Anyone beleived they have miscarried because of bf?

[mower]

Sorry to post this kind of thread, but found out I was pregnant 2 weeks ago and had some bleeding. Been for a scan today and everything is ok saw the heartbead, was fantastic.

I have heard before that bf may be linked to miscarage, but not seen any hard evidence. Am so worried now as have seen my new baby on scan and really really don't want to loose it, but still exclusively bf 6 months old ds.

Can anyone offer me any reasurance or guidance with this??

Thank you

I am pg and due in july so im 22 weeks.I am still bf my dd who is 20 months.Have cut feeds down to breakfast time and bedtime but until a few weeks ago she still fed thru the night and 4/5 times per day.Hasn't affected my pg at all. hth

kellmom.com offers good advice on this.

The risk is that oxytocin in your milk may cause uterine contractions, and thus theoretically, miscarriage. However, the uterus doesn't express receptors for oxytocin until the third trimester.

I think the advice is that you should only stop if you have a history of miscarriages (>3) or if you have unusual contractions when BF.

I'm 9 weeks and BFing DS (18mo). He gets 3-4 feeds during the day and nothing at night. I'm hoping to wean him during the 2nd trimester, as milk production naturally decreases at this time.

oops, that should be kellymom.com

Congratulations :) Once you've seen a heartbeat, I think the risk of m/c is very low. How many weeks are you now?

I bf ds until 21wks pg, with no problems at all, other than my boobs got really sore. This passed after the first few months.

My MW didn't raise any concerns at all when I said I was still bf. I think my milk gradually dwindled during the pg, as when I stopped ds didn't complain at all (22m at the time).

If you're exclusively feeding your ds and pg you need to ensure that you are eating and drinking well, and getting lots of rest. It might also be worth considering one of the pg vitamins if you're not already taking one.

mower:

Don't worry - there is research that bf during pregnancy does NOT cause miscarriage.

There is a well-reviewed book on tandem feeding: :

Adventures in Tandem Nursing
Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond

by Hilary Flower
Foreword by Peggy O’Mara, editor of Mothering Magazine

La Leche League International
ISBN: 0912500972

A review says:

"Hilary Flower has provided a detailed explanation that is easily accessible to the lay person, as to why the normal pregnant uterus only responds weakly to the action of oxytocin hormone until the very end of pregnancy.

Undoubtedly, this is one of nature's own safety checks to prevent miscarriage and preterm labour in women continuing to breastfeed regularly during their next pregnancy. I feel sure that this book will provide women with confidence and reassurance to believe that 'breast is best' for their baby."

Lesley Regan, PhD, MD
Head of the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic at St. Mary's Hospital in London, the largest miscarriage referral unit in Europe, and author of Miscarriage: What every woman should know

Yes, Highlander is right. You should only worry if you are at high risk of miscarriage or have miscarried before. LLL may be able to give you more advice on this.

Thanks so much everyone for getting back to me. Am going to try and get the book written by Hilary Flower.

So good to here that it hasn't affected your pregnancies. I am more worried as I have had bleeding, hence the scan I had today, which revealed that I am 6 weeks pregnant and everything is ok at the mo.