Breastfeeding during pregnancy

[Becca.lms]

Did you tandem nurse?
Did your milk dry up? When?
Did baby wean?


I really don't want Ezzi to wean
Did you do anything to help keep your supply up?

[atomic sagebrush]

yes twice! Still nursing two.

I do think it dried up during pg. I could get milk out and my boobs felt full but it didn't feel normal in terms of the letdown. The kids would stop and switch sides a lot, which was kinda annoying to me but I toughed it out. Neither of them weaned and they actually nursed more really, I think because they weren't getting much it was more of a comfort thing and they never really got full. Both of them had recently given up pacifiers so that probably helped.

They never weaned and went all thru pregnancy. Once my milk came back in full force, when my 3rd son (20 mos.) started to nurse the first time when the milk was back, he started, stopped in surprise and looked at me with the most tangible expression of relief I have ever seen so he was really glad to have it! He didn't eat very much at all that first week, all he wanted to do was nurse. It was a godsend to me because I have a huge milk supply.

The worst part was the nursing aversion that I felt. Nursing when you are pg is kinda painful sometimes and also you have this psychological aversion to it that can be hard to overcome. A couple times I literally had to stop and walk around and regroup before I could start again. Mother Nature doesn't know we live in the modern world where there's food everywhere so your body can make you want to stop nursing even when there's no need to.

[Becca.lms]

Thank you!! Very informative!

I have another question!
Last night DS2 got up every hour, and he nursed every time. But not once did he get a let down. This has Never happened, he always gets a let down, never fail.
Do you have any idea about this?

[Becca.lms]

I think It's the B6!

[hotdogz&boyz]

I nursed while pregnant. But I dried up at 20 weeks and my son was not interested in keeping on with it. I think some kids are persistent and don't mind the drying up and use it for comfort. And others want the milk and get frustrated when it dries and just stop. Like atomic mentioned, I was having some discomfort both physically and emotionally. My body was certainly trying to prepare for the next baby and was turning me against nursing my current one. It was a weird feeling. It was most common around the end of the first tri/beginning of the second tri, then I was okay again around 16 weeks, but then he stopped on his own a month later. But I was okay with it because I wasn't really necessarily wanting to tandem nurse. I figured I would if he still wanted to nurse, but it wasn't something I necessarily wanted to do. I do think it's super important to get tons of fluids and calories in the beginning of pregnancy if you want to keep nursing. And rest as much as possible too. Your body is doing hard work and taking it easy is just helping it out.

[atomic sagebrush]

I find now that I've nursed more and more, I don't always notice the letdowns. But there is a little bit of (conflicting and inconclusive) data that suggests B6 may dry up milk to some extent. Just keep nursing and it should rebound.

[Becca.lms]

Yeah I'm quitting the B6! My existing baby comes first. I don't know if it sways blue but I'm popping some More Milk pills. Fenugreek etc in it. It's crazy how much it went down in only a few days.
I haven't gotten AF yet so maybe LP Isn't sure. This guessing game is torture.

[atomic sagebrush]

wean off, don't just quit off cold turkey.

Just nurse a lot, I would not have you do a whole bunch of fenugreek when you might be pg, we don't know if that's even safe or not.

[rainbowflower]

Yes, I nursed through pregnancy
It dried up during first tri (no idea if he was still getting anything, he was a comfort sucker more than anything but I noticed I stopped getting a let-down)
he didn't wean, I tandem fed them both together for a couple of months

[rainbowflower]

BTW I would get very strong "nursing contractions" when I was feeding him when pregnant, stronger than my early labour ones most days. I was hospitalised with threatened preterm labour at 30 weeks (the swab test came back positive so 70% chance of early delivery) and there was mixed feeling about whether I should stop but the consultant actually told me not to because the bond with DS1 was important too. I carried on, and delivered at 38+1 so exact same date as DS1 was born.