Pregnant and breastfeeding

[Mimzey15]

I think I may be pregnant but have a early 2 year old who is still breastfeeding 3 times a day...really only nap time and bedtime and once in the night. I've already spoken to my HV about weaning but she told me the best thing was to go cold turkey with him which I just couldn't do. However, I don't want to tandem feed so he's going to have to come off at some point over the next 9 months....looking for ideas/suggestions/advice x

Your milk will probably dry up anyway, so it's easier to wait till that happens. Mine had gone by 12 weeks. I attempted tandem feeding but I hated it so did end up going cold turkey. I'd drop the nap one first. It's easier when they can understand too. Good luck!

9 months is a long time! I tandem fed for a bit (21mo gap) and it wasn't at all like I expected but DD was a lot younger. In your position I'd cut it down gradually so pick the order you're going to drop the feeds in or cut the feeds down by time. Personally I'd probably drop the night, then nap then bedtime but just because I'd want to try to get him sleeping through but I wouldn't want a battle at bedtime!

You definitely don't need to go cold turkey but he's plenty old enough if you tell him he can feed (count to 10 or short timer?) and then he has to come off.

Your milk won't necessarily dry up. It might, it might start to taste funny or it might be exactly the same, you just don't know.

Milk changes whilst you are pregnant and eventually becomes thicker and tastes different (according to my nursing toddlers at the time)

I nursed through three pregnancies. Only one nursing toddler stopped during pregnancy but asked to nurse again once the baby arrived.

Personally I loved having a nursing toddler as it made coping with the rock hard 'filled to the brim' breasts, which I always got when my milk came in properly. I would pop toddler on both sides for a minute to reduce the pressure and flow before feeding the newborn...much easier to do.

Plus tandem nursing might not be for you, however with the right nursing pillow and positioning (I use under arm rugby style) feeding two can be done together, meaning toddler does not feel pushed out by baby and you don't have to be getting a juice/book/play with toddler whilst nursing baby. It might be worth a try if your toddler is resistant to weaning.

My daughters are 2.5 years apart and when I was 12weeks with dd2 my oldest DD was feeding first thing, naptime and bedtime. I dropped the first thing - it was really so I could have a bit of a lie in - and then the bedtime and the naptime just seemed to disappear naturally. She did like to stick her hand in my bra and "Hold tight Mummy's susu" while she settled down to sleep - cue a very shocked grandma when she babysat and her sleepy dgd slipped her hand up her blouse and sat bolt upright in dismay that the "susu" was not the one she had been expecting!

Also tandem feeding doesn't have to mean feeding both at the same time. I only ever did that once for a photo! After a week or 2 DD was put back to more of a schedule of feeds and very quickly learnt when it was her turn and that DS got it most of the time.

9 months is ages for a 2yo. I'm still in my first trimester and my 2yo is definitely reducing her 'mummy milk'. I would be keen to tandem feed but I think she's going to wean. Yesterday she spent ages on the boob and finally came off saying 'no milk mummy, it broken'.

Thanks all....maybe I'll just hang fire then and see what happens. He's been a lot better the last few days funnily enough and been sleeping through so missing the feed in the night which has been better and I've been trying to get up in the mornings so he doesn't have time to think about the morning feed but have to make sure I get downstairs and breakfast sorted pronto coz he's hungry. Will keep u posted. It's the bedtime feed I'm not looking forward to dropping as have no idea how else to get him to sleep ?

Any more suggestions gratefully received 👍🏼