Pregnant and Breastfeeding

L.,

I would start working on getting her to drink pumped milk and formula whether it be out of a bottle or a cup. I don't believe there are any supplements to increase your supply that are safe to take while you are pregnant. You may wnat to speak to your OB but I think you should look at other options. It is normal for your milk supply to decline when you are pregnant. It is your body switching from providing milk for a baby to dedicating its resources to the baby in your womb. I'm not sure messing with that system is a wise idea. You may just have to be really persistnat in trying to reintroduce a bottle or get her to drink formula from a cup. Good luck to you!

T.

My baby never would take a bottle, formula, or pumped breast milk. It was a challenge! We found he would drink Carnation Instant Breakfast, 1 serving mixed with 10 oz. whole milk. It worked great! It's a tried and true formula replacement for low weight babies. Since your little one is so little, I would check with the doctor first, since whe may not be ready for whole milk. GL with those 2 little ones!

Will your daughter have a smoothie? You might want to try making a fruit smoothie out of your breast milk, or formula. You have said that she will eat fruit, drink juice so it is likely that these would be a great assist to her getting the protein that she needs from your breast milk. You may want to consider using the formula at this point anyway, because you will want to have one child weaned before your second child starts to breast feed. That could be a bit overwhelming to be nursing your older child when you are adjusting to the new baby. Also, take a deep breath. My boys are 13 months apart. There were a lot of things to worry about and they are now healthy, growing teenagers who have survive their own finicky eating patterns. I have a son who still can't stand vegetables. I give him Juice Plus Gummies and he gets what he needs. He is 5'4" tall and weighs about 85lbs. Skinny as a rail, but healthy as a horse. kicks his older brother hiney in wrestling on a regular basis.

My first thought is: Are you getting enough water? I needed atleast 80 oz a day when I was breastfeeding a 6 month old and found out I was pregnant again. There are some herbal teas out there that may help but I wouldn't take anything with out consulting your dr. We used to mix formula with cereal and make it very runny and feed it to Erin when she wouldn't drink the formula. Good Luck!

Hi my name is S. and I am a birth and post partum doula. I would suggest getting a tincture called more milk plus from your local apothacary or natural food store. It will help alot with increasing your milk!

Increase your fluids ten-fold! You need even more nutrition and liquids now. You can try Mothers milk tea too. Works for some moms.

I would recommend you to the La Leche League. You can find it on the internet, probably can find some help locally. It is one of the most trusted organizations both here in the states and internationally, all done to support breast feeding mothers and their children. They will probably tell you to cut out the juice for a six-month old infant as it is stopping her hunger reflex for protein, and a sippy cup for a six month old child is probably not fulfilling her need for suckling and nuture. Hopefully you are giving her rice cereal rather than other grains. Hopefully you are taking care also of yourself.

I have no idea why people on this site are telling you to take More Milk Plus - it is 48-52% grain alcohol!! And is clearly labeled, "NOT FOR USE DURING PREGNANCY". Clearly, ask your doctor about your concern.

No matter what they tell you, I would NOT take those pills for increasing your supply (the prescription ones - and I can't think of the name but it starts with the letter R). One of the side effects is depression and they made me almost suicidal (I have no history of depression either), so beware. You're much better off just using what breast milk you have and supplementing formula to make sure your baby gets enough nutrients.

L.,

Breastfeeding while pregnant can be tricky. It works really well for allot of women, but for some it seems like no matter what they do their milk will decrease or dry up.

There are certainly things you can do, and you shouldn't give up unless you really want to.

Number one is to make sure you are nursing frequently enough (5X @ 15min+ each or more in 24hours is frequently recommended, although with the age of your child you should probably be nursing more than that if it's your baby's only milk source). Most mom's find that they can increase their milk supply by increasing the amount of time they spend nursing. Some mom's unconsciously reduce their milk supply by avoiding nursing due to sensitive nipples while pregnant.

There are foods and herbs that increase milk supply. You will want to consult with someone on the herbs, or at least do your own research. The foods in all cases are harmless and can help. Allot of women enjoy oatmeal, ;-)

A great resource for breastfeeding information: www.kellymom.com
Also of course there is La Leche League; local meetups and online info are always free.

I have started a myspace page that I will be using until my website is up and running. I have allot of breastfeeding info I trust linked to that page, and will have the pregnancy info up after the holidays.

www.myspace.com/freedommidwifery

Lactation Counselors and IBCLC's are very useful if you can afford them, but realize that La Leche League has people working for free with the same qualifications. The only difference is that you will have to seek them out and adjust to their availability. The group meetups are very encouraging for mom's, especially those doing tandem or extended nursing. It's hard to get support for these things in mainstream culture.

Good luck to you! I hope you are able to acheive everything you desire for you and your children.

F.

Make sure you are getting enough to drink and eat. I am bf a 6mo (this is my second) and I find I have less milk when I don't get enough. Also, when she begins solids, she won't need to nurse as much. If you are worried talk to your OB and the ped to see if they are concerned. Pump if you need to, it will help increase your supply. Also, the more active your baby becomes the more likely she is to lose weight. Find out how many calories and what your fluid intake should be while breastfeeding and pregnant. It's a lot and you probably aren't meeting them. Good luck!

