Is there a breastfeeding while pregnant thread already?

[MummyBerryJuice]

If not would anyone like to join me?

Experienced and first time feeding while pregnant mums welcome. I'm almost 11 weeks with DC2 and am still feeding DS (15 months). We are currently working at night weaning him (although he is incredibly persistent) and he still feeds 3/4/5 time per day, although he is starting to eat more solids.

I don't know anyone in RL who has fed whilst pregnant or tandemed and it would be great to be able to share frustrations etc with others.

So please come and join me, or point me in the direction of the right thread

I'm fine. Just hormonal, I think. And getting to that 'urgh, I'm really pregnant' stage.

How are you coping with it Moon?

Sounds like a good plan KD. DS will often be distracted from a feed but sometimes he just insists on na-na and nothing else.

I cry at least 3 times every day! And I have to say, I always feel better for it- already cried once this morning because I was reading something about birth and it made me remember the first time I held dd and then that I would be experiencing that again very soon... so happy emotional tears this time!

4.59 am this morning, aargh... what is it with these toddlers? Hope some of you had better wake up times today.

4:49 here. But it has been getting a bit better generally. I think DS is teething tbh, he is waking up randomly with a scream, which is usually an indication that all is not well in the tooth department.

I am going through a really worried phase regarding dealing with 2. I just don't see how I'm going to cope with DS on one side of me trying to sleep on top of my head and protecting the newborn on the other side.

8am here. but then we were up in the night for a double whammy three hours. It's normally 90 min, so i think i should get a night off tonight but who knows if ds agrees.

I'm just hormonal too, and having flashes of panic like mbj. Luckily dh will have a month off as he's saved some holiday so hopefully we.ll make it work-ish before he needs sleep again.

Kd ds just messes about with sippy cups but consumes much more water from an open cup or a sports top bottle, especially if they are lying around for him to help himself. Sorry if you have already tried those! Just thought i'd mention.

Hi all. I'm feeling really grim today. I've been feeling really sicksince about four weeks (much earlier than with DD), and today I've started throwing up. I am far worse than I was with DD.
Poor DD was trying to cuddle me while I had my head down the toilet.

I haven't really done much to address her water intake so thanks for the suggestions. Right now all I want to do is curl up in a ball but I will tackle her fluid intake soon.

Hope you all get a good nights sleep

Oh dear KD it's so crap feeling ill and having to still be mummy. I felt much sicker this time round too but luckily didn't have any puking. I found having some salty snacks at hand helped me tremendously, but it's different for everyone, isn't it?

Awake at 4:40ish today and he woke up screaming but ti be honest it felt more like a semi-awake tantrum than anything else. He wanted a feed and I'm still quite strict about it as per Dr Jay as I don't want to slip back into feeding early in the morning with him just hanging in and getting upset when I take him off, while I'm getting progressively more irritated.

MN is irritating me too ATM .

Perhaps it is just my hormones.

Well done you for staying strong MBJ
DD also sometimes does this half awake half asleep thing where she's screaming and screaming and it's really hard to settle her. I sometimes find some water out of her sippy cup wakes her up enough to settle. If that makes any sense.

My lovely wee one slept till almost eight. I on the other hand was awake three (I think) times to sick up bile. Nice. I really hope it doesn't continue like this for the next month. Or longer.

My sickness didn't last as long this time so hopefully yours won't either kd. It is hell.

Well done on sticking to your guns mbj. It must be tough but you know it is needed.

A very late night but we stayed in bed, hurrah!

Aside from this thread i'm on an mn break atm...it can get too much for me mbj!

It's horrible isn't it KD - I remember DD standing watching me looking really worried as I stood over toilet bowl. Hopefully it will be over soon.

And I third the well done for MBJ- keep at it, I speak from experience. When we did Jay Gordon, we decided to let DD nurse any time from 4am in the hope that she'd then fall back asleep for at least another hour and a half. Instead, her body clock seemed to set itself for exactly 4am and she woke to nurse at that time every single day and never went back to sleep. We had a week of screaming when I refused until gradually later and managed to push it back until 5am, and gave up when we got there. And she wakes exactly between 4.55 and 5.05 every day . Even this morning when she didn't go to bed till 9pm (but she is now havign a lovely long nap, a rarity I am enjoying!). What time in the morning do you start feeding him, MBJ?

I too am having massive worries about the practicalities of particularly nighttime when the baby arrives. DD is generally a very calm and placid girl, very well behaved, but I am pretty sure this is going to go to pot when she sees another baby having HER milk! Especially when she can't!

