Search Results for: blog breastfeeding while pregnant

Now Is A Good Time To Learn About Breastfeeding

Whether you are thinking of breastfeeding your baby or you are trying to decide whether you will breastfeed your baby, it is important to educate yourself about breastfeeding. Of course, the best time to read up on breastfeeding is while you are pregnant, so that you can be ready to nurse your baby when she arrives. It is also good to become familiar with breastfeeding resources that offer information and support. That way, you’ll know right where to turn when challenges or questions come up along the way. One great resource that I have used to answer many of my … Continue reading →

A Breastfeeding Story – Part 2

When I became pregnant with my second son, Blake, I knew that I planned to breastfeed him after he was born. After my experience with breastfeeding Dylan, I knew that there could be some bumps in the road as we began our breastfeeding relationship. Shortly before Blake was born, I developed preeclampsia. I knew that I would have to be on the same medications during labor and delivery that I had been on when Dylan was born. What I did not expect was that I would end up with a cesarean birth. When I was able to hold Blake, he … Continue reading →

Can Breastfeeding Reduce Teen Pregnancy?

According to a new report, women who were breastfed as babies tend to get pregnant later in life compared to those who were bottle-fed as infants. If that’s true then my daughter shouldn’t expect to get pregnant until she’s in her forties. That kid nursed 24/7 for the first 18 months of her life. Give or take a few months. By my calculations that means she won’t be procreating until she’s well past her teenage years. Then again, perhaps, I am reading too much into this new study. The published report in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows … Continue reading →

Returning Fertility While Breastfeeding

Posted on by

When you’re trying to get pregnant, the sight of your menstrual period can be disappointing, even devastating sometimes. But for mothers who breastfeed and are beginning to think about getting pregnant again, a period is a welcome sign of returning fertility. A few women ovulate before their period returns, and that is why people will always warn you to use birth control while nursing if you don’t want to get pregnant, but for most the first period indicates that ovulation is on its way. It’s not very often a woman wishes for her period, but this is definitely one of … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding Rates Are at an All Time High

Posted on by

According to the CDC, about three quarters of new moms at least attempt breastfeeding for a little while. This is good news for the CDC, good news for hospitals and doctors and good news for newborns! Education The CDC attributes the rise in breastfeeding to several factors. The first is various education campaigns to get out the news that breast milk is the best possible foods for infants. Some of these campaigns have been very controversial. . .such as the ad that showed a pregnant woman riding a mechanical bull. The message was clear that you were putting your child … Continue reading →

The Breastfeeding Question I Couldn’t Answer

Posted on by

Well, if you regularly read my blogs or participate in the forums, you are probably in shock. Yes, there are a few, just a few, breastfeeding questions I can’t answer. Today in the forums, someone asked about getting a tattoo while you’re breastfeeding. Is it safe? If you can’t do it during pregnancy then surely you can’t do it while breastfeeding right? Well. . .the answer might surprise you. Why Can’t You Get a Tattoo While Pregnant? Tattoo artists, from what I’ve read and from the ones that I called today while working on this blog will not touch a … Continue reading →

Some Things to Think About While Breastfeeding and Pregnant

Posted on by

Yesterday, I wrote substantially on all the studies, surveys and research that talk about whether or not you are able to breastfeed while you’re pregnant. In fairness, I did also want to bring out some of the potentially negative aspects about breastfeeding while pregnant. Thinking About Your Needs No doubt about it, it takes a lot of energy to be pregnant and it takes a lot of energy to breastfeed. We have already talked about how if you eat when you’re hungry and drink when you’re thirsty there’s no reason to think that you wouldn’t be able to breastfeed while … Continue reading →

Will Breastfeeding While Pregnant Take Away From Your Fetus?

Posted on by

This morning we have been talking all about breastfeeding while pregnant. Here are a summary of the main points: *You can breastfeed while pregnant without fear of miscarriage. Your uterus is well protected against pre-term labor. The general rule of thumb is that if you’re cleared to have sex, you can breastfeed as well. *Since most women who are pregnant and nursing are not nursing a newborn infant. Since they are nursing an older baby, that baby should have other sources of nutrition besides breastfeeding. If they are exclusively being breastfed, mom should seek to provide additional nutrition. . .but … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding While Pregnant: Will Your Infant Suffer?

Posted on by

This morning we were talking about whether or not breastfeeding while pregnant causes miscarriages. The notion that it does is not backed up by any scientific studies at this point. However, based on what we know, it is reasonable to assume that it is perfectly fine to breastfeed while pregnant. Understanding how the uterus works and responds to hormones during various stages of the pregnancy can help us understand the complicated mechanisms of how it’s possible to carry one and nurse the other. The general rule of thumb is that if you’re medically cleared to have sex during pregnancy (which … Continue reading →

Can You Breastfeed While You’re Pregnant?

Posted on by

As I discovered yesterday on a thread in the forums, there is a lot of misinformation regarding whether or not you can breastfeed while you’re pregnant. Many doctors in fact tell their patients that you cannot breastfeed while you’re pregnant as it causes miscarriage. Some other misinformation also includes that breastfeeding during pregnancy can cause low birth weight babies. Finally, there’s always the idea that you won’t be able to make enough milk for the new baby and supply enough nutrients to the growing fetus. Since someone asked, I thought I’d take a closer look at each of these arguments … Continue reading →