L. -

You CAN NOT take "More Milk Plus" while pregnant. Not necessarily because of the alcohol (they do make an alcohol free version) BUT Fenugreek & Blessed Thistle aren't a good idea while pregnant.

Motherlove Herbal does make a supplement for use DURING pregnancy called "More Milk Two". It's ingredient list is dried red raspberry leaf, nettle leaf, alfalfa leaf... it is also alcohol free.

I'd also encourage you to increase your water intake.

This is a busy time in all of our lives, with the Holiday's. As well as a busy time in your baby's life, learning to crawl, sitting and other distractions. Offering the breast a bit more often can help your supply and get more food into her.

Good Luck,
J. Bailey at Every Mother & Child in Mesa, AZ
also
www.everymotherandchild.com has the more Milk Two

Hi, L.!

First, congratulations! That's so exciting to have another little one on the way. I just had a baby in July and would love to have another. I've been doing some research and talking to my OBGYN a lot because I want to have another one soon so they can grow up together.

Everything I've read (and my doctor concurs) states that it is ok and totally fine to continue breastfeeding while pregnant, but that you MUST increase your calories and water consumption. Everything you eat and drink will go to the fetus first, then to milk production and then to you.

Here are a couple resources about it: http://www.babycenter.com/400_is-it-safe-to-continue-brea...

www.llli.org/FAQ/bfpregnant.html

I think I read somewhere, too, that when your child starts eating food other than breastmilk (or formula) that they can lose weight because their little digestive systems have to work harder to break the food down. I'm just starting that myself! My daugther is 5 1/2 months. If your daugther is losing too much weight, I'd probably take her to her pediatrician and talk to them about it. Also, talk to your OBGYN so you get both perspectives. Apparently it can be done, so that's what I'm going to try, too.

Good luck and keep in touch with your progress!

Peace,
C.

With a baby so young, you are right that you need to be really careful about getting her appropriate nutrition. Here are some things to think about:

1. Be super vigilant about your nutrition and hydration. You probably need about 2500 or more calories per day and 5 liters of water is not too much. Be careful to get extra protein (aim for 100 g per day) and lots of calcium and magnesium. Your food and water are the ingredients of your breast milk, so if you don't get appropriate nutrition, nothing will help to boost your milk supply.

2. You can try some dietary supplements to increase your milk supply. Traditional Medicinals has a Mother's Milk tea that often helps.

3. Mechanical means can also help to increase your milk supply. You can try pumping after nursing or between nursing sessions in increase your body's perception of demand.

In terms of getting your daughter appropriate nutrition, you might try some different cups/bottles with breastmilk or formula. You might also talk to your daughter's doctor about trying cow's milk or goat's milk as a supplement. Some kids respond better to cups with straws than they do sippy cups. Different types of bottles can be appealing to different kids, too. Dr. Brown's bottles and Playtex nursers are often easier for kids who prefer the breast to the bottle.

I'm a trained doula with quite a bit of education in nutrition, pregnancy, and breastfeeding and I have personal experience nursing during pregnancy. If you would like to talk more, please feel free to contact me. ###-###-####, ____@____.com luck and congratulations!

Hi L.,

Please don't think there is any reason you need to stop breastfeeding your baby when your new baby comes. Your supply will fluctuate during pregnancy, but if you have a low-risk pregnancy there is no need to stop nursing. There are many books on Tandem nursing and many people do it. I haven't done it myself, though, since I only have a 10.5 month old right now.

Also, it would probably really benefit you to speak with a lactation consultant at La Leche League. They also have forums where you can ask questions online.

The main site: http://www.lllusa.org/
The forums: http://forums.lalecheleague.org/

S.

You do not need to wean your first child before the other one gets here. Some mothers do experience a drop or change in breastmilk and some so 'dry up' all together but it often returns soon enough. I would suggest a book titled 'adventures in tandem nursing'. It might have some of the answers you seek. There is no need to switch your first child to formula as Toddlers need more antibodies then ever with them touching everything and going out more, other kids drooling on them Ect.

L. G.
This may sound old fashioned, and perhaps there's a yeast type pill you can get at a health food store, but when I needed more breast milk, my doctor recommended drinking a beer several hours before the next feeding. It works, but that was twenty six years ago. I would imagine there is another way to ingest the yeasty part without the alchohol.

Hi L.--

Congratulations!! I, too, am pregnant and breast feeding. Increase your water and your calories. You need around 500 extra calories a day to support your pregnancy and an additional 500 to support breast feeding--it can be a challenge. Also, make sure you get enough electrolytes when drinking that much water. You CANNOT take Fenugreek when you are pregnant--I wouldn't trust the doula who told you to do so earlier on this page. You can, however, take Alfalfa, which has worked well for me. La Leche League would be helpful, and talking to a doctor of natural medicine could also help. My midwife is also a Doctor of naturopathy--please respond if you'd like her information.

Good luck!

just FYI mothers milk tea has a lot of side effects and if youre pregnant you shouldnt be taking anything without your doctors approval, even "natural stuff"