I don't feed him until at least 5:30. Sometimes I try to push it to 6:00 by distraction but I won't let him complain too much between 5:30 and 6. Thing is, we are normally up by then as he refuses to stay asleep. When he is ready to get up he just does.

If he wakes between 5:30 and 6 I will feed him and then he usually gets up in a happy mood as he had his na-na and is well rested if we get up before then it is usually a struggle as he is neither rested nor has had a feed but, I feel I have to draw the line somewhere.

I think that I might just feed both simultaneously initially while DS gets used to the baby having milk too. I'm glad we are going to hospital as at least the new baby can get a few colostrum feeds of her own.

Hi all,

Well am I the first graduate? DD surprised us all and arrived on the 21st at just 27 weeks plus three days, weighing in at 2lb 4 1/2oz. Shocked does not cover it, labour was spontaneous but I have no idea what triggered it, incredibly quick and with v little pain - I didn't have gas and air even, perhaps it was the adrenaline? It ended in a section after she rolled into a breech position, and her heart dipped to 40bpm. Can i recommend not having your toddler in with you while you labour? We didn't realise I was as far as I was and I think it was only at transition that I asked my DH if he thought maybe DS was tired and hungry and should go home - and stop trying to climb on the bed and press the emergency call button.
DD is astounding us all. She's off the ventilator, getting her milk via a gastric tube, taking turns three hours on three hours off the assisted breathing cpap thingie, and yesterday I got a first cuddle. Am pumping for all I'm worth but it's pretty soul destroying. Setting your alarm to 4am to face a pump is not the same as a 4am feed/ tiny baby cuddle.
Labour and my hospital stay effectively weaned DS, as DH is now doing bedtime as I can't lift. DS still asks for Boo (his word for the boob) but at the moment I'm telling him they're broken. He does get a bit upset but can normally be distracted, however it's not the way I would have liked to have finished feeding him. The hospital lactation consultant was pretty negative about me trying to tandem feed and pump, and I worry that by feeding he'll change the composition back to toddler brew, not premmie special. Am I wrong in this? What do people reckon, should I let him back on, my hubby is pretty anti it too I think? At the mo I'm keeping up with DD needs, especially as they are supplementing my milk with 1/4 formula to help her pack on the pounds (I'd rather they didn't but they really want her to get gaining as she's still an ounce under her birth weight). Just sort of wondering what to do for the best really.

Hi poppet
Congratulations

I don't have any advice I'm afraid. I may have similar worries to you in a few months as DD was born at 31 weeks and I am high risk for another Orem birth

Sounds like your DD is doing really well. Fingers crossed she continues to progress well.

I tried to forcibly drop the 2pm feed today as I've been feeling so rough but she was not having it so I gave in after only a few minutes.

Ps I think that's a really decent weight for just 27 weeks. DD was 31+1 and 3 lb 3

poppet! Congratulations! How are you feeling? Glad to hear your dd is doing well. The pumping sounds really tough but you must be proud to be doing something so bennefitial for her.

I'm fairly sure the change to new baby milk is triggered by birth so letting your ds nurse won't change it back. It might even help up your supply(esp if you can pump at the same time...apparently that can help let down). But i'm not an expert and you must do what you feel comfortable with. You are doing so well to provide so much bm for your dd, don't worry about the little bit of formula. I take it there is no milk bank where you are...we need more!

Saw the mw today and she was very positive re bf and tandem. They are sending me for another scan. I'm measuring borderline small so they are being cautious cause i'm so close to the home birth finish line.

Really glad your daughter is doing well poppet.Poppet not sure about the tandem feeding in your situation but maybe not worth risking with the need for your LO to put weight on.
I am sure your labour would have come on at that stage whatever you had done but I was just about to post on here that I am really trying to give up BF totally by 4-5 months as my neighbour was breast feeding whilst Preg at 7 months and her father who is an ob/gyn chastised her and explained that the bf brings on contractions which can bring on premature labour, and this is accentuated when you are in the late stages of pregnancy.

I just wondered if anyone else has come across this?
The nurse I saw immediately said I must stop b feeding but I do recognise that is just a play it safe approach the medical profession have to trot out.
My nipples are SO painful I cannot wait to give up- is anyone else experiencing that kind of pain?

Evening all.

Congratulations Poppet and well done BabyPoppet. It must be very tiring waking in the night to pump and not even getting the cuddles , you are doing so well! That first cuddle must have been wonderful. Have you been able to discuss Kangaroo Care with the staff and neonatologist? It sounds as if she is a bit more stable now and they may be able to allow you more skin-to-skin time with your DD which will not only help your milk supply but also help stabilise her heart rate and breathing and from what I understand, her weight gain.

