Breastfeeding through pregnancy

To start with i would just like to say this article is intented to give advice on the subject titled and that only. I have no intentions on trying to offend anyone but to help give advice to those who are in the dark about this myth about not

THE FACTS -

•  In a normal, healthy pregnancy, with no previous history of miscarriage in the first 20 weeks or preterm labour after 20 weeks, there is no evidence to suggest breastfeeding is threatening to a pregnancy. If you do miscarry, it is unlikely to be because you are breastfeeding.
• The reality is your unborn baby has first call on all the nutrients it needs, and may even be healthier than normal, as you may eat better and take better care of yourself during the pregnancy
•   the breast reverts to making colostrum automatically without mum having to do anything to help it do so. Therefore you are not depriving your newborn of anything
• Your body may start to make colostrum during the pregnancy of its own accord, or this may occur if your child stops feeding for a while. The taste of colostrum may encourage weaning, at least temporarily, as it is saltier than mature milk. Other breastfeeding children don't mind at all. Be aware that colostrum is a natural laxative (to help the newborn pass the meconium), so bowel motions may become far more liquid. This won't harm your child at all.

Theses facts have been taken from the ABA website, if you wish to read more extended information go to http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/tandem.html    

That said, not everyone can breastfeed while pregnant. There is also something called Breastfeeding Aversion (or something of the like). I have done a lot of web searches but i am unable to find any information on this condition and my only knowledge of it is from a Breastfeeding magazine subscribed by the ABA. This is a condition where breastfeeding is not easy during pregnancy. The woman can experience immense aches and pains in the stomach when she breastfeeds hers child. Most the time this leads to very harsh and abrupt pushed weaning as the mother cannot endure the discomfort.  Other then that, I’m not sure what else happens. I cannot find the magazine with the article; otherwise I would give more information on it. If you know of any other information on this, please add it, as I’m sure a lot of people would find it very beneficial.

My experience so far:

In the 2 years of my daughter’s life I have had all the choices i have made while raising her criticized and breastfeeding her while being pregnant with our second child is no exception.

From my first doctors visit I have been frowned upon for my choice to continue breastfeeding. The so called Dr told me I had to give it up, 'why?' I asked him, he couldn’t give me an answer. His 'advice' was "I will have to start her on formula (my almost 2 yr old) or give her a bottle or something' OR SOMETHING?? Yes great advice from this so called DR!! This Dr as you can most likely understand, I no longer see. I was 6-8 weeks pregnant at the time

My first midwives appointment at the hospital was basically along the same lines (11-12weeks pregnant), except she didn’t give me any 'advice' on what to do, just that i will 'have to give that (breastfeeding) up', as she said this, just to be spiteful, i picked up my daughter and started to give her 'booby milk'. I wasn’t going to let these people tell me i had to give up breastfeeding without any medical reasons to back why i should be giving it up. I was sick to start with, in the first 5-10 weeks of my pregnancy, but it quickly went away and i was fine again, very tired (but who doesn’t get tired when they're pregnant), but i was able to eat and keep everything down.

I’m now 28 weeks pregnant and at each midwives appointment i have been to so far (except the first one) i haven’t had another person say to me i will have to give up breastfeeding my child. My last appointment the woman was very encouraging and praised me a lot for my choice to continue to breastfeed. While doing this, Elise decided to jump on my lap for some milk (hehe) which only encouraged the mw to smile and praise me more for my choice.

My extended family such as Aunties on the other hand have not been so supportive, commenting on I’m taking the goodness away from my unborn child etc etc without actually knowing the right facts, just laying their opinions on me. My husband has been great, very encouraging, and without his support i probably would have weaned by now. Both my mother and mother in law have also been supportive of my choice, my father and father in law on the other hand, I just don’t think they 'get' why i want to continue breast feeding. My father always makes some type of comment if I’m feeding Elise, 'you still doing that, when are u going to stop' not as a question, more of a statement. my mum quite quickly informs him that his son was breast fed to past 2 1/2, he quickly slinks away. Now if he says something, i just look at him and tell him to 'get over it, he's not the one doing it, what’s the problem'. I've said it to him a few times; he doesn’t comment quite so often any more lol. My father in law one day said to my husband. "Tanya's going to have to stop that soon" "stop what" my husband replied "breastfeeding", my husbands reply "you're lucky Tanya isn’t here to hear you say that, she probably would have ripped your head off, she’s not giving up any time soon believe me". My father in law has never once mentioned anything to me about weaning, so i guess my husband scared him a bit with his comment lol  :-D

As for my milk supply, yes it has drastically dropped since being pregnant, but so have the amount Elise feeds. She now only (usually) feeds to go to sleep and sometimes she wakes up at night, but being a co-sleeping family, it doesn’t bother me as i don’t have to get up to her, just roll over!

Thanks for reading and i hope you get a lot of good advice from this article and that it puts a lot of the common myths to rest about Breastfeeding through pregnancy