging into my nipples kind of pain, that sounds awful.

I'm crossing my fingers that my supply doesn't dry up.. it's would be really really difficult for DD.

[mollybet]

I'm still nursing my 21 month old. So far, this pregnancy doesn't seem to have impacted our nursing relationship, but I have lots of concerns about it.

[mothragirl]

I'm still nursing my 21 month old. So far, this pregnancy doesn't seem to have impacted our nursing relationship, but I have lots of concerns about it.

same here.

[ohiomommy1122]

Hi ladies, Love to join ya all:) Just found out pg on Monday. Very excited although wasn't expecting so soon. I have a 19 mon old that still nurses quite a bit so I thought getting pg would be a challenge this time around. I'm a little nervous about nipple sensitivity and breastfeeding. Anyone having this problem? Well excited to get to know all of you December mamas to be:)

My nipples are sore but not so bad I want to quit nursing it just hurts at latch and at night when she wants the boob all night!

[Nitenites]

Still nursing my 17 month old DS. I nursed DS1 through my pregnancy with DS2, but weaned DS2 while preg with DS3. (Did that make sense? :dizzy: )
The sensitivity isn't as bad (yet) as it was with my other 2 pregnancies, so I'm hoping that I can tandem. DS3 is just too young to wean.

[MCKH]

I'm nursing. My nipples hurt, but I'll live. My dd is obsessed with nursing. I'm not even 5 weeks yet so I am wondering how the pain is going to play out in the future.

[beth144]

my dd is almost 25mo, but she has cut back on nursing quite a bit from even a couple of months ago. i'm 6wks along, and i think my supply is already less than it was and my nipples are just becoming sore, so i try to set some limits on nursing when i can. i don't want to wean, but she can handle some limits as she is getting nutrients from other sources too.

[Katfka]

Yesterday was awful.
Instead of nipple pain - I have internal pain from my supply. He'll nurse and nurse and nurse - I'll be all but empty, and he'll continue nursing.
It itches and tingles inside, and is just completely awful.

:( I'll keep it up, just want to whine a bit.

[tappahannock]

I"m nursing my 24mo. He nurses at night and naptime. Since I have been pg, he seems to have picked up his nursing. I wonder if he is getting a bit less milk so he has to nurse longer.

[Mewsin]

I can't believe I didn't answer this.

I'm still nursing my 12 month old. From past experience my milk hasn't left until about 31 weeks. I hope that I will be able to tandem with them.

[Quindin]

I am still nursing my 26 mo every now and then - does not hurt at all.
It did not hurt when I nursed my 9mo DD exclusively while pregnant with baby #2 either.

[GSMama]

I'm still nursing my 19 mth old DD but I'm at work all day so it's infrequent, usually when we get home from work/daycare and before bed. My supply has definitely dropped though and I'm hoping she'll self wean over the next couple of months...the thought of tandeming scares the heck out of me! She's very possessive of her boobs and a jealous two year old having to share them will not be a pretty sight :dizzy:

[f&p'smama]

Sounds like I'm the odd one -- it seriously HURTS me both when they latch on and then again when the milk lets down. At first it was just kinda tender & that's what made me think that I was PG, but now it is painful. My twins always tandem nurse, so it hurts on both sides.

I was not planning on weaning my two. Although I was not fully on board with CLW, I was okay with how things are. Now I'm not sure I am up for this if the pain doesn't get better by the second trimester nor am I sure I want to nurse 3 kids. At the same time, while both girls are still attached to nurse, Fiona is especially so and is very strong willed and would not give up her milk easily. So I feel torn.

I'm not really dealing with it for now. Waiting to make sure this baby is going to stick around before I get too worried about it, although I did buy both Adventures in Tandem Nursing and How Weaning Happens.

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Just found yesterday that I am pg. My DS is only 14 months and nowhere near ready to wean.

I am going to be pumping and making herculean efforts to keep my supply up. I've seen oatmeal & fenugreek mentioned as supply-boosters, as a PP mentioned. I am also going to double my water intake as of today.

Any other tips? I'm all ears. And I'll be searching threads in BF Challenges, too, when I have a moment.

I am happy about this pregnancy but sad for my little DS.

[zjande]

I'm glad you reminded me Erin, I've been meaning to gather my info & start doing what I can do to try to keep my supply up. I'm eating a bowl of oatmeal every morning so far...

