BF during pregnancy

[Poosnu]

I'm currently bf DD who is 20m (morning and night, and naptime on days when I'm at home). I'm now 8 weeks pregnant with DC2 and had my booking-in appointment at the hospital today.

I happened to mention that I was still feeding DD. The midwife told me that I would have to stop. I asked why. She didn't really seem clear - mumbled various things about it interfering with pregnancy hormones, affecting the blood supply to the baby and my body needing to focus on the pregnancy. I asked if she could direct me to any studies on this but she couldn't.

I may choose to wean DD before DC2 arrives to try to reduce jealousy, etc. I understand that children do sometimes self wean during pregnancy. I would however like to be aware of all the facts, as far as possible.

I have a couple of friends who have successfully bf during pregnancy, and then tandem fed, so I know it is possible.

However, I am interested in the medical side of it and I'm wondering if this is something any of you have looked into?

[RedKites]

Hello and congratulations on your pregnancy!

I continued to feed DS1 when I was pregnant with DS2. I encouraged him to cut down a little, with a view to perhaps trying to wean later in the pregnancy, but he actually weaned himself around the 20 week mark. When I mentioned at my booking in appointment that I was still feeding DS1 (it came up when she wanted to discuss my feeding intentions for the new baby) she was firstly enthusiastic, then a little curious (how many feeds was he having a day?) and then a little confused (when I tried to explain it could be anywhere between one and about five, depending on what we were doing that day and how our efforts at night weaning were going ). But she never suggested I should stop.

There is loads of (referenced) information on the Kellymom website particularly excerpts from the book Adventures in Tandem Nursing. If you want to read a real copy, various MNetters have reported their local LLL group had a copy to borrow, or if you want to buy it certainly used to be cheapest to buy from LLL directly rather than from Amazon for example.

[EauRouge]

It's absolutely safe to BF during a normal, healthy pregnancy.

I saw several MWs, all of whom knew I was BF and none of them told me to stop. I think that used to be the recommendation years ago but not any more.

The main concern was that breastfeeding causes uterine contractions, but these are also caused by sex- have you been advised to stop having sex? I have never heard anything about breastfeeding causing problems with blood supply to the baby

The book RedKites mentioned is fantastic and should answer all of your questions.

[midori1999]

I am classed as high risk in pregnancy and no one has suggested I stop BF my toddler and I don't intend to.

There is no definite evidence it can cause you to go into labour, it's more of a theory and the jury is really out on it. There's absolutely no evidence that it will affect blood supply to your baby. Your body will prioritise the baby in utero over a nursling.

[SpaghettiBologneighs]

Wow, I've never heard this, and I'm currently fairly reluctantly still feeding my 28 month old alongside my three week old. I did develop a nursing aversion during pregnancy and would like to stop feeding DS1 but he's pretty determined and I'm not going to force the issue.

[Poosnu]

Thanks all for this - the information on Kellymom is great and just what I was looking for.

Hopefully it was just one midwife giving some out of date advice and the rest of the midwives I see will be more clued up!

[RainbowsFriend]

I think there used to be a worry about the oxytocin released during bfeeding bringing labour on early. It is now know that the oxytocin receptors in the cervix etc don't actually mature until term anyway - so they wont actually respond until then!

Aldo feeding my 21 month milk monster DD at 9 weeks pregnant :)