Is it ok to breastfeed if you are pregnant?

Bethany - posted on 10/23/2009

take your vitamins, exercise regularly after a good nursing and drink lots of water! keep it up! our bodies are AMAZING MACHINES!!!

Michelle - posted on 10/22/2009

It's fine. I found out I was pregnant when my son was 9 months old and I breastfed him until he was about a year.

Lyndal - posted on 10/22/2009

Absolutely!!



If your Ob if happy for you to continue having sex, than b/f while pregnant is OK too.



I'm 32weeks and still b/f my 28mth old.



There is a fabulous book you must read to help you through this challenging time:

Adventures in Tandem Nursing, Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond by Hilary Flower. It is endorsed by La Leche League & recommended by the Australian Breastfeeding Association.



I have learnt a lot.



I don't know if my toddler will continue feeding after the new baby is born, but will meet that challenge when it comes. I hope you get the support you need to make the right decision for you and your nursling.

Shaulah - posted on 10/21/2009

i am sure u can still breastfeed!

Fallon - posted on 10/21/2009

I just had twins back in April..and didn't ween my (then) 20 mo. old until the day they were born..my ob was unconcerned about my breastfeeding..and actually weening the big brother now turned out to be no sweat since I spent 11 days at the hospital witht he twins..it wasn't a bad experience for any of us..and gave my little one several more months of nursing.

Kathryn - posted on 10/21/2009

Its okay to breastfeed when you are not heavily pregnant. Alot of mums milk will dry up when they are pregnant though. I have heard that if you breastfeed during the end of your pregnancy it can enduce contractions as your body realises the hormone that does so. Thats why when you are overdue they recomend nipple stimulation. Make sure you are eating healthly and have enough calories to care for all three of you :) Hope you have a good pregnancy :)

Kimberly - posted on 10/21/2009

I'm 7 months pregnant now and still breastfeeding my 18 month old. My milk has changed to colostrum, which is making him have sort of baby-like poo again (yuck...) but other than that, all is totally fine! :) I have heard countless stories of ob/gyns and family practice doctors who suggest or FORCE women to quit nursing when pregnant, but all of the credible research I've done suggests that there is no reason to do this as long as you are healthy and having a "normal" pregnancy. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY no time frame for needing to quit. You can healthfully nurse your current child all the way up until the moment you have your next one, and then you can tandem feed, which is what we'll be doing in this house, I imagine. You will want to eat a bit more, drink a lot more and make sure you get enough rest. Probably you'll want to eat very healthfully AND/OR be taking a prenatal vitamin as well. (I do both.) In the "old" days (my mother in law and grandmother's years...) they were often told their milk would "sour" while pregnant and so they had to wean, but this has been proven to be untrue.

Good luck to you!!!

La'Toya - posted on 10/21/2009

Yeah it is I breastfed my baby girl while pregnant with my other child. In the begg. of your preg docs say its ok long as you feel ok and the baby is getting enough milk however they suggest you stop when you get to 6- 7 months. So good luck hope that helped.

Jadie - posted on 10/21/2009

unless your milk supply dries up and bubs wants to keep breastfeeding it is fine to feed while pregnant i fell pregnant with my third child while still feeding my second and i kept feeding the whole pregnancy and tandem feed both babies it was a bit tricky geting both a newborn and a 14 mth old feeding at once but it can be done

Kerstin - posted on 10/21/2009

i have done this twice, now. The first time my son was 15 months old when I got pregnant. he weaned himself 3 months later (I think my milk changed, because he LOVED the boobie right up until he quit, and there was NO coaxing him back to it). I had a lot of morning sickness, but I still nursed. You have to do your best to eat well and take your prenatals, because the baby and the fetus take it all from you, never suffering themselves.

Very similar story the second time around. My second son was only 10 months old when I got pregnant. He also refused it once my morning sickness tapered off around 3/4 months pregnant. He was still so young to me--I was soooo sad he weaned. But he would turn away and say no when I would try to offer it, so we're done.

