The Nursing Baby - Q&A

My husband and I are already discussing when to get pregnant with our second child (our daughter is 7 months). We are attachment parenting and plan to keep our first baby in bed with us until she wants her own room. My question is, I am planning on breastfeeding her as long as she wants, but we would like to have our next baby when our first is a little over two. Is it safe to continue to nurse the first one while pregnant with the second?
Jane O.

It is safe to breastfeed while pregnant. The uterine activity induced by breastfeeding is almost 0, for a nursing woman. You may know that some women try a natural induction near term by stimulating their nipples. This generally doesn't work for an already nursing mother, unless she's already gone into labor.

There is one exception. If your doctor won't allow you to have sexual intercourse or experience orgasms, you may not be able to breastfeed, either. The contractions that occur during orgasm are *much* stronger than the ones from breastfeeding.

You should also be aware that about 2/3 of babies and toddlers wean when their mother is pregnant. Although it's not a given, many women's milk supply gets cut drastically a couple months along, and around 5 months the colostrum comes in, which older babies may not be thrilled with. There also seems to be about a 50-50 chance that you will experience nipple pain while nursing when pregnant, which may affect your decision to continue nursing.

You generally should eat healthy, but don't worry about starving your new baby. Nutrition tends to go first to your baby in the womb, next to your nursling, and lastly to yourself.

That said, I wish you the best of luck on expanding your family while continuing to nurture two children! I hope you continue to visit The Nursing Baby and let us know how your family is doing.

These tips are not intended to be medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider if you have questions.

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