In terms of tandemming your DS, your milk 'type' is determined by the hormones in your body post pregnancy and not by the age of the child nursing. IYKWIM? So you will carry on producing 'newborn milk' even if you do feed your DS. Supply should also not be a problem, in fact feeding your DS will probably help increase your supply as he will be more effective in removing milk from your breast than the pump (if he remembers how) and as supply is dependent on demand I can't imagine that it would be an issue if you were to feed him in between pumping sessions. However, you really need to do what you feel comfortable with.

The LLL shop has this book and this one about kangaroo care which might be useful.

Please keep us updated, we'd all love to know how you are doing.

Cherry welcome and congratulations. How far are you now? How old is your DC? The nipple pain can be really tough early on, but most of us have found that it subsides in the second trimester.

There are many myths about regarding bf and pregnancy and sadly most doctors are really poorly educated about it, even worse than MWs (and they are pretty bad too). It is true that bf releases oxytocin but there is no evidence to suggest that oxytocin release during pregnancy contributes to premature labour as it seems that the receptors need to be 'switched on' before the oxytocin has the effect of triggering labour on the uterus. There are some great articles here on Kellymom and Adventures in Tandem Nursing available from the LLL is fantastic too.

There is certainly no need to stop nursing at 24 weeks (or whatever arbitrary time given) unless there is a real indication to do so, so if you are happy to continue nursing, you don't need to feel forced to stop. HOWEVER, many mums find that nursing while pregnant is just too much for them and that they need to wean. Which is absolutely fine too.

Come and share with us, we love new blood

PS: It doesn't sound like you are in the UK, am I right?

Oh, and I meant to add that quite a few DC self wean when (if) milk supply drops in the 2nd trimester.

Hi all
Well I'm trying againtoday to not give DD her afternoon feed. She has had lunch and about 100ml milk. So I don't think she nutritionally needs it.
But she certainly wants it. I tried to hug her to sleep and she cried in my arms for ten minutes or so. Then wriggled down and is currently trashing her bedroom. I did consider taking her out in her pram to get her to sleep but I want her afternoon nap to be in her cot.

cherry I have done a little research into the BFing and prem labour and I agree that what little research that has been done indicates that the oxytocin receptors aren't switched on till labour is imminent. So in a normal low risk pregnancy I don't think BFing would be discouraged by an informed medical professional.

In my particular circumstances, I'm high risk of having another prem baby and I'm going to speak to my doctor but am trying to reduce DDs feeds during the course of my Pregnancy and perhaps wean her because of my high risk status and because I'm scared that what happened with DD will happen again - I went into spontaneous labour and was immediately on bed rest and pelvic rest for the rest of my pregnancy. In DDs case it was only four days but my concern is that I don't want a traumatic and sudden weaning for DD. I think that makes sense!

poppet how is your DD? Have you had more cuddles? I have a photo of my first cuddle with DD, with her down my top and just the very top if her head sticking out. Very precious.

hi all

Congratulations and welcome cherry. I can agree with mbj and kd, the research i have done shows that your neighbours father is sadly outdated. I do hope your friend wasn't too upset by what he said. Perhaps you could print out the relevant info from kellymom for them so she can be assured she did nothing wrong and he can stop peddling such outdated nonsense. Btw you are right to ignore your mw's advice. It stems from the same misinformation and the idea that bf=oxytocin=contraction=miscarriage. But as mbj says either your oxy receptors are on or they are off, and bf will not change that.

So stop bf if you want...but not for that reason! The pain is enough to make some women stop, though many find it subsides (i did). And as mbj says sometimes the lo's make the decision for us.

You have my sympathy kd, that sounds tough. Could you maybe use the buggy to break the boob/sleep association and then work on getting her to nap in the cot? Sorry if that is daft....i don't really know about stuff like that, i've always used a variety of whatever it takes techniques to get ds to sleep.

How are you feeling mbj?

Hope you are ok poppet and baby poppet.

Hi moon
I did take her out in the buggy in the end and she did go to sleep. It wasn't so much that she was asking for a bf. It's just that it calms her down and gives her the signal that it's bedtime so without the feed she was just kind of in a paddy wondering why mummy was confining her to her bedroom. Then she got sleepy but again wasn't actually looking for the boob. Just couldn't settle herself. And I know that in both instances a quick nurse would have most likely solved it all.

After my massive spell of trying to settle her DH said maybe I'm getting ahead of myself and should wait at least for the twelve week scan and consultant appointment (which will be on the same day, don't know when yet but roughly four weeks away) and then worry about weaning.

