Attachment Parenting

nursing through pregnancy

I just got my first PP period at 16.5 months, and hubby and I have been open to a new pregnancy since DS was 11-12 months old. We want our kids somewhat close together and I have baby fever bad ... but suddenly now that the reality of fertility returning has hit I am unsure. I'm just not ready for LO to wean yet and neither is he (he still nurses 5x per day and usually at night) and I know all kinds of challenges can come up with nursing through pregnancy - milk drying up, nursing aversions, etc. I particularly don't want to end up hating nursing once pregnant and ending on such a negative note. What have your experiences been with nursing during pregnancy and/or tandem nursing?
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Re: nursing through pregnancy

  • It's going fine for us so far. I had some pain/tenderness for the first 6 weeks or so, but then it got better. No other problems; DS nurses at least 3 x a day a more on weekends. I'm still a bit undecided on tandem nursing and am just taking it one day at a time.

    Another friend weaned early in her pregnancy and found it was actually not nearly as bad as she anticipated. She was having some pain, didn't have much milk, and had a surgery with some complications, so nursing was just too much of a burden. 

    Either way... things work out. The end isn't necessarily negative, especially if pregnancy dries up milk and the older baby loses interest.

  • I am currently 30 weeks pregnant, and I got pregnant with my son when my daughter was just 7 months old. I guess it was a little different for me because at 7 months my milk was still her primary source of nutrition. My milk supply took a huge plunge somewhere between 20-24 weeks but that did not stop my daughter from nursing all day and night. For us nursing through pregnancy has been pretty easy. I do know some Moms whose babies stopped nursing completely when their milk supply dropped but that depends completely on the child. My daughter nurses ALL throughout the day and usually 3 times at night and other than being really tired from being pregnant and not always loving nursing all night, things have been fine. Also your baby is already 16.5 months and you would still have an entire 9 months of pregnancy to go, I think you will be fine. 

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  • We just found out we're pregnant with #2 and I've been wondering the same thing. I thought LO would have started self weaning a bit by now but she still likes to nurse about every three hours and mostly nurses to sleep. Right now I'm just planning to play it by ear. The nips have been a bit sore but nothing too bad. My hopes are that we will tandem nurse but if she self weans I'm totally fine with that too.
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  • I was able to continue nursing until my son weaned at 2.5 years old (I was about 16 weeks pregnant with his sister). We had no issues with pain, discomfort, or supply. It actually helped during those exhausting and queasy early months because I could just lay down and nurse my little man. It also kept our bond strong as we prepped for a new sibling.
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  • It has been going well for us.  My son is 3.5 and I have had moments where I was pretty sure he was about to wean, but he keeps seeming to go through phases, so I have no clue what he is doing ;)  Slowly weaning I suppose....

    At first there was no pain, then I felt uncomfortable, but it wasn't painful...lately it has been great and actually enjoyable to snuggle for a bit.  Oddly, whenever I am sick it is horribly painful.  As in, I am absolutely not able to nurse.  More painful than Mastitis ever was (we had a tummy bug a little over a month ago and I was positive I had mastitis until DS got sick)  He is also still getting plenty of milk...I can hear his swallowing AND see it on his lips.  

  • My daughter self-weaned at 15 months, when I was 17 weeks pregnant.  It was super easy and natural.  Just didn't ask one day, so I didn't offer, and that was the last of that!

    It was fine before then--maybe slightly less milk, more tender nipples and being more tired were the biggest things I noticed.

  • So far, so good for us. A bit sore in the nipples, and I'm supply seems to be up and down. 

    Ditto the pp about napping and having plenty of food on hand! I'm gonna take her advice about the cleaning woman, too! 

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  • I nursed through my whole pregnancy, the beginning was a bit sore but nothing too bad, she cut down a lot when my milk was basicly gone but stuck to morning, nap and night nursings. When my colosturm came in she picked up a bit and then when DS was born she went to town!

    I've been tandem feeding almost 3 months now and I think it helped DD with the new addition, she did cut down on her solids as she upped her milk intake (she nursed about the same amount as DS some days) but now she's starting to cut back again. She likes to sit next to me and nurse while I feed DS, it keeps her occupied and not resentful of DS. I have implemented a policy of asking first because she was climbing all over and going at my clothes...she picked up the sign for please VERY quickly ;)

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  • Thank you so much for all the replies! I ordered Adventures in Tandem Nursing and I'm reading as much as I can find about other mothers' experiences. Perhaps we'll wait until he is 18 mos. and hopefully by then I'll have had time to think about, come to terms with and be comfortable with whatever might happen.

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  • I'm 34 weeks pregnant and my son is 14 months old. He was exclusively bf until 9 months when we started adding solids. Never had a supply issue and he's not close to weaning. My milk turned to colostrum 2 or 3 weeks ago and DS never even slowed down. It was uncomfortable for a few months when he latched, but that passed, thankfully! I plan to tandem nurse.
    *Bumping since 2007*
    had to change my sn :) TTC # 1 since Jan 06
    Miracle Baby #1 - March 2012
    Miracle Baby #2 - June 2013
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