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

Hi all.

Glad to hear all is well. I too had much milder sickness this time and it tailed off earlier. As for eating in the first few months, just do what you can i say! I loved potato waffles! Would never normally touch them. I went right off veg too runningday, but luckily i craved fruit so with that and folic acid figured it wasn't too bad.

We too are off on hols with the il's on friday. Staying in the caravan next door to them in woodland on a farm. Would prefer to be camping really but pg and with a toddler think this is a good compromise. They are very nice and very loving and gentle with ds, but do still do things i would rather they didn't. But i don't feel i can get into a discussion about it without coming across as really critical. I'm fairly unconditional parenting/continuum concept orientated so pretty much the opposit of the traditional parenting model. I don't feel i could discuss it without it coming across as a criticism...which it is basically. Anyway...digression.

How's the sleep going mbj? Ok here though having trouble encouraging ds to drop a nap, so still lots of relivitly late nights. Thank god they are pretty much solid when he does go down.

Glad your dh's exam is done now runningday, hope you are getting some rest.

Hi all. Got home today (glad to see I'm not the only one crazy enough to go on holiday with the ILs Moonface ). Had a long drive starting in Oxford as we spent the night there last night and picked my mum up from the station there as she is visiting for 2 weeks. She hasn't seen DS for 6 months so has missed him terribly. It is great to have her here.

Sleep is still extremely erratic but I'm hopeful that it will improve just by the fact that we are back at home. It was lovely to see his little face light up with recognition when we got back.

Anyway. Must go cook dinner and have an early night.

Hi everyone

Can I join too please?

I am 9 weeks pg and am still bf my little man who is 9mnths on friday. Lucky for me though he has slept through since the new year. he has around 4 feeds a day in addition to eating like a horse for the rest of the day!

Am finding that I am so tired at the mo, think its 1st trimester and bf zapping me of energy and running around after DS1 who has just started crawling properly.

I am kind of hoping that DS1 self weans before new baby arrives but we will see. x

Hi Clarde

The first trimester was really exhausting for me too, but things have improved immensely since we've been in the 2nd.

We were just starting to make some massive in roads with Dr Jays method when D mS decided to get ill and have a seizure . So we spent last night in hospital for observations and worried all day today. It isn't the first time he has had febrile convulsions but it is terribly frightening and I'm feeling very tender .

On a brighter note, we had our anomaly scan on Wednesday and everything looks fine plus it looks like we will be having a DD

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Come and check it.

MBJ Oh crikey, I hope your DS is OK and feels back to normal soon. Congrats on your scan, do you already have a DD (my memory is terrible, sorry)?

Clarde, congratulations! I was knackered during the first trimester too, can you grab a nap when your DS does or do you have other DCs?

Thanks Eau no, we just DS, so will (probably) have one of each now he should be fine really, it is more common than one thinks really (apparently 4% of children from European descent suffer from febrile convulsions) and they grow out of them by 5 yo. The frightening thing is that the only way to prevent them is to prevent a fever, but anti-pyretics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen have not shown to have any effect on the number of seizures any one child will have in their life-time.

He has been very well for the last 6 months but does seem to respond to even the mildest of infections with very, very high temperatures. It is not unusually for us to have measurements of around 39.7 degrees.

It is so, so scary.

At least we are still feeding, as it is a massive help in terms of calming him in hospital etc, and do think it shortens the duration of his illnesses.

(He is also not a great poster boy for bf as in his short 17 months has already had a lower respiratory tract infection, otitis media, UTI and gastro-enteritis. He is also significantly iron deficient.)

Hi Ladies - would be great if I could join you for a chat... New to forums and seeking advice, as I've just discovered I'm pregnant and am currently bfeeding my 7-month-old. Hoping to continue bfeeding until he's at least 1 year but the doc didn't seem overly optimistic.
Prior to finding out about pregnancy, I was planning to drop the dreamfeed but am now wondering if this would be a mistake as the more he feeds the more milk I'm likely to produce, right? Though I did think I could still express at around 9 pm so as not to lose this feed completely. I was hoping this would allow me earlier nights, as I'm pretty exhausted at the moment.
Any tips would be hugely appreciated!

Hi contented. Congratulations and welcome . The first trimester is knackering. Have you heard about this? It is supposed to be very good, but I haven't managed to get round to read it.

