I have a 5 month old boy and just found out that I am pregnant. Does anyone have advice on breastfeeding?

Question

I have a five month old boy and my pediatrician told me he's not gaining enough weight because my pregnancy has stopped my milk supply. I have been pregnant for about a month. And my baby has not gained a single ounce in that time. She said that my body stopped producing the hormone that produces milk because it would cause labor. I have currently switched to bottles to keep from starving my baby but am trying to find a way to breast feed again. If you have any advice please help.

Answer 1

SOME women do experience a REDUCTION in milk supply when they get pregnant, but it doesn't dry up completely. However some babies will refuse the milk because the taste has changed, that is a different problem.

There is also absolutely NO evidence that in a healthy pregnancy breastfeeding causes labour. And while it is true that nipple stimulation during pregnancy causes the production of less oxytocin than it does in a normal woman, it doesn't stop all production nor is that the key hormone for milk supply.

You need to get support from a qualified lactation consultant or breastfeeding group, and preferably find a qualified pediatrician. And by qualified pediatrician I mean one that knows what he/she doesn't know. You wouldn't trust your pediatrician to fix your car, and I assure you most pediatricians know more about car repair than breast milk production and breastfeeding.

There are two herbs that may increase your supply that are safe during pregnancy: alfalfa and red raspberry leaf. Oatmeal may also be helpful. There are probably other herbs but those are the ones I used.

Also you should be pumping and trying to use expressed breastmilk to top up your son. It could be as simple as he is frustrated by a slower flow.

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

http://kellymom.com/nursingtwo/articles/bfpregnancy_safety.html#uterus
The well-protected uterus

The specter of breastfeeding-induced preterm labor appears to spring in large part from an incomplete understanding of the interactions between nipple stimulation, oxytocin, and pregnancy.

The first little-known fact is that during pregnancy less oxytocin is released in response to nipple stimulation than when a woman is not pregnant.5

But the key to understanding breastfeeding during pregnancy is the uterus itself. Contrary to popular belief, the uterus is not at the beck and call of oxytocin during the 38 weeks of the “preterm” period. Even a high dose of synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) is unlikely to trigger labor until a woman is at term.6

Instead, the uterus must actively prepare in order for labor to commence. You could say that there are two separate states of being for the uterus: the quiescent baby-holder and the active baby-birther. These states make all the difference to how the uterus responds to oxytocin, and so, one can surmise, to breastfeeding. While the baby is growing, the uterus is geared to have a muffled response to oxytocin; at term, the body’s preparations for labor transform the uterus in ways that make it respond intensely to oxytocin.

Many discussions of breastfeeding during pregnancy mention “oxytocin receptor sites,” the uterine cells that detect the presence of oxytocin and cause a contraction. These cells are sparse up until 38 weeks, increasing gradually after that time, and increasing 300-fold after labor has begun.6,7 The relative scarcity of oxytocin receptor sites is one of the main lines of defense for keeping the uterus quiescent throughout the entire preterm period—but it is not the only one.

A closer look at the molecular biology of the pregnant uterus reveals yet more lines of defense. In order for oxytocin receptor sites to respond strongly to oxytocin they need the help of special agents called “gap junction proteins”. The absence of these proteins renders the uterus “down-regulated,” relatively insensitive to oxytocin even when the oxytocin receptor site density is high. And natural oxytocin-blockers, most notably progesterone, stand between oxytocin and its receptor site throughout pregnancy. 8,9,10

With the oxytocin receptor sites (1) sparse, (2) down-regulated, and (3) blocked by progesterone and other anti-oxytocin agents, oxytocin alone cannot trigger labor. The uterus is in baby-holding mode, well protected from untimely labor.4



How will my milk change?
http://kellymom.com/nursingtwo/faq/16milkchanges.html



La Leche League -free breastfeeding support and meetings:
http://www.llli.org/webindex.html

Answer 2

Are you eating properly and drinking enough water? I have a friend who breastfed two for the first trimester of her third pregnancy. One was 3 and the other 14 months, so obviously the 3 year old was only feeding at night, and she's weaned him as soon as she could without causing upset. She still feeds the second one though, with no problems. I've known others who've breastfed through pregnancy. Perhaps your son needs to start on a little bit of solid food to boost his feeding? Is your son showing signs of hunger? Is he wetting his nappies? I'd be asking for support to continue feeding, rather than accepting that it isn't possible. If your doc can't or won't provide that info, find someone who can care more appropriately for you and your family.

You could also try posting in the Women's Health section, you might get more medical people hanging out over there.

Answer 3

I am in the same situation, and I had to wean my baby..

Ella was 8 months when I found out I was pregnant and I am now 7 weeks.

To bring your milk up you should rest (if possible) and drink extra fluids.. As my milk dropped off I only breastfed in the morning and evening and bottlefed during the day.. this was the only way i was able to give a satisfying feed and in the end my milk totally dropped off. Its sad, but at the end of the day your body is looking after the new baby and giving everything its got to start its life out.

You should be proud of yourself for feeding this long as sadly not many mums feed anymore.

If you havnt started your baby on solids yet try feeding some rice cereal in the evenings with a breastfeed, i started Ella at 4 months on the rice cereal and she had no problems with it..

hope this helps.. a little.. good luck

Answer 4

I agree with the others- get the help of a great lactation consultant, there is no reason to stop breastfeeding. I weaned my daughter at 1 year when I was 2 months pregnant with my son, and I regret it to this day. Get help while you can still get back to breastfeeding. Good luck and congrats~

Answer 5

I continued to breastfeed my first while pregnant with my second, I had to eat a lot and drink a lot of water. My daughter was 6 months old when I got pregnant and I started her on solids soon after, but I continued to breastfeed until she was 11 months old.

Answer 6

Wow that is terrible try a milk bank and call la leche league

Answer 7

Definitely talk to a lactation consultant, contact your local LaLecheLeague and see what they have to say about it. Remember many women without the luxury of formula do just fine.

http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/pregnant.html

Answer 8

http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/pr2.asp

http://www.llli.org//FAQ/bfpregnant.html

also visit the kellymom site.........i would put up the link but my internet is suddenly slow

i say visit a lactation consultant......your doctor is NOT a lactation consultant

what your doctor told you is wrong....another shining example of a doctor acting like they know everything when they clearly don't

she has the hormone info right....but her theory is wrong

do some research and get other help