Here's an old thread from the breastfeeding forum. Look at post #11, I posted a bunch of links & stuff that I found in regard to bfeeding while pg. http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=491529

I didn't even list fenugreek, I'll have to go research that. :)

(ETA: I updated my post on that old thread, & listed fenugreek)

[zjande]

Apparently fenugreek should not be taken during pregnancy as it's a uterine stimulant. We may however, want to take it in Dec when we are DONE (aka fed up with) being pregnant!:p

Here's what Kellymom.com says:

Fenugreek use during pregnancy

Medicinal doses of fenugreek, not the amounts used in curries, are considered a uterine stimulant. Fenugreek has been used to aid and induce labor [Dehlvi, Bingel 1991, IntelliHealth] and is considered to be an emmenagogue [Turner]. For this reason, fenugreek use is not recommended during pregnancy (particularly late pregnancy).

* Fenugreek is used as a morning sickness remedy in Chinese medicine. [Richmond]
* "Use only in moderation during pregnancy. A uterine stimulant in high doses, but quite safe as a culinary herb or during labour." [Ody 1999]
* Motherlove Herbal lists fenugreek as a cleansing herb which is "too strong or irritating" to be used during pregnancy. [Motherlove]
* One study effectively used fenugreek as a source of fiber to control blood glucose and lipid levels of pregnant diabetic women. [Madar 1987]
* "A stimulant effect on the isolated uterus (guinea pig) has been reported and its use in late pregnancy may not be advisable." [Hale 2002]
* "Water and alcohol extracts of fenugreek are oxytocic. They stimulate contraction of uterine smooth muscles during the last period of pregnancy according to studies on isolated guinea pig uterus tissue." [Willard 1991]
* "Fenugreek exerts an oxytocic effect in guinea pigs. Its use in humans has not been sufficiently studied, but could potentially lead to SAB or preterm labor and prematurity secondary to its oxytocic effects. Its use in pregnancy is not recommended." [Rice]
* Not recommended during pregnancy. [CommE, Brinker 1998, McGuffin 1997, MHO]

And this is from Intelihealth.com:

Fenugreek cannot be recommended during pregnancy or breast-feeding because there is not enough information to support its safety. During pregnancy, fenugreek should be used with extreme caution because it may cause blood sugar levels to become too low. In animal studies, fenugreek has caused spontaneous abortions and induced labor prematurely. During pregnancy, fenugreek is not recommended in doses higher than those found in foods.

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Thanks, Aubrey! You rock!

Still trying to wrap my head around all this being pregnant stuff . . . I am going to pump for the first time in a looong time this evening. And hop on the oatmeal train.

:)

PS: I just read your post in the linked thread and wow! Thanks! What a great bit of research.

[imbarefoot]

I'm still nursing my 17 mo old and plan to nurse all thru my pregnancy and if she's still nursing when the babe is born, I'll nurse them both!

As far as sensitivity goes, I'm having a little. When she does the marathon nursing sessions, especially at night, at a certain point I start to feel like she's sucking my dry and it starts to feel sore. I do notice a little sensitivity when she nurses period, but at this point it's not bad at all. I will not wean her under any circumstances, but I do *hope* she night weans herself before the babe comes.

I have a question, once the babe is born, will I still produce colostrum? Or will I only have normal milk? How does that work? :dizzy:

[noah's mom]

Still nursing almost 23mo DS too. No nip sensitivity yet, but DS has been nursing a TON at night (like, just about every hour!) since he's working on 2-yr molars. And he's also the type that I think would nurse even if the milkies dried up. So we'll see.

One thing I read somewhere - can anyone confirm? - is that the usual methods (e.g. oatmeal, fenugreek) of keeping supply going don't work during pg, b/c the milk changes come from pg hormones, not from the usual supply-and-demand." So I'm not planning to try anything special, just hoping for the best over here...

[zjande]

One thing I read somewhere - can anyone confirm? - is that the usual methods (e.g. oatmeal, fenugreek) of keeping supply going don't work during pg, b/c the milk changes come from pg hormones, not from the usual supply-and-demand." So I'm not planning to try anything special, just hoping for the best over here...

That is a very good question, one I cannot find a helpful answer to!! I've searched online many a time for clues about that & never found a thing. I read a few chapters in Adventures in Tandem Nursing (http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tandem-Nursing-Breastfeeding-Pregnancy/dp/0912500972/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-8695937-4639935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177550583&sr=1-1) today. The author says that about 70% of women have some sort of decrease during pregnancy, from minor to complete, & the other 30% notice no difference or actually have an increase. She says that there hasn't been proof that using galactogogues (substances that increase bmilk production) during pg helps with supply at all, BUT, she only mentions the prescription galactogogues, the ones that are designed to increase your prolactin levels, then warns against fenugreek, & cautions us to question using herbs at all because they haven't been proven to be safe (including the Mothers Milk Two supplement!).

