BF question

[ShanaMama]

Hi. This is kind of a strange querstion & I hope I don't offend anybody. It's not applicable to me right now, but I've been wondering for awhile, and figured I could get a good knowledgable (sp?) answer here.
I was told that once a woman becomes pregnant with DC #2, she must stop nursing DC1, because there's no way her body can adequately nourish 3 lives. I seem to have noticed that some Moms on these boards nurse right thru pregnancy.
Was I misinformed, am I miscalculating how long they are nursing, or are they unaware of this? Again, I hope I don't offend anyone, just really curious and asking innocently.
Looking fwd to some responses- TIA

[MommyAllison]

I haven't BTDT so I know other mamas can better answer this than me, but here goes anyway. :) I think you were misinformed. The human body is amazing, and will respond to the extra demand of nursing a DC while growing another baby. I think you (general you, not specific) would need to take great care of yourself to make sure you are eating plenty of good food, resting enough, etc. My understanding is that the body will stop making milk for the older child before taking nourishment from the unborn baby - not sure where the mom falls in that order though - I'm guessing in the middle. Some mamas nurse through pregnancy though the older DC is getting little or no milk near the end, then after 2nd DC is born there is milk aplenty again - for both DC. I believe there are mamas who nurse through pregnancy without a supply problem, as well. HTH some!

Allison
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[Momof3Labs]

Here's a whole bunch of info on this:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/tandem/index.html

[Jenn98]

I can only offer you my experience and what my midwife told me. DD was almost 10 months old when I got pregnant again. My milk was virtually gone by the time she was 10.5 months, and so she had to have her first bottle of formula. (Luckily, she took it and never looked back and is now happily drinking cow's milk 3 times a day.) I was also experiencing pregnancy complications, so we all decided it would be best to wean her. Anyway, my midwife told me that it can be difficult to nurse through pregnancy because at some point (abut 20 weeks or so) your milk turns back to colostrum in preparation for the new baby. It's my impression that many babies like to nurse for the pure act of nursing and will continue even if there is little to no milk. My DD loved to nurse, but was just as happy to snuggle with a bottle with me. Again, I haven't done any research on this but this is/was my experience. I'm interested in other posters experiences.

[maestramommy]

Haven't BTDT, but what I've been told is that it's different for everybody. That said, in general a woman can continue nursing dc1 while pregnant with dc2. For some women their milk can dry up, or change flavor, which can cause the child to self-wean. That happened to 2 women I knew. But nutrition-wise it shouldn't be a problem as long as the woman is eating well and taking her vitamins. A LLL leader told me that sometimes a toddler who has been lean for a while can start to get chubby cheeks again because the mother's milk has turned to colostrum.

[lisams]

I haven't done it, but know it's totally possible. As far as nourishing 3 lives, it's similar to being pregnant with twins, you need to make sure you get the right amount of nutrients, fats, proteins, water, etc.

That said, I don't think I could do it personally. My nipples get so sore while I'm pregnant, even the lightest touch hurts and I get horrible morning sickness and have to keep a close watch on getting dehydrated.

I admire moms that can do it, that's for sure!!!

[buddyleebaby]

I am 37 weeks along and still nursing my first.
My Ob said that there is no risk to either my dd or the new baby, and both will receive adequate nutrition. He said that I have to be careful to take my vitamins and eat well for my own well-being, but as long as I was feeling up to it I could continue and the breastmilk would be just as nutritious. Soem people think that nursing during pregnancy takes nutrients away from the fetus. NOT TRUE. They are two separate things entirely.
I guess for me it was about trusting my body to know when it was time to stop. I have not had any supply issues, and I think that was because my body recognized that my dd, at her age, still NEEDED to nurse. If it was too much for me to handle I am sure that my milk would have dried up no matter how much I tried to keep it going. Luckily for me that was not the case.
As far as the milk turning into colostrum, in my case I have one breast producing colostrum for a couple of weeks now, and the other still making just as much milk as ever. It's really very cool (strange, but cool). Like I said before, my body knows. : )
Once the baby is born, my milk will come in all over again to allow me to adjust my supply for two babies, or at least that's what I've read. I'll let you know in a month or so.

[jacksmomtobe]

You can definitely nurse while pregnant without any negative effects. I nursed #1(DS) up until he was almost 2 and until I was about 6 mo pregnant with #2(DD). #1 was nursing only 3xs at night at this point. I was glad he weaned however as it was getting painful for him to nurse (this was not the case at the beg of the pregnancy)and it allowed me to get some sleep before dd arrived since I didn't have the middle of the night feedings. I also wasn't sure how much I'd want to nurse #2 if I didn't get a break. It all worked out because ds was ready to wean so that nursing relationship ended on a positive note. As it turns out nursing #2 has been smooth sailing. It's really 2nd nature this time around. She was born weighing 8lbs 4oz and the labor & delivery crew named her the nursing champ of the floor when she was born since she was so eager to nurse. She continues to grow (& be eager to nurse) and is now 10lbs 14oz. Quite different than the first time around when I was a bit worried as to whether ds was gaining enough weight in the early days. On a side note DS is not jealous of DD and has not asked to nurse though I did post earlier about him pretending to nurse his baby doll. :) Overall my case shows that you can indeed nurse while pregnant with no impact to either Mom's or baby's health. I actually know a Mom nursing 2. She said that a midwife told her that sometimes #2 will wean before #1.

[ShanaMama]

Kim- Congrats on your little one.
Thanks everyone for the informative & non-judgemental responses. I guess I was misinformed (to the tune of 'how can those women do that to their babies??'). I knew that the moms on these boards are very well-educated, and I'd get a thorough answer.
I wasn't able to nurse DD as long as I'd planned, but I am happy that I at least got the 5 months that I did.

[buddyleebaby]

FWIW, I always thought that you could not nurse while pregnant.
It's a common misconception, so don't feel bad.

[smilla653]

I just read a fascinating book about this, LLL's Adventures in Tandem Nursing. It's basically a collection of mothers talking about their experiences with nursing while pregnant and nursing 2 babies.