There are practical reasons why when planning your family you may decide to have children close together. You can limit the number of years you need to take out of your career and babysitting and childcare can be easier to arrange. Also your kids have ready made playmates. But it can result in you breastfeeding while pregnant. You may be wondering if that is a problem.
This is a subject that is often misunderstood. In fact being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to stop breastfeeding. In the past it was thought that it would take vital nutrients away from the baby inside you. You will still find people, often of the older generation, who still think this to be the case and warn you of the dangers.
Modern thinking and research has shown that breastfeeding while pregnant will not harm either you or the embryo. So if you are currently breastfeeding it is a personal choice as to whether you stop or not just because you are pregnant.
Continuing to breastfeed
There is no problem if you want to carry on breastfeeding while pregnant provided you are well enough. You may want to check with your doctor before you decide. They will be able to do a health assessment to make sure there is no health reason to stop.
Among doctors there exist differences in opinion about breastfeeding while pregnant. If you think they are discouraging you for reasons other than health you should seek another opinion. Some people will advise you to stop for purely social reasons.
Discuss the decision with your healthworker or midwife for a second opinion. It is important that you make the best decision for you, your child and the coming baby. There are enough things to deal with in pregnancy without dealing with blatant predjudice about decisions.
Reasons to stop breastfeeding while pregnant
You may decide to carry on breastfeeding unless you actually experience any problems. Obviously if it is making you tired and sapping your energy you may need to stop. Your own body may tell you when it is time to stop by your milk drying up. If you develop mastitis you may also need to stop.
If none of these is an issue then you can happily carry on until you decide the time is right to stop. When your toddler gets teeth you may want to stop, just from a comfort point of view, if they start to bite. Some children will wean themselves once you begin offering a choice.
Weaning your child from the breast
When you do decide the time is right to stop breastfeeding you want to reduce the feeding time gradually. Breastfeeding is a bonding experience between mother and child. If you just suddenly remove their usual routine they may be distressed.
They may even associate the change with the new baby and increase the chance of bad behaviour and sibling rivalry when the baby arrives. If you begin reducing the number of times you breastfeed, while introducing alternatives, you could well find that they will decide to wean themselves. This will also be less traumatic.
Make the choice that is right for you
Don’t be surprised if your well meaning family and friends want to advise you what choice you should make. This seems to be a particular issue sometimes with a mother-in-law deciding she knows best.
You need to stick to your principles and explain that you have decided what you think is the best option for you. If can be helpful to find a support group of similarly minded mothers. They will know what you are up against and offer moral support. Your health worker may be able to recommend a local group.
Ultimately the decision on whether breastfeeding while pregnant is the right one for you is entirely your choice. Provided you are fit and well and take proper care of yourself there is no reason why you should stop before you are ready.