She says "galactogogues may well not improve supplies during pregnancy, since gal. are usually based on enhancing prolactin levels, & during pregnancy, high progesterone may be more the problem than low prolactin levels." She's saying that we probably have plenty of prolactin, but our increased progesterone is what decreases our supply (usually women who are not pg but have low supply have trouble with low prolactin levels).

But I wonder what galactogues she's referring to? Only the prescription ones?? And do the herbal ones & oatmeal & red raspberry leaf tea, etc. (which she doesn't even mention) , also work by helping increase our prolactin, or by some other means??? :scratch Because if they work by some other means, then perhaps they will be even more helpful to us than the prescription ones that aim only to increase prolactin.

This is a complex topic that hasn't had a whole lot of studies done on it!

I do think that our hormones play the biggest part in to what extent our supply changes, but I can't help but feel that adding some helpful herbs, etc. into my diet can only help. Or at least, I hope that it will be helpful to my system & give it that little boost!

[MySunflowerBoys]

This is my first post in the due in forum.... I kinda wanted to wait a bit to make sure all is well with the bean.

Thought I'd jump in this thread because I am also nursing while pregnant, in fact I am tandem nursing my 4 1/2 yr old and 2 1/2 yr old. My first sign of pregnancy was very tender nips, I actually looked up info on thrush cuz I thought that might be the cause. :lol Nope, it's pregnancy! Right now it just hurts right as they latch on and my supply seems to be okay so far.

DS 1 was 15 months old when I got pg with DS 2 and there was no way he was ready to wean. I had difficulty with nipple pain/feeling touched out/low supply/BH cntrx when I was pg that time, so I know what to expect this time. I'm actually hoping DS 1 will wean before the baby is due. Right now, he nurses 2-3x a day and DS 2 nurses 6-8x a day. While I have really liked tandem nursing and letting my boys follow their own path to weaning, I am also relishing the thought of nursing just one baby again. I'm just playing it day-by-day, I guess.

[Ms. B. Sprout]

MySunflowerBoys, welcome to the DDC. You're quite the experienced tandeming mama! :)

So, if progesterone is the culprit, and the other remedies are prolactin boosters, then it really might just be out of our hands. I'll poke around and see if I can find anything enlightening on this bit of physiology. If I do, I'll post it here.

[sparkle&shine]

I think that my DS is self weaning. My already low supply tanked or the taste changed maybe. He hasn't nursed the last 2 nights at all and I don't feel full or anything. I'm fine with that though since he is 2.5 years old and eats really well. Plus he is a cuddly guy so we do plenty of hugs and cuddles to make up for that bond. I guess we will see where it goes from here.

[lechepatito]

Nice to see I'm not the only tandeming pg mama here! :) I'm nursing my 6 yo and my 2.5 yo. So far my supply has dropped but not gone away completely yet - it did that fairly early on when I was pg with DS, so I'm wondering if the calcium/magnesium I'm taking is helping keep it around? I had been taking it while ttc to keep my cycle from wreaking havoc on my supply and have been taking it since pg, too. So far, so good, at least.

On the nipple soreness, I found that I was mildly sore at the beginning of the pg last time, and by the end it was really painful. I don't know if the cal/mag will help that, too (or if its effect is all in my head, lol), or if it's just too early to know. I plan to try using Lansinoh this time, as I have friends who swore by it when pg and nursing, so that may help some of you, too.

[wannalilcountry]

Still bfing my 14 month old and 5 weeks pregnant. My breasts are tender, but is still bearable, but when he plays with the other nipple, THAT is drivig me just bonkers...uuurrrggghhh:dizzy:

[penquinmom]

OOOOO the twiddling, yes the twiddling is killing me too!!

[zjande]

OMG yes!! When he twiddles the other one..... ARGhhh it drives me crazy, too!:dizzy:

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Yup, big twiddler here too. Ug.

So far I haven't noticed a change in his nursing habits. I was wondering if something was going on with my milk because his stools had been loose (TMI!), but then I just noticed this afternoon that he'd gotten a new tooth. So I think everything's fine.

