Hormone Levels- Bfeeding while Pregnant

[joymaker]

Hi All

I'm nearly 11 weeks pregnant and bfing my DS 19 months (it was just in the morning ,before afternoon nap and before bed, but I think milk supply has dropped a bit so he's started to 'ask' more frequently.)

I just wondered if there where any available evidence that the hormone levels prduced in pregnancy where harmful to the child feeding as someone (who genuinely cares and is pro bf) said this to me recently. Is this old information and she is mistaken or is there some truth in this?

Thanks in advance

I have no proof, but would assume it is tosh. I can't think how it could be harmful?

As the alveoli take proteins, sugars, and fat from the blood supply and make breast milk (prompted by the hormone prolactin) I thought that there may be a possibility that some of the hormones produced in pregnancy might be transfered also and hence there could be some truth in it...bit conerned now

Haggisfish I do think you could be right though even if there is a transfer maybe its's not in big enough amounts to be harmful. I do wish someone who new more about it would come along soon...

There probably isn't any scientific info out there because breastfeeding while pregnant is done by such a small group of women (in the western scientific community eyes).
www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-breastfeed-during-pregnancy_8935.bc
Sorry I can't be of more help - I really think it is highly unlikely, otherwise over the long term, humans wouldn't have evolved to be able to do it.

Congratulations on your new pg. Did you know there is a pg & bfing thread in this topic? Lots of women bf through at least part of a pg - I've bf through 2 pgs, one of which was tandem nursing until 8m when DD1 self weaned and never had any problems with it (I know - anecdata!).

There is a great book called Adventures in Tandem Nursing by Hilary Flowers (it a LLL book so you can borrow a copy from your local group if you don't want to buy it) that has lots of information on bfing in pg.

This from Kellymom.com doesn't mention any hormones passing into bm (even if they did you produce hormones when you have a menstrual cycle anyway so would have already been exposed to minuscule amounts prior to pg).

Also, during pg a lot of women experience either a drop in supply or dry up (I had no milk between 14-24/26w - didn't stop the DDs nursing though!) so even if pg hormones did get into bm as the amount consumed by the baby is lowered....

I would think evolution ensures that we couldn't harm our children in this way. You start ovulating when your body is ready to conceive again.

Thank you for your replies. I could find hardly any information on this apart fom on kellymoms and the baby centre when I researched it. Though you all definately have gone some way in reassuring me.

Truth thanks for the tip of borrowing ATN had heard that this book was good but have been a bit reluctant to buy it as it's a bit pricey - I think I've spent slightly too much this month already

I shall try and find the pg & bfing thread