I do know that all not everyone's milk supply responds in the same way to pregnancy and that some women are able to maintain their milk supply. So you may still be able to have enough milk for your DS, if not, you may be able to mix feed and continue to supply at least some BM for him.

Thanks, TheRealMBJ. It's funny, because when I was pregnant with DS while I did want to breastfeed, I didn't feel overly strongly about it, but now that we've got this far, I think I've become strangely militant about not wanting him to have formula, which is ridiculous, as I was 100% formula fed, as were my husband and most of my friends. I have no problem with formula in principle but feel guilty about the prospect of giving it to DS now. I realise this is something I may just have to get over, and I'm happy to play it by ear... Do you think I should continue the dreamfeed? I guess the main reason I want to drop it is so I can go to bed earlier, so perhaps I could try just giving him the feed earlier instead... Another reason to drop it is because it makes it easier for someone else looking after him in the evening, but we go out so rarely this is hardly an issue ;-)
I was looking through earlier posts and saw the book mentioned. I might treat myself to it!
Sounds like you have much tougher issues to contend with so I guess I should go count my blessings (beats counting sheep).
Thanks for your advice and I hope your DS continues to be well.

I'm really the last person you should be asking about night time feeding and weaning . Why don't you just give it a go and see?

Is he feeding at any other time during the night? You may find that he doesn't really even miss it if you drop it, in which case you win. With regard to maintaining your supply, it will be very well established by now, and I can't see that dropping one feed would have that great an effect on your supply, certainly I'm sure that it will be much less of a factor than the pregnancy itself.

Argh sorry to come on here and whinge but don't really have much really world support as everyone, including my not so D H right now tells me 'well just wean him then' with an eye roll that we've been utterly indulgent to have even got as far as we have, DS is 22 months.
Is anyone else in nipple AGONY??? I vaguely remember this phase when I ws preggers with DS but of course I wasn't feeding then. This time I've had nipple pain from the off and its now peaking (or dear god I hope it's peaking) at an unbelivable level - I can feel them now just typing and every feed is agony. I end up hissing at DS 'keep still' and being hideously grumpy (everything a feed shouldn't be) and a couple of times first thing in the morning I've had to flee our bed - to much weeping - because the pain is just off the scale. I've fed through thrush, a cleft in my nipple due to DS's bad latch when tiny but this? My goodness, it feels like the skin has been stripped away and he's literally gnawing on tissue. Sorry I just had to vent. I've also found my MS has been worse this time and my skin, particularly on my decolletage is not good, I'm wondering 'girl', or just confused hormones due to the pregnancy and the feeding. And to think I have another five months of this. I was wondering about weaning DS at 2 but there's no way he'll be ready in August BF is so important to him, so I know I have to keep strong. Please help me stay on the wagon.

Hi Poppet. I haven't got much in the way of advice but just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you, and that it sounds, despite all the pain and lack of support, that you're focussing on providing your DS with what you want for him, and that's amazing. How bloody brilliant are you! I really admire your determination. And if you have to flee to bed once in a while, flee, shout into the pillows and stamp your feet against the sheets. God knows we all need to do the same sometimes. Keep strong. (Not sure if the cabbage trick works on sore nipples, but that's what my doc told me to use whenever my breasts were sore... he told me the same when I was a kid and had a cyst in my boob, only my dad got confused and bought me cauliflower instead - doesn't slide into the bra quite so easily!)

Oh Poppet

I can't STAND the night feeds. DH has suggested that 'we' just wean but I've tried to explain that it isn't really possible and that it isn't my choice . I have however started Dr Jay's night weaning method (shelved for a while since he became ill) and have quickly noticed an improvement (all gone to pot now though ). Perhaps you could cut out the feed that most irritates you in the day? It is a recognised fact that feeding a toddler while pregnant or feeding a newborn can be both a physical and emotionally complex issue. And despite your DS's attachment to 'the boob' now he may actually start losing interest as your due date approaches.