:)

Glad to know tht Lansinoh may help down the road. I'll dig out my old tube & have it on standby.

[clynnr]

Hi there! :wave to all the tandem mamas!!! I'm about five weeks pg, and currently tandem-ing my 2.5yo DD1 and newly-turned 1yo DD2. I will probably encourage my older to wean over the next months. She is down to once a day, before bed, but sometimes asks at other times. She seems to be okay with redirecting then, but I have no idea how to nix the nighttime one.

Oh yeah, I just wanted to mention that I thought it was funny that I got my :+ the day after I gave a mini-talk on breastfeeding and fertility. :lol Got my AF at 4 months after both girls, even with constant nursing on demand and tandeming the second time. At least this time my littlest will be a little older when my supply drops--or maybe it won't this time! Here's hoping!!

[weliveintheforest]

If you don't mind me asking. What's with the avocado?? Is it suppose to help w/ less frequent night wakings or is it just a snack b-4 bedtime? I think I have tried just about everything, but my DD still wakes up ALOT:( It will be hard if she is still not sleeping through the night when the new baby comes.

Well it seems to help my dd to sleep longer, I don't know what it is about the avacado. Maybe because its fatty?

[weliveintheforest]

oh yes the twiddling is bad. I can hardly put my shirt on without wincing, let alone being pinched and poked!

[BabyJay'sMom]

Still nursing my 16mo old here too, and 9 weeks pg w/ #2. No soreness yet, and I think my supply is still on track. I'm really trying to keep up with my fluid and food intake...some days it's a chore. DS is down to "breakfast" and bedtime, with the occasional naptime thrown in. I've been spotting on and off, and as much as I know DS needs to nurse, I can't help but wonder if there is a connection in my case between BF'ing and spotting. (I didn't spot at all when I was PG with him.) I won't wean DS, but I am losing sleep! I just need to keep faith in my body!

[Brees_Mama]

nursing my 1 yr, 2wk old and expecting number2 xmas '07 :wink I cannot STAND the twiddling/acrobatic nursing!! LOL,but I love nursing.

[zjande]

I found just a little more info on galactogogues. Cross posted:

A little information about galactogogues:
http://www.breastfeedingbasics.org/cgi-bin/deliver.cgi/content/Drugs/galactogogues.html

And this one: http://www.alive.com/428a2a2.php?sub...read_cramb=288
which states "Herbs that boost breast milk production are termed galactogogues and they work in one of three ways. Some have a direct hormonal action on the pituitary gland in the brain that is responsible for the secretion of prolactin, the hormone that initiates and maintains the flow of breast milk during lactation. Other herbs work directly on the breast tissue, stimulating the glands of the breast. The third mode of action is via the nervous system."

But I wonder WHICH herbs work in which ways?? It sure is an area with very little study done on it. No surprise there though, who's going to pay for such a study?? BigPharma would prefer no one ever used herbs, that's money out of their pockets.

[lechepatito]

I found just a little more info on galactogogues. Cross posted:

A little information about galactogogues:
http://www.breastfeedingbasics.org/cgi-bin/deliver.cgi/content/Drugs/galactogogues.html

And this one: http://www.alive.com/428a2a2.php?sub...read_cramb=288
which states "Herbs that boost breast milk production are termed galactogogues and they work in one of three ways. Some have a direct hormonal action on the pituitary gland in the brain that is responsible for the secretion of prolactin, the hormone that initiates and maintains the flow of breast milk during lactation. Other herbs work directly on the breast tissue, stimulating the glands of the breast. The third mode of action is via the nervous system."

But I wonder WHICH herbs work in which ways?? It sure is an area with very little study done on it. No surprise there though, who's going to pay for such a study?? BigPharma would prefer no one ever used herbs, that's money out of their pockets.


Just keep in mind that many galactagogues (fenugreek, for example) are not recommended during pg - there's more info here:

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html#pregnancy

You can search by herbal name on Kellymom and see what other info is out there.

[boobs4milk]

twiddling...ugh!

we got her a 'ninny monkey'. it's a stuffed monkey that she gets when she nurses and she twiddles it's ears. soooooo much better than twiddling mommy's tender nipples!

[zjande]

Just keep in mind that many galactagogues (fenugreek, for example) are not recommended during pg - there's more info here:

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html#pregnancy

You can search by herbal name on Kellymom and see what other info is out there.

Yep, that's been discussed. Check post #37.
Here's my link (read post #11) that lists galactogogues not contraindicated in pregnancy: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=491529