Tandem and Colostrum

Thank you for your question. It is not true that you will not produce colostrum for your new baby if you nurse your toddler during the pregnancy, or tandem nurse after your baby's birth.

Breastfeeding is a natural process, and your body will take into account the possibility that you may have another nursing child. Having two breasts makes this process a bit easier, physiologically. I don't know where this information came from, but I would be interested to know the references that were used to support this advice. When a mother delivers a baby and the placenta separates from the uterus, the hormones of lactation take over and lactogenesis continues with the production of colostrum, and later, mature milk as your baby and toddler nurse frequently.

It is important to note that your new baby should be fed before your toddler at all times. This can be gently explained to the new big sister or brother. Sometimes it is helpful to get the oldest child a new lunchbox with a thermos, or something similar, so that it can be a bit easier to hold the oldest child off for a while. Giving your toddler an album of him or her nursing, along with a basket of special toys and books that can be read or played with while you are nursing the new little one, may also make nursing time with the newest baby a little easier. Nursing your toddler at the special times that you are both used to (i.e., waking up, bedtime, naptime) can be very grounding and calming to you and your first child, while nursing the baby first at each of the 8 to 10 nursings per day ensures that your baby gets all the milk he or she needs to grow and thrive. Good luck!