The only thing to worry about is if you are REALLY prone to miscarriage, since nursing makes your uterus contract. Other than that and watching your own health, don't believe the wives tales--it's very safe.

Tania - posted on 10/20/2009

WOW! I have a bit of a mush brain at the moment and did not realise there were so many replies on here lol Thank you to everyone that has responded, you have all been a great help. This site is just awesome :-)

Kathy - posted on 10/20/2009

I breastfed my son through my entire pregnancy with my daughter and she was born very healthy! I then progressed to tandem nursing which is both of them nursing at the same time. It is perfectly healthy to breastfeed through your pregnancy. Just make sure you're taking your pre-natal vitamins which you should already be taking because you are nursing anyways :)

Jaime - posted on 10/20/2009

What a wonderful resource! I wish that I had been on Circle of Moms when I got pregnant with my second. My OB suggested that I wean, and I did, but I now wish that i hadn't. If you aren't ready to wean, and there isn't a health reason behind it, and your baby wants to continue, I say keep going! Breastfeeding is such a wonderful blessing to babies, and to mothers, it is well worth trying to hold on to. It would have also given me much more rest while pregnant, (washing bottles and making bottles are not my favorite things--- especially after breastfeeding for 9 months)

Sylvia - posted on 10/20/2009

As far as I'm aware, unless your midwife or doctor warns you off having sex (because of contractions), it's also fine to keep nursing. A number of mums I know have nursed through at least part of a pregnancy with no problems (sometimes your milk dries up), and several have gone on to tandem nurse :)

Tara - posted on 10/20/2009

I heard that it is definitely okay to breastfeed while pregnant. Think about the mom from the TLC show '18 kids and counting'. She is always pregnant and still nurses her young ones. :)

Victoria - posted on 10/20/2009

Unless you have complications like bleeding or premature labour it's completely fine! Like Meghan said, you'll need extra calories and lots of fluids. Make sure you take your prenatal vitamins! My son was weaning himself before I was pregnant, then when I got pregnant he completely stopped nursing. I was hoping to tandem nurse but he had other ideas! A lot of babies (especially if they're toddler age) will wean when the taste changes and the supply goes down in early pregnancy so be prepared for that too.

Meghan - posted on 10/20/2009

It is absolutely ok! Just make sure you keep up on eating healthy filling foods and drinking plenty of fluids. Both of your babies will get everything they need as long as you are healthy. Yes your supply may decrease but as long as you keep it up it should get back to normal. Good luck!

Jelena - posted on 10/20/2009

Yes, it is ok, as long as you are feeling OK, and if your doctor for some reason recommends that you should stop.

A friend of mine breastfed her first child up to 7 months of her next pregnancy.

It might happen that your milk supply decrease in first month or two, but as far as I know it should be back to normal before your third month of pregnancy. This happens as a consequence of pregnancy hormones starts to rise up drastically at the beginning.



Congratulations! :)

Nikki - posted on 10/20/2009

I have a 9 month old and am 2 months pregnant with the 2nd one. I just had my first OB visit yesterday and he said that it'd be ok to continue breastfeeding, but he would recommend that I wean my daughter so that my energies and nutrients can go to the next one....I'm still not sure as to what I'm going to do yet. I'd love some advice too :)

Cori - posted on 10/20/2009

yeah its okay.. i have heard that sometimes getting pregnant again will cause your milk supply to run out (it happened to my gramma when she got pregnant with no. 2) because of the hormones in your body but i have never heard of anyone being discouraged from breastfeeding because they are pregnant again.

Nikki - posted on 10/20/2009

I have a 9 month old and am 2 months pregnant with the 2nd one. I just had my first OB visit yesterday and he said that it'd be ok to continue breastfeeding, but he would recommend that I wean my daughter so that my energies and nutrients can go to the next one....I'm still not sure as to what I'm going to do yet. I'd love some advice too :)