Putting of TTC #2 to prolong breastfeeding DS?

Under.the.Rose · May 2011

DS is just over 6 months and nursing like a champ. I'm torn about the idea of TTC partly because I don't want to mess with a good thing and essentially force him to stop breastfeeding before he's ready if my supply bottoms out.

Is this a legitimate concern or will he just adapt?

BrittKav · May 2011

I think it's a legitimate concern. That's the #1 reason (among others) that I don't want to get KU right now.

ETA: I breastfed through my pregnancy, so I know how tough and stressful it is, worrying every single day how much milk your baby is getting and watching your baby get frustrated because she can't get any milk out. I don't want to go through that again if I can help it.

ghm · May 2011

Has your cycle started yet? Is there a difference to you now conceiving vs conceiving in 6 months or so? What would your bf'ing goal be if you didn't take another pregnancy into affect?

Jennicap · May 2011

there is a chance he'll wean but really it would be when you start making colustrum again which isn't right away. I know many woman who tandam nurse both kids.

MayKay12 · May 2011

I'm pregnant right now and still BF DD. I would definitely be concerned if she were 6 months, but she's 19 months so I'm not worried. I would personally try to at least wait until they are eating more solids and didn't need so much BM.

My biggest concern with DD was that my nipples would hurt too bad to BF and I would have to abruptly wean her, which would have been horrible. Luckily, I haven't had any nipple soreness so far.

mrsdchastain · May 2011

I'm pretty sure that once you get to a certain point in your pregnancy it's okay. My friend was breastfeeding and her goal was a year. She got pregnant three months before that goal but still managed to make it.

ghm · May 2011

Most people won't make milk for long. Beyond that, it can be horribly painful, and if you do continue to make milk, it may taste different (bad).

I'm not saying don't do it. But I had a very attached nursling who weaned very quickly because my milk dried up within about a month. Luckily she was no longer an infant, but was still young and not near ready to wean. IDK. I just want the OP to know that she may have to wean. Maybe she won't. You never know. Some babies will continue to nurse even without milk, though it seems that those are older, more attached toddlers than infants.

BrittKav · May 2011

I wanted to clarify that I'm not discouraging nursing through a pregnancy, or tandem nursing. I'm tandem nursing now and I love it. I got pregnant when DD was 6 months and it was hard for me, so I wouldn't want to put myself through the stress again, I'd rather put off pregnancy until LO is a year old at least. If I were to get pregnant right now though, I would definitely continue to nurse. It's just not ideal.

Kestrel84 · May 2011

I think it is a legitimate concern if breastfeeding for a certain amount of time is important to you. I know some mothers who maintained their supply throughout a pregnancy but I know many who didn't. I'm sure your child will adapt either way, but at the end of the day I think it is up to you to decide just how important breastfeeding is to you and whether or not it is worth the risk of losing your supply before you're ready to be done.

In my situation, I wouldn't worry too much if I got pregnant now and my supply dried up over the next couple months since DS eats 3 well-balanced meals plus snacks per day and he's almost 1 year old. At 6 months I would have been devastated if I no longer produced enough milk for him.

caruso_60 · May 2011

We waited until my DS was 12 months old because of this. I got pregnant first time trying (took us 3 years to get DS) and unfortunately he stopped breastfeeding when I was 13 weeks pregnant. I tried really hard to continue, but my milk was gone. I guess it depends on the person because I have a couple of friends that breastfed throughout their pregnancies and went on to tandem nurse.

orangecurls · May 2011

I am pregnant again and my supply is really taking a hit. I think this will force him to wean, even though he is not ready

I would suggest to wait until he is a year, eating a good amount of solids and not nursing as often.

Edit: I agree with BrittKav, it is stressful worrying about how much milk my son gets and seeing him upset because he can't get enough milk. At times I feel really guilty.

Bride2b2004 · May 2011

MayKay12:
I'm pregnant right now and still BF

I became pregnant when DS was 10mo, I figured we would be able to at least make it to one year, and we have. My supply has decreased, but he still gets plenty and hasn't lost interest in nursing at all.

lkstor · May 2011

I wanted to start TTC when DS was 6 months. Thankfully Mother Nature was smarter than me - I didn't get my first postpartum AF until DS was 19 months. I did get pregnant and my milk dried up quickly and DS rapidly lost interest. I would have been devastated if that had happened when DS was still a baby.

Under.the.Rose · May 2011

Thanks everyone -- it's so great to hear from people who have actually gone through it (or are still going through it) and what your feelings are about it. AF came back quickly because DS started STTN at 2.5-3 months old for about a month (now he's back to waking at night to feed a few times).

I wish it hadn't come back because every month now I'm left wondering and half-wishing I was pregnant again. I think it messes with my head. I really just want to focus on DS right now and wait until he wants to wean himself... I really don't want to force him to stop nursing before he's ready. I'd feel guilty on so many levels. I really have to work on my patience!

StacieJane · May 2011

Legitimate concern. Sometime in the second tri, your milk changes to colostrum, which is apparently more sour/salty than the milk LO is having now. Plus, hormonal changes plus exhaustion plus nausea can often lead to a hit to your supply. Not to mention how damn painful it is (for me, right now!). I'm really worried that DD will wean before she's ready just because of this stuff. I had wanted it to be my/her decision, but it's likely out of my hands. I'm happy that she's a year old, though. At six months, it would have bothered me a lot more.

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