If pregnant and still bfeeding. Tell me what happens please!

[stmumschool]

I am planning 2nd child but still BF dd (over 2yrs). I don't want to stop feeding her (only bedtimes and if hurt) and getting confused with what happens to your milk supply during pregnancy. Does milk always dry up? Urrgh. Books not telling me much. Need a real mum to put me right here please.

Adventures in Tandem Nursing is a good book to read. There is a lot in there about nursing during pregnancy.

The milk might dry up for a while, but then the colostrum will come in. Lots of people say that the colostrum gives their toddler diarrhoea (it has a laxative effect to help clear the meconium in a newborn), but ds1 never had any trouble with it at all.

The toddler may or may not lose interest when/if your milk dries up. My milk stopped around 19 weeks, IIRC, and he was keen as ever, even though there was no milk. He lost interest in the transitional milk when ds2 was a couple of days, but resumed with gusto when the mature milk came in on day 3.

Some women find it painful to nurse during pregnancy and others find it really, really annoying.

HTH there are lots of thread on here about nursing during pg.

Read 'Adventures in Tandem Nursing' by Hilary Flower. Available on LLL GB bookshop

Great. I ordered it a few days ago actually from someone suggesting it. I don't want to ruin a lovely bond with dd.

I have bf through two pgs (well I actually tandem nursed DD1 & DD2 until 8m pg with DD3).

With each pg I had a huge drop in supply to almost nothing at 14 weeks but the DDs dry nursed just fine (though we did have a strike after coming home from a holiday when I was 6m pg with DD3). DD1 self weaned at 3.6y but that was nothing to do with pg - her jaw grew to accommodate her back teeth and she was unable to latch any longer.

I got colostrum from week 24-26 and it was very obvious to DH that it had happened I just thought they had had diarrhea, very mustardy yellow diarrhea....by God it's foul though Not that it would put me off having another but forewarned is forearmed

DD2 & DD3 are now nursing at 4.0 & 2.1 so it doesn't have to mean the end of bfing the elder child.

Oh you lovely people. Can I pass you all a choccy bic for helping me out here. My dd is actually 3.4yrs. I didn't expect to feed for so long but want her to self-wean when ready. I'm not sure if she is ever going to!! I'm 40 and know that dd would love to be a big sis. I don't know whether to just go for it or wait a bit longer. Oh isn't this mum stuff fun!!

Thanks for the biscuit

Good on you for bfing 'so long'. There's a big gang of us self weaners/long term bfers on here. There is even Tandem nursing and Bfing in Pg threads kicking about too so you might get some more experiences from them.

Good luck with TTC whether you chose to go for it soon or after DD self weans.

Thanks truthsweet. I appreciate your chat.

Just wanted to add my story- DD1 is 3.1yo and I'm happily tandem feeding her and DD2 who is 9 mo. No complaints from the management about supply during pregnancy I had no issues at all apart from a bit of feeding aversion towards the end of the pregnancy.

Good luck, ask away if you need to know anything. There is a pregnant and BF thread and a tandem feeding one if you fancy a long read!

I have bf through one pregnancy (DS was 2.3y when DS2 was born) and continued to tandem feed until DS1 was just over 3.

It really was absolutely fine and apart from an increase in feeding frequency from DS1 when his brother was born (which settled after a few weeks), it was a really useful tool to make him feel he was included.

We don't have plans for any more, but I would have no qualms about doing it again.

Thank you mums. My dd is so sweet that she is already making plans that a baby can have the other boob so I am very lucky. I have no problems bf 2 children I just don't want to bring an abrupt end by being possibly impatient. Thank you for your lovely stories of successfully bf whilst pregnant. That would be my dream!!

I think it depends on your child. My daughter self weaned during my pregnancy with DD2 . She was 21 months. However, that was mostly because she just wasn't interested in dry nursing - as soon as my supply tailed off she demanded a snack instead.

Anyway, what I was trying to say is, although I know you are after tales of successful bf whilst pregnant, it wasn't an abrupt or traumatic end. As your child is a bit older, she might find it easier to understand the dip in supply and continue dry nursing even if your supply falls off.

My milk dried up around 18 weeks and my son self -weaned (he was 19 months). He just wasn't interested in dry nurses and feeds tailed off to once every 2 or 3 days before stopping. I was initially (it was only a few weeks ago) but he seems fine and happy. As secondtimelucky says, it wasn't abrupt or traumatic for either of us.

I bfed my 2 year old throughout pregnancy and would say that the milk definitely ebbed at around 16 weeks because my daughter said 'there's not much milk!' and 'it doesn't taste sweet' around then. Then it resumed normal service at about 22-24 weeks. No issues with colostrum that I know of, but then my daughter uses the toilet by herself.

Generally I found it painful in the early weeks and I sometimes resented it a bit. But continued as I couldn't be arsed to deliberately wean and wasn't feeding except morning and before bed and midway through the pregnancy I thought I'd be having a prem baby and I wanted my supply to be good so kept her on the boob.

Plus I thought it might benefit the sibling jealousy in the early days.

Weirdly, and I never for a moment expected this, she self-weaned without any fuss (I hardly noticed to be honest) at just before 3 just after my daughter was born. And she tries to bfeed her now (which is a sight!)

Just to add, I had to stop demand feeding and feeding to sleep at around 22 months in order to get a period and got pregnant a cycle or two after I got a period.

I am 40, by the way, and had the same thoughts as you (it will never happen)

Thanks again mums. My dd has had the best start that I believe I can give her and like many have rightly said, you can't predict how it will go. She will be 3.5yrs in Jan.We've done really well. It is great to hear that those who naturally weaned didn't have a traumatic time!! ( My biggest worry.)

I'm 34 weeks pregnant now and my DD stopped nursing at 18 weeks when she was 17 months old. I could see she was no longer swallowing at the breast (so assume she was dry nursing by this point - hurt too!!!) and she one day latched on, took a few sucks and got off my lap. That went on for a few days then she stopped altogether.

We have both had a cold this week and so I have been expressing colostrum for her and spoon-feeding it to her in the hope she will get the antibodies. I thought she was going to relatch on earlier this evening but she stopped short at the last minute!

Oh Crobbie, how does it make you feel? Are you ok with it or do you feel a bit upset? Hope your colds hop off soon!!