Oh goodness thank you, thank you, thank you for being so lovely. DS fell asleep after only one boob at bedtime last night so the morning feed on the rested one was much easier than recently - I thought we'd turned a corner til we swooped boobs at naptime and it was utter agony again - but I am determined to keep going. He's just doing what he's always done since birth, he doesn't know any different, and it's not him that's decided to have another baby, so it's not fair he suffers. I agree that once you've passed feeding over one year, then the decision to wean definitely isn't yours alone any more. Guess we're in it for the long haul. I have to admit that keeping feeding is reassuring me in case this one is premmie and I need to bank milk, and also so I can call on DS's services in those early painful days. And hopefully my milk will come in again early. In the meantime I may just try cabbage leaves... or cauliflower

Hi there, just checking in...
MBJ So sorry to hear about your DS. I remember so clearly the moment when what being a parent really meant... DS had a 40c fever and it wouldn't go down despite paracetamol, stripping him, wet muslins etc... and I had this overwhelming urge to call my parents and wake them up in the middle of the night... and then he opened his eyes and looked at me with that "what's going on, mama?" face, and it suddenly dawned on me that I was that person to him, I was supposed to make it all go away...
Anyway, glad you seem to be over the worst and what wonderful news about the scan! :)

Contended Welcome! :) I'm new to all this so don't have much in terms of advice, but glad you've found the thread. :)

Poppet ...again, can't offer much else but you certainly have my sympathy... I seem to remember last time, my nipples were sore right at the beginning, before I even knew I was pregnant (Walking thorough the cold isles at Sainbos was best avoided :o ) but it's just starting to hit me now... showering hurts, nevermind bfing... and DS is going through one of those irritating beyond belief cute cuddly stages where he insists on being latched on for most of the night. :) What I can't for the life of me remember though, was whether this nipple thing got better at any point? Surely we're not doomed to this until the end?

I had an early scan on Thursday, and got to hear the heartbeat.

How lovely Broodzilla, to hear the heartbeat, I mean. How far along are you now?

I've just come back from a long day's shopping in Leeds with my mum (she's up from South Africa) and bought some lovely little girl-baby things. made me realise just how limited the choice is for boys, though .

How is everyone else doing?

Hello everyone, sorry I haven't checked in, I fell off the thread for a while but now it's firmly in my watchlist . Welcome to Contented and Clarde and Poppet!

MBJ Hope your DS is doing much better now . How nice to find out you're expecting a DD while your mum is visiting. Last time we found out the sex but kept it to ourselves, but this time we'll probably tell everyone straight away. I do think that I'm having another boy (DH is one of 3 boys, and BIL has two boys, I think this is what's influencing me!)

Poppet sorry to hear feeding is so painful for you, am also in awe at your perseverance. Hope your DS gives you a break again! I'm also starting to get a little bit more sensitive (a sign of things to come?!). DS has got very keen on the marathon morning snooze-feeds over the weekend [gritted teeth]. At least early work mornings give me something of a break now!

Broodzilla the heartbeat is such a beautiful sound isn't it? I had my first appointment with my consultant today at 8+2 weeks and heard the heartbeat too. Can't wait to show DH the ultrasound pic later.

How is everyone doing?

I left DS for 12 hours today (to go to DH's grandfather's funeral in Cambridge) which is the longest time I have ever been apart from him. bedtime is usually difficult with out me so I was convinced he would be a screaming mess by the time we got back in. He was fine though, asleep and everything . DH was quite frustrated at the sense of urgency I felt in getting home though. Missed him terribly. Not helped by the gravity of the occasion (nor by my sobriety and DH and BIL's consumption of beer).

Boobs are completely soft though (despite not having fed him since 8am) and I'm wondering whether they contain only colostrum now? Won't be feeding again until them morning either so we'll see.

Hi all,
Thanks for the kind words.
Well DS is now taking about 50 minutes or longer to fall asleep at night right now. At first I thought he might need to drop his last nap , and it did help yesterday, but today he was so hideously shattered - as was I - we had a snooze again, and after dosing him with nurofen the bedtime gnawing feed only took 35 minutes or so. I'm wondering if it's the last four teeth, as he's been waking sporadically in the night again, and we've had some nappy shockers. Oh they do like to keep you guessing. On the plus side the pain only now lasts for the first few minutes now. Whoop, although the agitation is more hit and miss so that's hard. However I'm fairly certain now I am on empty - I hear no swallowing beyond the first few minutes. Nothing, which again doesn't help with the agitation. I was never a leaker during my last pregnancy or even in the early days with DS but really wish I could be this time. Oh and DS is convinced he's having a sissie, wonder if he's right or if it's he just can't say brother?

