Pregnant and Nursing Support Thread

[TinkerBellesMum]

I thought I'd start up a support group, for those of us pregnant, with an older nursling. If you are pregnant at the moment or tandeming or have done in the past and want to add your support, please post!

I'm 12 weeks pregnant and have a 2 and a week year old. One of the first things I noticed about being pregnant was my nipples felt bruised like she'd bitten me. 8 weeks later not much has changed and I'm still spending every feed saying "gentle please".

Someone please tell me it gets easier!

I'm also starting to feel quite full and hard.

I keep getting told by my family I'll have problems tandem feeding "and how many mothers do you know who have done it?" My dad was grilling me the other day about tandeming and when I'll stop Tink nursing. He's a radiographer. I made him agree with me "Well, you know yourself that when the adult teeth come through because they're in a totally different order to the milk teeth the jaw changes shape" "Yes and around the same time the soft spot in the jaw fuses" "That change makes it impossible for them to continue nursing, that's why they got called milk teeth" lol how could he argue when he'd just backed my argument up!

I've got loads more than I had first pregnancy, which I put down to carrying on feeding!

I hope i don't get more than last time, i was leaking from 20 weeks and felt really painfully engorged at times. I suppose it'll be handy having DD around to relieve the pressure though!

BabiesEverywhere - I have just seen this! Now I understand the reasons behind your CAT! How exciting to not be the only one tandem nursing with another on the way. How are you finding it so far? I am 15 weeks now, and still have milk, though I would hazard a guess that there's less than normal. Dd only feeds for a few seconds once a day, and hasn't commented about a change in milk yet, which I'm sure she would. We have talked about her stopping when she is 4, which is next month, so I might not be tandeming for a while after that.

Gangle - I think you would struggle tbh.

CantSleepWontSleep, Everything is the same here so far, except I fell so sick and tired. 3.5 year old DD has milk three times a day and tries to nag/persuade me to give her more feeds. 1.5 year old DS has milk more often but is cutting back at night so that is alright.
I don't think DD will ever wean, though we do talk about when she is a big girl she won't want milk but no agreement as yet, I am hopeing she will wean by the time DC3 arrives.

Gangle,
I would see how DS responds. There is nothing stopping you offering DS1 a feed now and see what happens. He might just resume where he left off, even if he doesn't get milk. If he isn't interested or happy you can reoffer later on and see if anything changes. Good luck.

Those already tandeming - do you feed them both at the same time, if so, how hard was it to get them positioned when one was a newborn? I love the idea of feeding them both together (if only for 5 minutes peace and quiet!) but with DD I really struggled to feed in the "rugby ball" hold, which i suppose would be the easiest way to feed them together.

When ds was newborn he took priority in positioning, and dd just had to work around him! She was 2.8 when he was born so it was reasonable to expect her to do this.

Now they sometimes feed together first thing in the morning, but I am lying down in bed so they just pile on!

Am starting to get sore boobs (well, more just nipples) now .

I was like CSWS. Baby took priority with feeds and I tried to feed him on his own as much as possible, so we could work on his latch.

I have nursed mine together, often for the late afternoon 'everyone is tired and hungry and can not wait for milk' feed. Yes, I use the underarm, 'rugby' hold position, that said I always use that one, due to big breasts. It works well, however can make me feel very touched out, so I prefer to nurse seperately when I can.

I have seen photos online of mothers tandem nursing in the cradle position. Placing the baby in the lap of the older nurseling.

Thanks you two, that's helpful.
Right my next question - my left boob has started leaking this morning. Very strange, I haven't leaked since DD was about 3months. Has this happened to anyone else, will it keep on, do i have to dig out my breast pads??

Leaking varies mother to mother. I didn't leak until my milk came in after my DS arrived.