The Nursing Baby - Q&A

One mother asks:
Ive had recurrent miscarriages (latest one at 19 weeks) and may be pregnant again. If this one is a keeper would it benefit baby for me to drink my breast milk? I think it would help me too if i get the idea of expressing before baby is born. I intend to breastfeed. So is it safe? Is it advisable? (I know it tastes good because my mum expressed breastmilk for me after my sister was born [i was 7]).

That's a very interesting question.

I assume that you are not currently nursing an older baby or toddler at this point in time.

While it is usually safe to nurse throughout pregnancy if you already have another child, it is not advisable to begin expressing or nursing in the middle of a pregnancy. The hormones released by nursing may cause contractions. Although there is little likelihood of this happening, I would still advise against it, especially as you have had several miscarriages, and your body may be very sensitive to the hormones released during nursing or pumping.

From another point of view, your body works hard to create the milk, and cannot quite recover all the energy expended even when you ingest all your own milk. Our bodies are not a perfect system, and we mothers spend more energy making the milk than is contained in the milk.

From the point of view of the milk itself, it is the healthiest drink on earth (assuming the mother is HIV free and infection free). There is no healthier food for the human body at any age. It has exactly the right mix of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamines, minerals, and water as well as all the immunological properties. But all you really need to eat for a healthy pregnancy is a healthy diet, with an extra 300 calories per day, and an extra 500 calories per day when you are nursing.

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

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