Is it bad to breastfeed and and be pregnant at the same time?

Answer 1

No, it's not bad at all! The only problem you might have is that your milk supply will dwindle around month 5 or 6. But other than that, breastfeeding during pregnancy is totally safe.

The only thing you might want to keep in mind is whether or not you are okay with nursing a toddler AND a newborn. If not, then wean your toddler well before the baby is born. This will give him enough time to adjust to his new weaned life, before he has to adjust to a new life with a sibling!

Answer 2

A lot of doctors actually believe this and it is an "OLD WIVES TALE". It's perfectly fine to breastfeed and be pregnant at the same time, but you will have to up your calories some. Also, your breasts will gradually become more tender. Some babies will stop nursing at 6-7 months because the milk changes flavor (turning into colostrum) and some even wean, only to pick nursing up again after the baby arrives.

The only exceptions to breastfeeding and pregnancy is if you are carrying multiples or it just becomes too painful to continue due to breast swelling. I would include in this category, women who are anemic. It's more important to get that iron that you do have to the fetus than to nurse the baby already here.

Answer 3

No I breastfeed when I was pregnant with child #2 and child #4. It is hard work because your body is trying to support your pregnancy and the baby you are nursing. I quit nursing when I was about 7 months pregnant, just to give my body a break before baby came. It can be done, just talk to your doctor and he can give you the best advice.

Answer 4

No, it isn't unless you are at high risk for preterm labour.

American Academy of Family Physicians:
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/b/breastfeedingpositionpaper.html
Nursing Beyond Infancy
Breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is currently not the cultural norm and requires ongoing support and encouragement.85 Breastfeeding during a subsequent pregnancy is not unusual. If the pregnancy is normal and the mother is healthy, breastfeeding during pregnancy is the woman's personal decision. If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. Breastfeeding the nursing child after delivery of the next child (tandem nursing) may help to provide a smooth transition psychologically for the older child.61

http://kellymom.com/nursingtwo/faq/01safety.html
Is it safe to nurse during pregnancy?

Yes, in most cases. At this time no medical study has been done on the safety of breastfeeding during pregnancy so it is impossible to list any definitive contraindications. If you are having a complicated pregnancy, such as lost weight, bleeding, or signs of preterm labor, you should problem-solve your individual situation with your caregiver. Depending on your individual situation and feelings you may decide that continued breastfeeding, reduced breastfeeding, or weaning is for the best.
Breastfeeding Contractions

Although uterine contractions are experienced during breastfeeding, they are a normal part of pregnancy. Similar contractions often occur during sexual intercourse, which many couples continue throughout pregnancy.
Miscarriage/Preterm Labor Risks

This is a common worry, but it does not appear to have a strong foundation. A recent review of research on the pregnant uterus reveals that there is actually no theoretical basis for the common concern that breastfeeding can lead to miscarriage or preterm labor in healthy pregnancies. Instead the uterus has many safeguards preventing a strong reaction to the oxytocin that breastfeeding releases.

Interestingly, experts on miscarriage and preterm labor are not among those who see a potential link between breastfeeding and these pregnancy complications. Miscarriage expert Lesley Regan, PhD, MD, quoted in Adventures in Tandem Nursing, saw no reason that breastfeeding should impact pregnancy, even if the mother has a history of miscarriage or is experiencing a threatened miscarriage.
Mother's health

There is no evidence that a well nourished mother who nurses during pregnancy is at risk nutritionally. Breastfeeding does not increase a mother's risk for osteoporosis, even when the mother nurses during pregnancy. Breastfeeding reduces the mother's risk of breast cancer.
Nursling's health

Your child will benefit from breastfeeding into the second year and beyond. The milk is just as safe during pregnancy, but pregnancy can cause milk to dwindle and can also motivate mother and child to wean. Thus if pregnancy does cause a child to receive less milk, the child will receive proportionally fewer of milk's health advantages. Indeed, weaning before two years increases the risk of illness for a child, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

A New Look at the Safety
of Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
http://kellymom.com/nursingtwo/articles/bfpregnancy_safety.html

Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
http://breastfeed.com/resources/articles/bfeedpregnancy.htm

Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/preg_breastfeeding_during.htm

Can I Breastfeed During Pregnancy?
http://www.unmc.edu/olson/education/pregbfng.htm

Breast Feeding During Pregnancy
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/parents/advice/article.php?contentId=993&&

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/196499/breastfeeding_during_pregnancy_safe.html

Answer 5

I know a ton of mothers that breastfeed while pregnant. I don't think it's bad at all, as long as you're getting enough nutrition to support breastfeeding and your unborn little bean.

Answer 6

women have done it for years. You will have to increase you calorie intake, extra 500-800 per day. you will be feeding three, you know. Talk to your ob or midwife more, you may need to wean by the 3rd trimester, since nipple stimulation can bring on labor.

Answer 7

It's not "bad", but it does mean you're feeding two, so you might be short-changing one in order to meet the needs of the other. You're going to have to wean the older one anyway, so you might as well start now.

Answer 8

people do that often. it wears on your bosy though but it does occur. get in touch with a lactation nurse or the laleche legue

Answer 9

Dang! You're a busy mommy. No, I don't think it's bad to do both.

Answer 10

Technically yes. Because nutrients must then be split up between the fetus, and the child thats breastfeeding. I know women have done it for years, but thats before they understood physiology. Just like everyone smoked before they knew it was bad for them.