What's everybody's opinions on that? I only do three feeds a day so even if I waited for the twelve week scan etc then dropped one a month that would still be her weaned by roughly 25 weeks (or I guess earlier as us be trying to drop the last one from 21 ish weeks onwards..)

Does any of that rambling make sense?
The problem really is that in my heart of hearts I don't want to wean her. But it just seems the best thing given my history.

Or if the doc is ok with me feeding, I could try to reduce her to just her bedtime feed then if I do have to go on immediate pelvic rest at any point it's maybe not as hard on her...

Thanks if you have read to the bottom of my self indulgent ramble!!!

Personally I don't see there being any problem with waiting until the 12 week scan. If you want to wean you could go the 'Never offer, never refuse' way in the meantime though. Emphasis being on the never offering bit, of course.

Also, AFAIK it all depends on the reasons for your PROM and prem labour last time as they may not necessarily confer a higher risk for this pregnancy. I mean, you'll still be under consultant care etc, but just because last preg turned out the way it did, it doesn't necessarily mean there is a higher risk of this one following suit.

I do think you need to do what you are comfortable with though.

hi kd, i can definatly see the sense in what your dh says. And your plans sound do-able too.
Based on what you say (and if ok medically) the one feed a day tactic sounds a good one.

Hi all,

Had another baby cuddle today. Willow chewed a finger thoughtfully, had the tiniest hiccups I've ever heard (she squeaked like a guinea pig) then dozed for a good couple of hours. Kangaroo care is such a natural miracle, the monitors beep so much less and she falls into such a deep sleep, you can almost see her gaining strength and weight. She cried when she had to go back in her incubator and I dashed to the pump room to collect more milk and hide from my upset daughter :(
I'm not sure if the hospital has a milk bank - I suspect not - but I'm actually producing about twice what she needs right now and we're freezing what she's not using. That's one of the reasons I'm unimpressed they're giving her formula, but they say they're doing it specifically because its so calorie dense compared to real breast milk. Still I guess it's about her not my ego. Although I'm trying not to think of the virgin gut theory too much.
As for contractions, I really don't think bfing DS was what did it. By the time Willow arrived he was suckling for just 5 minutes a day, just before bed. I do wonder about offering it to him again now you've all boosted my confidence, but while he asks if I say 'its broken but do you want a kiss instead' he runs up with a smile on his face and accepts that. So part of me thinks, while it wasn't ideal, maybe we should leave our nursing relationship at that? I think I'll look at it again and let him try when Willow makes it home and he sees her feeding. I certainly won't stop him.
And while I'm not the biggest fan of my nocturnal dates with the pump (1 and 4am last night) can I just say it's so much easier than nursing aggitation? Anyone with that has my utmost sympathy. Thanks again for all the best wishes. DH is off to see our wee girl in a bit with his MIL (who is driving me mad) and I'm off for an evening in front of the TV while DS sleeps upstairs, and I pretend to cluster feed with that pump downstairs.

Thanks everyone that is interesting. No my friend just took his advice and stopped at 7 months pregnant I think.

I think I am ready to stop because of the pain and we have just about night weaned in a week with only a few tears and whines.My doc was horrified when I said I was still feeding during the night- on demand.
But I am ready to stop now because I am feeling so irritable from the pain and would like a gap before baby 2 and some blocked sleep.
I will check out the Kellymom website-just wondering where her information is from.So often there are conflicts within medical knowledge-some think bf causes tooth decay at night and some think it has properties to prevent cavities.
The realmj- yes well guessed.I am in the States.It is funny because every single friend I have made is still b feeding at 20 months.I don't think that is the norm so must have been something about the mums I have met.It does encourage you to go on when it is the norm with your peers.I have not really seen anyone formulafeed here although it is pretty universal in the latino community due to prejudices about the breast being soley for the man's pleasure, apparently.

cherrys Kellymom is written by a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) and is an evidence based site. The information on Kellymom is about as good as you'll get when it comes to good, up to date evidence based breastfeeding informant.

Most doctors are clueless when it comes to bf, even OB/Gyns unfortunately. There is very little taught about breastfeeding at med school all over the world - not just here in Britain and the States - I know, I trained as a doc. And most of their information comes to them through 'training day's sponsored by formula companies. . Anyway there is an Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine which is world wide but based in the USA and it is open to doctors of all specialities.

I really hope that they can help swing the tide and get more true information about breastfeeding to other doctors as most currently believe a lot of the myths that are perpetuated pout there.