Nursing While Pregnant - Saint Augustine, FL

B.,

Here is a great site for accurate information.
Hope it is helpful with making your decision.

C.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBpregnancy.html

Listen to your body and EAT WELL!! Your body is capable of maintaining both but you must eat very healthy, as problems arise with pre-term labor, etc due to you not having enough nutrition to go around. You have to make sure you are eating enough fresh fruit and vegetable for three! Plus lots of water and rest.

Good for you MOM! Best of luck to you...

A.

I would stop nursing now. I don't know why your pediatrican told you that information. I would listen to your ob/gyn. You may not have any problems, but do you really want to take the risk with your unborn child. Your 15 month old is ready for solid foods and can drink milk or soy milk. I know it is hard to stop breastfeeding, but you have a new baby on the way to think about. If you breastfeed while you are nursing, it will take away the nutrients to your unborn child. I had my baby at 35 weeks and had 2 visits to the ER before his due date and it is very scary. You never want to go into preterm labor. I lost twin boys at 18 weeks and would not jeopardize any pregnancy. Please stop breastfeeding now.

Are you having sex?? Because if you are having sex you are releasing the very same horomones. Is it going to send you into preterm labor, or affect you baby negatively - No.

FORGIVE ME IF THIS COMES OUT RUDE AT ALL-IT ISN'T MEANT TO. THE 15 MONTH OLD IS OLD ENOUGH FOR WHOLE MILK.
WHY NOT STOP BREASTFEEDING. I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DID IT, I DID FOR 9 MONTHS AND WISH I COULD HAVE THE ENTIRE FIRST YEAR. I DON'T THINK IT WILL EFFECT YOUR PREGNACY TOO BADLY, MANY WOMEN DID IT LONG AGO, GETTING PREGNATE RIGHT AFTER GIVING BIRTH. BUT, THEY DON'T NEED TO BE BRESTFED FOREVER, I'VE SEEN CHILDREN WALK UP TO THEIR PARENTS AND PULL UP THE SHIRT AND START EATING. DON'T YOU WANT TO BF YOUR NEXT? WON'T THE MILK BE TO THICK AND STRONG FOR A NEWBORN, WON'T THEIR BE JEALOUSY PROBLEMS WITH THE 18 MONTH OLD SHARING THE BREAST WITH THE NEWBORN? I'M REALLY NOT TRYING TO BE JUDGEMENTAL NOR RUDE, FORGIVE ME IF IT CAME OUT THAT WAY. GOOD LUCK ON WHICH EVER YOU CHOOSE.

I did not nurse my son while i was pregnant with my 2nd child but i have always read that nipple stimulation(such as nursing) can cause pre-term labor. i also just had a friend in the same situation who was informed by her pediatrician to continue breastfeeding while she was pregnant and her daughter ended up having to be admitted to the hospital for severe dehydration for 3 days. whatever you decide please just make sure you are well informed. i am a strong advocate for breastfeeding (i breastfed my son until he was 13 months old)but i would weigh my options first and research the subject to get the best possible answer. (also a side note. i for one will listen more closly to my ob/gyn before any other dr b/c they are the specialist in this matter). hope this helps.

B.,

I, personally, would go with your pediatrician. I don't think they'd tell you something erroneous if they'd have to be the ones to deal with the premie complications after you leave the hosptial, not an OB/GYN. Why would they make more (and more difficult) work for themselves?

I'd also ask your OB/GYN to show you research that back up what he/she is saying about premature labor due to nursing. Then you will be truly informed as to why he/she is advising you to quit. IF he/she can produce it (a good MD- not on an ego trip- would respect your wanting to know where their statements come from), by all means, follow what they prescribe. But above all else, be informed.

THIS IS MY VIEW- I have yet to see scientific proof that nursing while pregnant can cause premature labor if you're having a healthy, 'normal' pregnancy. I can send you the information I have that backs that up, if you wish. And with what little she nurses, I don't see how it could produce enough stimulation to make it happen. And, sorry to be graphic, but my husband and I have an extremely healthy sex life, with a lot of nipple stimulation, and I'm still 33 weeks pregnant.

Keep on the course you're going, IMO.

Hi B.. I nursed while pregnant with absolutely no problems. I advise you to visit www.kellymom.com and read actual scientific research that has been done on the subject and make your own (educated) decision. Good luck!

Hi B., I nursed my daurghter till I was well into my 7th month of preganacy. My milk slowly declined, and nursing her became uncomfortable. Of course it was time since my daughter was 2 1/2 years old. I'd check to see if the milk was gone; then I'd say you can only nurse while there is milk. My son is now 20 months and nursing less during the day, but still the night time nurser. Trust your body, it will tell you what to do.

