Is It Safe?
Breast feeding during pregnancy is considered safe for most women. It is important to remember to keep yourself completely hydrated all of the time and eat a healthy and nutritious meal. If you plan to breast feed while you are pregnant your nursing child may notice changes in your milk such as taste. Even though the taste will be different, the milk is still safe for your nursing child to drink. As long as you are comfortable and your nursing child is comfortable, breastfeeding while pregnant is considered safe.
Risks
Even though breast feeding is considered safe during pregnancy, there are risks that you still need to be aware of. Unless you are prone to complications during pregnancy, you probably will not experience any of these risks. The risks include: uterine contractions which are generally mild, fatigue, tender nipples, and a decrease in breast milk.
Miscarriage
Breastfeeding during pregnancy will not increase the chances of you having a miscarriage unless you are already prone or at risk for having a miscarriage. If you are at risk for having a miscarriage or pre-
How Long Can I Breastfeed For?
You can continue to breastfeed your baby the whole entire time that you are pregnant. Unless problems arise or the nursing child weans off of the breast then you can continue. The only problem that you may run into would be your comfort ability and your nursing child’s comfort ability. You may need to find new ways to breastfeed your child as your tummy starts to grow more later in pregnancy. You may also find that sitting certain ways makes you feel uncomfortable and causes strain on your back or legs. Try out some different positions and find one or two that you and your nursing baby are comfortable with.
Nutrition
Nutrition is important to maintain while you are breastfeeding during pregnancy. It is important to maintain a healthy diet and continue to eat foods that are high in protein and rich in vitamins. If you plan to breastfeed while pregnant, the doctor may advise you to take more supplements and increase your dosage over B vitamins or even folic acid. The mother who is breastfeeding must make sure she maintains
a healthy diet for herself. If she does this, the growing baby will receive all of the nutrients that he or she needs to survive.
Milk Supply
Your milk supply during pregnancy may decrease if you are breastfeeding and it is not uncommon for this to happen. Farther along in your pregnancy you will notice an increase in your breast milk as your new baby will need some too. Your milk supply will also change in flavor and taste. Your nursing child will probably notice this change and will need some adjustment to it. Sometimes the nursing child will refuse
to eat the breast milk and will wean himself off of the breast completely.
Vitamins
Vitamins are an essential part of a pregnant woman’s nutrition whether breastfeeding or not breastfeeding. However, vitamins are even more important for mothers who are breastfeeding. You must make sure to get enough folic acid, iron, and of course vitamin B. If your doctor feels that you are not receiving enough, he or she may increase your dosage or request that you take more. It is important to continue taking your
prenatal vitamins and drink plenty of fluids as well.
Recommendations
These two sites have a lot of great information for mothers who breastfeed and are looking into breastfeeding while pregnant.
Kellymom.com is a great website for women who have questions about breastfeeding and breastfeeding while pregnant. There are many articles on the site that will help you decide if it is right for you and also your nursing baby. There are also articles on different problems that may arise during pregnancy and information about when to stop breastfeeding or to speak with your doctor. This site is a great resource for all information about breastfeeding.
ACOG
is the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and runs the website acog.org. This is a great resource for moms who are looking to breastfeed as this website has many different publications and also the latest news about everything breastfeeding and also complications during pregnancy. This site also allows you to navigate different information about everything trending in pregnancy and provides an outlet for you to speak with other members in the community and search for OBGYNs in your area. This is a great website for moms who want to learn as much as they can from a reputable site.