More on Being Pregnant and Breastfeeding

Being pregnant and breastfeeding can and does happen at the same time. I've seen the recommendations with this vary from doctor to doctor.
Some physicians feel that breastfeeding during pregnancy is too taxing on the body and therefore recommends immediate weaning. Others feel that if you keep up your nutrition in-take and take good care of yourself, as long as the pregnancy is healthy then it's okay to continue to nurse. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to figure out what's right for you.

Sometimes you may want to stop breastfeeding if your child has teeth and is biting you. Pregnancy will make the breasts sore anyway, so having a baby to bite them will cause them to be sorer.

If you are constantly tired and don't get enough rest, your body may start to dry up the milk supply, forcing you to wean to conserve your energy. Listen to your body. While it's to be pregnant and breastfeeding a baby your body may be telling you to cut back or wean if the fatigue is too much to handle.

If all is well with your pregnancy you can safely continue to breastfeed. Discuss this with your physician. They will probably want you to take prenatal vitamins and may go over your diet plan. Some physicians may be against breastfeeding during a pregnancy, while others may be supportive. Ultimately you will need to do what's right for you, your child and your growing fetus.

A good supportive group and resource is the Le Leche League.

If you decide to go ahead and wean your child you need to decide if you plan to do it fast or slow. It's always best to do it slowly if at all possible. This is best for both you and your child. For you weaning slowly will help your breasts to not become engorged and will signal them to hold back on the milk production. For your child it will ease them into life without nursing.

If you must abruptly stop due to health reasons, it might be difficult at first, but the fact is your child won't remember the quick weaning, and within a week your breast should be back to normal.

The best way to wean is to cut out a feeding every 2 days until the feedings are spaced out, then eliminated altogether. If you decide to continue being pregnant and breastfeeding - then when the baby is born read this article about tandem nursing.