Tandem nursing- pain on nursing whilst pregnant

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

I am 34 weeks pregnant with DC2 and my son who is 27 mths has around one feed a day at the moment. He would love mroe but I'm finding feeding so sore that I am having to restrict him, which I really don't want to do.

Is this soreness related to pregnancy or is it something else, like thrush? It is really toe-curlingly painful and moreso on the left side than the right.

Also, when the baby arrives and because I will be feeding two children, do I need to increase certain foods in my diet so that I don't end up deficient?

[StealthPolarBear]

well I had toe curling pain, and I'm fairly sure it was just pg related but you're right, good to make sure it's not masking a 'real'(i.e. treatable) problem. IIRC it was a burning/stabbing pain while latching so I suppose similar to thrush - not that I've ever had it.
I was assured it would go the minute DD was born - it didn't :( but it did improve and within afew weeks had gone.
The only food i increased was chocolate, biscuits and cake. Don't particularly recommend it. I should think you'll be fine - the baby certainly will but probably a good idea to eat as healthily as possible for your own sake.
Just one thing - apparently it is good practice to only feed the toddler after the baby has fed so the baby gets the colostrum. I didn't think of that (after all, what was the baby getting??), sure it's done no harm but I was kicking myself a bit so telling you :)

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

Thanks Stealth, it is a burning pain the thing is I have had thrush before, for months, in the beginning and it was so painful, a bit like now but it's hard to compare, yet I feel I should know.

Glad to hear it cleared up for you, eventually, after babs was born. I have started using some daktarin cream on my nipples twice a day, just in case it is thrush as I really don't want to start tandem feeding with that going on.

Yes, I'm aware about giving the baby fisrt dibs on the colostrum, god knows he's had enough of it so he will have to take a back seat for the 1st week. It's not your fault you didn't know there is so little info on it but it only takes such a small amount to make a difference as it is so concentrated so I'm sure there was no harm done.

[shinyshoesandglitterypoos]

I had this at the end of pregnancy for a couple of weeks. It does pass. You can take paracetamol beforehand. I used to put teething gel on my nipples too (I know, I know).

[WoTmania]

Argh - just wrote out long post and then managed to hop back 3 pages!

Start again:

When nursing my older DC when pg I found that it became very painful at around 14 weeks. DS1 stopped when I was 18-19 weeks with DS2 but DS2 carried on through DD's pg and is still going 22 months later.
I used to limit him by counting if it got really uncomfortable - in the ;ast few weeks I also felt a sort of aversion to him nursing, skin-crawlingly so.
But once DD was born it all went and he was a great help in getting rid of engorgement and helping control my oversupply :)

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

Wotmania- Did you write in to an ABM magazine? Your experience sounds a lot like a woman's in the article and I was just wondering if you were her?

It is reassuring to know that it goes and that is one of the reasons why I want to continue as it will certainly help with engorgement, amongst other things!

I don't suppose it will do any harm for me to keep on applying some daktarin cream to my nipples then will it? At keast I am covering myself. I have always been pretty good at sterilising DS dummys. He gets a clean one in the morning and a clean one before bed and he only has them for his naps. I am also washing my bras at 90% and changing breast pads frequently, not that I need them atm but it stops the cream from getting onto my bras.

I'll try and hang on in there, only a few weeks left and I've done it for this long!

Thanks for the advice everyone! It's nice to have a chat with other 'extended' breast feeders!

[WoTmania]

Not me TBMOM - But lots of the folk I know who've tandem nursed report the same kinds of feelings (and I know a lot!).
With the Daktarin, if you genuinely think it could be thrush, you need to treat DS orally aswell or you'll pass it back and forth between you.
Have you read 'Adventures in Tandem Nursing' by Hilary Flower (if you have a local LLL group they should have it in their library. Really good book that helped me in my nursing journey.
Good Luck

[mawbroon]

Hi TheBreastmilksOnMe. I had this when I was pg with ds2. I wondered if it was pain from ds1 (who was 4) nursing when there was no milk there, but I spoke to a LLL leader who said it did sound more like thrush.

A few weeks later, I went on to develop hideous vaginal thrush. I had course after course of canestan which didn't shift it down below, but the canestan cream seemed enough to get rid of the breast pain.

The doc refused to prescribe oral thrush treatment because I was pregnant.

But, as soon as ds2 was born, the thrush vanished. I hope the same happens for you.

I second the Adventures in Tandem Nursing book.

And as an afterthought.... could it be positioning? I imagine you are probably feeding in strange positions around your bump. Wouldn't hurt to make sure that your ds is latched on well. I know it's easy for them to get complacent and latch on any old way!!

[WoTmania]

good point re: the lazy latch. DS2 definitely got lazy as at one point he wasn't getting any milk so it made no difference (to him) how he was latched.

[llareggub]

I found it painful too, and put it down to the hormones making my nipples more sensitive.