Hi All

Just thought I'd drop a quick line to see how everyone's doing.

V exciting, Broodzilla & RunningDay, to hear the heartbeat. Booked our scan for a few weeks' time, and I can't wait. RunningDay, how on earth did you keep the gender secret to yourself first time around? I know I'd be useless and despite all good intentions, would let it slip to mum, best friend, good friends, anyone who'll listen... We didn't find out first time around, and don't think we will this time either, tho I am tempted.

Poppet, hope your nights improve soon.

MBJ, how were you this morning after no feeds for such a long time?

I've found despite an apparent drop in milk supply last week, it's picked up again in the last few days. That said, I've dropped the dreamfeed and thought I'd be able to express before going to bed, but I'm barely getting 50 ml, some nights just 10, which doesn't seem worth the hassle of sterilising etc!

Hope you're all well and have nice plans for the weekend. DH is off to the US to play golf for a week tomorrow - missing his first Father's Day (tut tut!) - so it's going to be a busy few days. No snoring bed partner tho - so always an upside :-)

Take care.
X

apart from the first few days when I found out that I was pregnant I haven't had any pain from latching on.

Eau Rouge - no just got the one. I don't want to get into the habit of napping too much as got to go back to work in Sept. Plus its my mumsnet/ internet time!!!

He is feeding more at the mo due to teething, tooth number five is putting in an appearance. What does hurt is when he goes from feeding to comfort sucking and then I usually end up with teeth marks around my nipple where the latch has slipped.

Has anyone tried the laid back breastfeeding position?? I did it the other morning as Ds had a bit of a temp so did skin to skin with him and he latched himself on and it was so lovely. Didn't hurt at all and was nice and relaxing for me too as I was just lying on my back stroking his back. Great position when you're knackered.

I should have my scan on weds, but we're on holiday in wales so have got to wait another 2 weeks and then its at 7pm right in the middle of bedtime routine and visiting time at hospital.

Hope everyone is getting on ok, will check back with you when I get back off my holiday

We often use the laid-back/biological nurturing position but it is getting more and more difficult now that my bump is getting bigger and bigger

Hi all.

Just a quick pop in...back from hols. No signal ment it was an mn hol too.

All well here, sleep excellent (all things being relative, but def the best we've ever had...wondering how i'll cope reverting to sleeplessness with a newborn!) No pain, ds not feeding tons but keen when he does. Still no sign of colostrum.

Poppet my nip pain was bad at first but has gone now...hope yours does too.

Contented apparently how much you feed has little baring on supply when pg. Drop in supply is caused by raised progesterone levels rather than falling prolactin levels as it would be if not pg(according to adventures) so dropping one feed will probably make little difference to weather your individual supply will drop or not (this seems to be luck of the draw)

Mbj sorry to hear about your ds. Hope he's ok now. Congrats on a (probable) dd.

I am in a bit of a quandary about feeding DS.

Before I became pregnant again, my aim was to bf DS until he was 1 and then fully wean him over a period of a few months.

When I discovered i was pregnant, I assumed this would still be ok - so long as milk supply remained sufficient etc - but I am now wondering if it might be tough on him, as he'll only be 15 months when the second baby comes along, and so if I have successfully weaned him, might he not be confused - and jealous! - when he sees the new baby bfeeding so soon after he's stopped... Perhaps I am over analysing this and should just go with it and see how we all feel at the time. I was just wondering what other people plans are and whether you have any similar experiences?

A few friends have suggested I start moving him onto formula now, so he's not confused by second baby breastfeeding later, but I really want him to reap the benefits of breastfeeding to a year...

hi contented ds will be 19m when dc2 arrives so i can understand where you're coming from...it's too young to be able to explain to them isn't it? Though i had already decided to let ds self wean before i fell pg and haven't had reason to change my mind during the pregnancy (yet ) What were your reasons for wanting to stop, and are they still important to you (if you don't mind me asking)?

Personally i'm going with the flow and hoping i'll be able to tandem feed them at the same time occasionaly. I'm thinking this night be the only way to get a moment when both are still and quiet!

Have you read adventures in tandem nursing? There's stuff in it about making this decision and issues like a weaned child wanting to bf again when a new one comes along.