Breatfeeding during early pregnancy spotting

kesrya · March 2013

Hi ladies,

I was a regular on this board two years ago when I gave birth to my son at home with the loving care of a CNM.

I am now 7 weeks pregnant with my second and experiencing very light spotting today. This morning it was brown, then stopped, and is now pink with a tiny dark red clot. I'm having pressure in my lower abdomen, which reminds me of the bloating I felt in my first pregnancy, but no cramps. I have felt dizzy all day and generally unwell. It's really very minor, but it concerns me because I had no bleeding at all during my first pregnancy.

My midwife told me the only thing to do is rest and wait to see how it progresses. She doesn't do the first pre-natal appt. until 12 weeks, so I will have a bit of time to go. I forgot to ask her if it is okay to continue breastfeeding my son - who is not very happy that mommy has not let him nurse all day.

Anyone have experience with this? Should I just not worry about it and let him nurse, or should I continue to distract him until I know that everything is okay?

tokenhoser · March 2013

Breastfeeding will not impact your pregnancy. If you're ovulating, that's are far as the influence reaches. You do not need to wean.

sschwege · March 2013

I can't advise you on what to do, only to tell you what my experience was.

I had spotting with both my pregnancies ranging in color from brown, to pink, to kind of an orange/red, with cramping. They both resulted in perfectly healthy babies.

I BF until I was 8w pregnant. I finally stopped because my supply had dipped so low that DD wasn't very interested. But I BF despite the spotting which started at 4.5 weeks and for me at least it didn't affect my pregnancy.

Best of luck!

kesrya · March 2013

Thanks so much for sharing your story. It is very reassuring to me. This spotting is very mild, but the tiny clot and the fact that I didn't have any bleeding in my first pregnancy just had me worried. I also don't have any morning sickness - but then, I didn't have that during my first pregnancy either. So it's just hard to know if something is wrong or not. Your story helps me to fell like I can calm down.

greengirl0909 · March 2013

Around the time DS1 was a year old, we got pregnant. I continued to nurse, started to spot, and miscarried. I worried my breastfeeding had caused it, doctor reassured me, nope! Got pregnant again, nursed through my entire pregnancy, no problems. I did have some cramping while I was nursing, I did feel nauseous while I was nursing, but otherwise, no problem. Tandem nursed two boys!

tantdylf · March 2013

I've bf my son all the way through so far. It should not affect your pregnancy. Good luck!

AmyRI · March 2013

I also had spotting in the beginning of my second pregnancy when I was still nursing DS. Went away after a couple days and I have a healthy DD to show for it. No need to wean.

MitoRachel · March 2013

If you can get your hands on a copy of Adventures in Tandem Nursing. It answers so many questions about nursing and being pregnant. As for your specific question, as PPs said, nursing shouldn't impact whether or not you spot. Good luck and happy nursing!

PansyPants · March 2013

I didn't spot at all but I did breastfeed DS1 until I was 16 weeks pregnant. as I understand it, breastfeeding shouldn't interfere with a pregnancy.

iris427 · March 2013

I was still breast feeding when I got pregnant with my second and continued for several months into my pregnancy. It should not cause any issues. I did have some spotting but it was due to a placenta previa which later resolved, not due to breast feeding. Of course, you should ask if you are concerned.

kesrya · March 2013

Thanks ladies. I have continued to BF my (very happy to be nursing) son the last week. Unfortunately, I had a hCG blood test and sonogram today that put my pregnancy about two weeks behind where I am absolutely certain it should be (my husband was travelling most of last month, so we are positive on date of conception if you know what I mean). So I'm likely already having a miscarriage, and the midwife confirmed that since it was mostly a genetic abnormality in the fetus, nothing I would have done the last three days that this has been going on would have changed the outcome. So my son is very happy about that because he gets to nurse as usual.

Sad, but these things happen and both times i've conceived - we've done it on the very first shot - so I'm sure I'll be pregnant again in a few months when we try again :-)

sschwege · March 2013

kesrya:
Thanks ladies. I have continued to BF my (very happy to be nursing) son the last week. Unfortunately, I had a hCG blood test and sonogram today that put my pregnancy about two weeks behind where I am absolutely certain it should be (my husband was travelling most of last month, so we are positive on date of conception if you know what I mean). So I'm likely already having a miscarriage, and the midwife confirmed that since it was mostly a genetic abnormality in the fetus, nothing I would have done the last three days that this has been going on would have changed the outcome. So my son is very happy about that because he gets to nurse as usual.
Sad, but these things happen and both times i've conceived - we've done it on the very first shot - so I'm sure I'll be pregnant again in a few months when we try again :-)

Sorry to hear that, it's never easy

I'm sure you will have happy news to share with us real soon!

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