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Two Under 2
vermont7
member
XP: Would you stop BFing if you were pregnant?
vermont7
member
in Two Under 2
We are TTC and I'm still nursing LO. It seems there are a lot of different opinions on this. Some say it's safe as long as you eat enough to support growing LO, milk production, and yourself, and others say they are nervous about the developing baby's growth. What are your thoughts?
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Re: XP: Would you stop BFing if you were pregnant?
I BF DS until I was 18 wks pregnant. I was tired, and sick sick sick! so it was hard to eat but it was important to me to wean when we were both ready. I couldnt gain weight until 20 wks bc I was so sick, but I just ate high fat foods when I could and drank a lot of water.
I had a lot of people tell me different things. The best advice was from my sister who BF while pg too. She said dont wean before you are ready otherwise you will regret it. She was right.
GL!
**I** wouldn't/didn't because my first pregnancy was very high risk and the reasons are PTL and cervical shortness/funneling. I have also had two miscarriages. So that combo is not conducive to nursing because BFing can cause uterine contractions that can definitely aggravate MY personal issues.
Had I been a normal, low risk woman I definitely would have considered it.
I'm still nursing DD. The only real reason to stop is if you have a history of PTL, because BFing can cause uterine contractions (not the type that make you dilate, but if you're high-risk those contractions can stimulate more harmful contractions which can cause dilation). For me, BFing very rarely causes me to contract anyway, and even when it does it doesn't concern me because they're even weaker than my normal BH contractions.
As far as the nutrition thing goes, as long as you eat normally you don't have to worry about your fetus getting enough nutrients. If you want to make sure you keep producing milk and have enough nutrients for yourself as well, you will need to eat and drink more than you normally would. When you eat, your body will first provide nutrients to the fetus, then to your breastmilk, and, finally, to yourself. If anything, you'd need to worry about your milk supply...but your unborn baby will be just fine.
I nursed while pregnant until my son weaned himself (probably because of waning supply and taste changes) at 15 months...I was 19 weeks pregnant. My OB said it was perfectly fine to continue nursing as long as my son wanted to, but the OB wanted me to stop nursing by 36 weeks to allow my uterus a "break" from the contractions that nursing can cause. If my uterus was "tired" from continual contractions he said it could resist contracting after the baby was born and therefore increase bleeding risk.
Your baby will get what it needs from you; if you are undernourished it will be your body that shows the deficits, rather than the baby. Talk to your OB/MW and see what they say about continued nursing. I think there is no evidence that nursing puts your unborn at risk of m/c or anything.
I nursed my oldest throughout my entire pregnancy and am currently nursing both boys. My supply dropped around 20 weeks but my LO didnt wean. As my lactation consultant and midwife said your pregnancy takes over and that is your bodys main focus.