Never in a million years did I anticipate I would be breastfeeding while pregnant. My mother breastfed my younger sisters and me and I always assumed I would do the same for my future babies. But I just assumed that would be for infants. I may have gone so far as to say that a child that was old enough to ask for milk was too old to breastfeed.
Well… when my daughter’s first baby sign at eight months was for “milk”, it just melted my heart. When she had her first birthday, neither of us had any desire to change our special connection. And when she mastered the word “milky”, I had nothing but pride. So when she was 16 months old and we found out I was pregnant, I didn’t really see any reason to stop nursing.
Although it seemed natural to continue breastfeeding while pregnant, a lot of friends and family have been shocked. Some questioned the safety of nursing or pumping and whether I would be risking miscarriage. Since I wouldn’t see a doctor until at least 8 weeks, I asked a lactation consultant I trust, Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC, owner of the San Diego Breastfeeding Center, and host of the Boob Group podcast. She confirmed my hunch not to worry. I’ll share the advice she gave me: “As long as you aren’t high risk for miscarriage (and your doctor hasn’t told you to forgo having sex), you should be fine.” Luckily I’m not in that category.
Robin also recommend a good reference website. Check out Kelly Mom on breastfeeding and pregnancy safety. The article is written by Hilary Dervin Flower, MA, the author of Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding during Pregnancy and Beyond. I also listened to the Boob Group podcast, The Scoop on Tandem Nursing, and read up on Nursing During Pregnancy in preparation.
I was surprised to hear that nursing while pregnant was uncomfortable or painful for most of the panelists. Maybe I have nipples of steel, because for me it is not that bad. Many moms report that older babies and toddlers just lose interest in nursing, especially during the 2nd trimester, as the taste changes. So far at 20 weeks, she shows no signs of slowing, but I will keep you all posted.
I will share the biggest stumbling block for me to breastfeeding while pregnant. During the first trimester, I had some nausea and a lot of fatigue. Especially in the morning, when my little one wanted to nurse for thirty minutes or more, switching back and forth from side to side, I just felt way too drained. I ended up setting limits, “One more minute on this side, then Papa is going to get you a sippy cup of moo milk and we can cuddle.” (For tips on handling pregnancy nausea, see my post on Natural Morning Sickness Remedies.)
On the bright side, nursing is the laziest way to appease a toddler! Lay down side to side and you are set. No getting up to fix a snack!
What has your experience been breastfeeding while pregnant? Please share in the comments.
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