B.,,,I so agree with Carol...get in touch with La Leche League, and go to a meeting and or talk to one of the leaders there..they are so helpful and informative..in most cases, you can continue to breastfeed.,also check with your local health dept..the one I live in Seminole county has b/f groups,Lac.consultants and peer counselors to help you with any struggles, P.S. not all doctors are current with b/f info....hang in there

I wanted to respond to the comment about nipple stimulation. Breastfeeding is much different from stimulating the nipple manually. I breastfed my second daughter during my first trimester when my milk decided to dry up on its own. She was right at one year-old. My advice, keep right on doing what you're doing. Let nature take its course.

I'm pretty sure that nipple stimulation is not an issue till you get closer to your due date. I could be wrong on this, so maybe someone out there who has worked with a midwife can give some info on this. I know that when I was over my due date with my second daughter that my husband rubbed my nipples and I went into labor that night.

This is ABSOLUTELY wrong!!! UNLESS you are having a high risk pregnancy, bleeding/spotting etc? Nursing is as safe as sex. I got pregnant with my son when my daughter was only 5 mnths old. I was exclusively nursing her (well pumping 3x at work and nursing exclusively while with her) but she only had breastmilk for about 7mnths, and continued to breastfeed til she selfed weaned a few weeks before her 1st birthday which was 2 mnths before I gave birth. The only reason she supplemented was because my pumping supply declined, but still breastfed a few times a day (morning & nights) when with her. It's absolutely safe and okay to do it as much as you want to, unless you feel uncomfortable and as long as your having a normal/uncomplicated pregnancy. I was able to exclusively nurse her (nursing or pumping 7-8x's a day) for 3-4mnths into my pregnancy, and slowly declined until about my 7th mnth into pregnancy when she self weaned.

My son was born at 39weeks and was a healthy 8lbs 2oz, and 22" so he was not deprived of anything. And I might add that my Daughter at 9mnths was a healthy 24lbs. So I don't think any of them really was "deprived" of nutrients. :)

Here's a great site with info regarding this:
http://www.kellymom.com/nursingtwo/faq/01safety.html

Most doctors have different thoughts on this, it's mostly their opinion really. My OB/GYN was breastfeeding friendly, and so even though the pregnancies were so close, being so little, nursing frequently, he told me that i could do it as long as I was comfortable and it would be perfectly safe.

Also at this point I'm sure your daughter at 15mnths is eating other foods, drinks and such and might not nurse as frequently, so even more reason why it should be fine.

-N.

B. i am sure you know but the baby gets the antibodies from breasfeeding first few weeks, and she is old enough to tell the pediatrician that something is wrong if the ear infection isn't going away. ear infections lingering for too long can cause other problems, such as hearing loss. so if there a 0.0001 chance you could go into preterm labor i'd wanna make sure that doesn't happen and do anything to prevent it. premature babies deal with a lof of problems so my advice to you get the pediatrician take care of your daughter's infections.

I can imagine how frustrating it might be to have to decide in the best interest of both your children. Yes contact La Leche League. Through them you will understand the process of how breastmilk is produced in the first place. One major benefit of breastfeeding for the mothers after birth is breastfeeding triggers the release of a hormone that contracts the uterus(and that is a proven fact). To a new mom not expecting again it helps contract the uterus back to its normal size. With that said you are releasing a hormone through breastfeeding that can cause your uterus to contract. Now there may have been many women who have not had problems and definately did not go into preterm labor. You should do some research on preterm labor as well(babycenter.com) Having contractions whether you feel them or not can cause preterm labor. Now the benefits to your 15mo old daughter do not outweigh the potential risks to your unborn child. THere are other ways to adress your daughters illness and to nurse her back to health. Your pediatritian should know other ways to adress this successfully without having to rely on the breastfeeding. Also La Leche league will confirm that the antibodies 15mos later are not so beneficial to where you have to run any potential risk for your pregnancy and unborn child. Follow your ObGyn advice-don't risk it. Yes you are getting all correct advice from everywhere but it is your responsibility to research from experts to decide on your own what is best. However my opinion is simply - why take the risk? I think too you may be attached to the closeness nursing brings between you and your 15mo old but she is old enough to understand. You should talk to her explain to her- she is a big girl now. It is time to move on and make way for your newborn. Once you are consistent your daughter will understand and will be happy to hand over the torch to your newborn. I would adress it now or would you rather the stress of a newborn(God forbid a preemie) and on top of that your daughter still wanting to breastfeed.

Well good luck- play it safe it is the best.
You do not want to have regrets.

Good Luck!!