BFing During Pregnancy and Tandem Feeding. Are there any good books out there that I can buy?

[LardyMardyDaisyBoo]

any recommendations would be greatfully received. I've been looking on Kellymom and other sites, but I'd like a book that I can dip into whenever I feel the need to educate myself, or others

TIA.

I have read Adventures in Tandem Nursing by Hilary Flower here

Interesting read, main conclusion is that things seems to differ for every nursing mother and a 'see how things go' is the book's recommended approach to nursing whilst pregnancy and tandem feeding.

thanks babies...I'd seen that one, but it's good to get some idea of how useful a thing is before shelling out

TBH I found it interesting but not useful. It is all opinions and what worked for this mother or that.I wanted straight answers but I don't think this is an area where there is an 'right' answer to find IYSWIM.

I'd like some straight answers as well to some of the questions that I have. I'll maybe pop into Waterstones or Borders to see if there is anything on their shelves.

May I ask what questions you have ? I am still nursing at 17 weeks pregnant, if that helps at all.

Ask your questions on here Lardy - there are several tandem feeders about who are very helpful.

i was basically wondering how he body deals with the baby getting colustrum if you are producing milk for your toddler.

Also, if I'm in hospital for a few days (I might need to have a c-section), how that will affect the older child.

I was also wondering about the new baby tired fug...will it be worse because I'm nursing a toddler as well.

and vainly, wondering that if I'm nursing two will it help with the weight loss ....I'm still two stone overweight and dread the thought of putting on even more during this pregnancy and not being able to shift it.

I'm just not sure about the whole thing really; the thought of DD queueing to get her share after the baby has been fed and the opinions of family and friends (which I know I shouldn't take heed of, but will).

I'm also concerned that my 5yo DS who already feels a bit left out of things when I'm feeding, will be even more despondent when his sister and the baby are getting that close time.

Mind you, DD will be 17 months when the baby is born (I'm only 5 weeks at the moment), so she may well have self weaned by that time.

thanks cantsleep....but lol, your name isn't endearing me to the joys of tandem feeding

I'm not a tandem feeder yet (9 weeks pg and feeding 2 yr old) - my name was inspired just by having dd!

I can certainly answer your first question - during pregnancy your milk will probably dry up quite a bit, and then you will start producing colostrum, and then newborn milk when the baby arrives. Both the baby and the toddler will get colostrum and then newborn milk.

You might be interested in some of the comments on this thread that I started a few weeks ago too.

I liked the Flowers book (but ended up weaning DS1 just before DS2 was born - wish I hadn't in retrospect).

Re. colostrum: your body prioritises the new baby, so sweitches off the established milk supply and starts producing colostrum again when/just before the new baby is born. Alot of pregnant nursers find that their milk supply dries up in the second or third trimester anyway (mine did).

I did find the Hilary Flower book useful -- I think there are no straight answers to many of the questions because almost everything differs from one woman to another and from one pregnancy to another. It was a range of "you might find that this happens... or this... or this... and if they do then you could think about these strategies..." It was her book, for example, that prepared me for breastfeeding DS suddenly weirding me out big time somewhere around the second trimester, which wasn't something I'd heard about beforehand (had read a lot about the practical side of milk supply, etc.).

It would be helpful, in theory, to have a book that said "You will find the following things happen: #1 (at x weeks): XXXX; #2 (at y weeks): YYYY; #3 (at z weeks): ZZZZ" but such a book would be lying and hence not so helpful after all.

All you can really hope to do is to get a good idea of what the range of normal experience is, think about what you would and wouldn't be happy with, and prepare some strategies for handling possible issues as they arise.

(Currently 36 weeks pregnant or so and DS (3) has mostly self-weaned, although my vague prediction is that he'll pick it up again once the baby arrives).

thanks, lots to think about there

i think my supply is already affected as DD seems less keen on feeding, but then again that may just because she is taking in more solid food now. Even first thing she isn't guzzling as much as before and will often just lie there with my boob in her mouth, but not sucking. I wondered if she has notoced a difference in taste?

I'll have a look at your thread cantsleep, thanks.

policywonk, I have thought about weaning her; but she is only 9mo. I think I'll carry on for now and just see how it goes. I've had so many problems, that to even get this far has been a mammoth achievement for me. I was just getting into my stride with it as well....