Breastfeeding While Pregnant: Your Experience

URMySunshine77 · August 2013

Have any of you breastfed while pregnant? I want to breastfeed my LO until at least a year, perhaps longer, and my husband and I are considering TTC again. It's not ideal, but I'm an older mom (36) and don't want to wait too long to conceive. LO is six months old.

Can any of you share your experience(s)? TIA!

Creedon778 · August 2013

I BFed until DS was 10 months and then had enough milk saved up to get him through another month. I got my period about 2 months after I stopped then managed to get KU 2 months later by accident. We are excited, just earlier than planned. I'm 33.

bookworm982 · August 2013

I got my first pp period when DD was 3.5 months old. I got pregnant on the next (really long) cycle. Right now DD is 12.5 months old, and I'm 35.5 weeks pregnant.

My concern was the same as you...breast feeding to a year. Well, I made it to that point. My supply dipped gradually as DD ate more solids. Then, right after she turned one (32-33 weeks pregnant), I really noticed a big dip in supply. It dropped again yesterday at 35.5 weeks pregnant. At this point, I'd be surprised if DD gets an ounce of milk total a day. However, we made our goal, and she's doing okay with water and lots of whole fat dairy foods (refuses wcm) right now. I figure it's only a month until she can have breast milk again if she doesn't self wean because of the lack of supply.

I recommend getting a copy of Adventures in Tandem Nursing. It has answered so many questions for me.

camedowncrushing · August 2013

I nursed DD (23 months now) until 21 months...I was 14 weeks pregnant when I stopped nursing her. My supply never dropped at all that I was aware of. I just had a really hard time being so so so sick and nursing.

litzo27 · August 2013

I'm nursing my 23 month old right now while 15 weeks pregnant. I think the big issue is how soon ovulation returns. Did you get your period back already? With both DSs I didn't until I was about 16-18 months post parting (still nursing).

URMySunshine77 · August 2013

litzo27 said:

I'm nursing my 23 month old right now while 15 weeks pregnant. I think the big issue is how soon ovulation returns. Did you get your period back already? With both DSs I didn't until I was about 16-18 months post parting (still nursing).

Good question. I have had some cervical discharge and PMS symptoms but no period yet. I had assumed that I was ovulating again but maybe I'll try temping at 2 a.m. before he usually wakes.

URMySunshine77 · August 2013

bookworm982 said:

I got my first pp period when DD was 3.5 months old. I got pregnant on the next (really long) cycle. Right now DD is 12.5 months old, and I'm 35.5 weeks pregnant.

My concern was the same as you...breast feeding to a year. Well, I made it to that point. My supply dipped gradually as DD ate more solids. Then, right after she turned one (32-33 weeks pregnant), I really noticed a big dip in supply. It dropped again yesterday at 35.5 weeks pregnant. At this point, I'd be surprised if DD gets an ounce of milk total a day. However, we made our goal, and she's doing okay with water and lots of whole fat dairy foods (refuses wcm) right now. I figure it's only a month until she can have breast milk again if she doesn't self wean because of the lack of supply.

I recommend getting a copy of Adventures in Tandem Nursing. It has answered so many questions for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on making it a year!

How did you notice that your supply was dwindling? Does DD lose interest or pop off?

JoyfulW&M · August 2013

My son is still nursing at 26 months. I'm 7 weeks pregnant. You'll have to up your water and calory intake even more then just nursing or just pregnant but you can do it barring other issues.

I will warn you latch on starts hurting a few weeks in. I started hurting about a week before I found out and was wondering why. Well figured that out. For some women the soreness lasts the whole pregnancy. Some it gets better when hormones even out around he 2nd Tri.

It seems to be getting better for me. So I think it will either stop hurting or hurt much less once second Tri hits.

bookworm982 · August 2013

URMySunshine77 said:

bookworm982 said:

I got my first pp period when DD was 3.5 months old. I got pregnant on the next (really long) cycle. Right now DD is 12.5 months old, and I'm 35.5 weeks pregnant.

My concern was the same as you...breast feeding to a year. Well, I made it to that point. My supply dipped gradually as DD ate more solids. Then, right after she turned one (32-33 weeks pregnant), I really noticed a big dip in supply. It dropped again yesterday at 35.5 weeks pregnant. At this point, I'd be surprised if DD gets an ounce of milk total a day. However, we made our goal, and she's doing okay with water and lots of whole fat dairy foods (refuses wcm) right now. I figure it's only a month until she can have breast milk again if she doesn't self wean because of the lack of supply.

I recommend getting a copy of Adventures in Tandem Nursing. It has answered so many questions for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on making it a year!

How did you notice that your supply was dwindling? Does DD lose interest or pop off?

I noticed my supply was dipping around 32-33 weeks because DD started drinking a lot more at meals from her sippy cup. Since then, she's gradually been adding a little water sipping to her bedtime routine every night. However, last night she drank 5 or 6 oz of water in the hour leading up to bedtime and broke off the breast multiple times asking for a drink form her sippy. Hence knowing that my supply is about gone.

If it had happened sooner, we might have weaned, but I don't feel right about weaning DD now and then having her see her brother at the breast in 4 weeks. It doesn't seem fair. It's not enough time for an emotional break from nursing for DD. Thus, I'm planning on tandem nursing for a few months and then reassessing weaning.

I have to add, breastfeeding while pregnant has never been unpleasant for me...no sore nipples, contractions, etc. Each woman is different, but honestly it's been business as usual for us.

drcolleen · August 2013

I didn't get a period until 16mo after DD1 and 14mo after DD2 so my situation was very different. I didn't keep a pregnancy while I was nursing DD1 but was able to nurse DD2 until I was around 18 weeks then DD2 (18mo) seemed confused, started biting me and it's like she forgot what she was doing, at that point I noticed breast changes of pregnancy and suspect I was not making milk -- thankfully for both of us she stopped asking to nurse. I would have tried to tandem nursed if she had kept going.... but seems that was not in store for us. My sister got preg when her daughter was 14mo and nursed intermittently until she delivered without much problem but it was mostly comfort and not nutritive.

AshleyPT · August 2013

I got my period back when my daughter was 13 months. I had a chemical pregnancy at 16 months, and then got pregnant when she was 19 months. I nursed her until I was 31 weeks pregnant with no real issues, but then was advised to stop because of threatened pre-term labor. She's old though, so she wasn't nursing very much. I probably would have rushed the process along if I was in a hurry to get pregnant again. Often night weaning is enough to bring back fertility, but it really depends on the woman.

URMySunshine77 · August 2013

Thank you everyone! I appreciate your messages.

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