Breastfeeding When Pregnant: Everything You Need To Know
Tags: Newborn, Motherhood, Pediatrics, Breastfeeding, Pregnancy

“Can I breastfeed during pregnancy?” Is one of the most frequently raised questions by mothers all around the globe. And the answer is yes, your body will keep on making milk while you’re pregnant, so you will be able to breastfeed your baby without any complications.

The requirement to breastfeed during pregnancy can be fulfilled safely. There might be pregnancy hormones like oxytocin present in your milk, but these are not harmful to your child in any means. Still, consulting with a healthcare provider is the best way to decide whether you should continue breastfeeding while pregnant.

Increasing The Milk Supply

Another concern is regarding how to increase milk supply while pregnant. Most of the mother’s milk supply start to decrease around 4 to 5 months after birth. To make sure that your baby is receiving the right nutrition, include other nutrients like calcium, fat, iron, proteins and zinc in your baby’s diet. It is also very important that your new-born baby receives the colostrum or your early milk as it has high concentration of protective immunoglobulins and cells.

No pre-lacteal fluids/feeds (Prelacteal feeds are foods given to new-borns before breastfeeding) should be given to the new-born according to the guidelines published by Indian Academy of Paediatrics.

There is also a multitude of natural ways to increase your milk supply like staying hydrated, having a well-balanced diet, taking your vitamins, letting the baby feed fully on each side, using a breast pump etc.

Breastfeeding Tips

You can breastfeed both your babies (tandem feeding) if you’d like to because you will have enough milk for both your children. Another benefit of tandem feeding is that the moms who tandem feed are likely to get mastitis (Mastitis is an inflammation in your breast tissues) than moms who feed one baby.

So, how can you make sure that the baby is getting the right amount of milk supply? Well, the baby is getting enough milk if they have 8 to 12 breastfeeds in 24 hours, go through 6 to 8 wet nappies in a 24-hour period, gain on average 150 gms or more every week for the first 3 months.

Now let us cover some vital aspects which you should consider while breastfeeding.

Make sure that you’re sitting or lying down in a very relaxed spot while breastfeeding so you could get some extra time to rest as your baby is fed.

You can switch your baby from one breast to the other offering each breast twice.

Make sure that you’re drinking a lot of water and having a healthy balanced diet without missing any meals.

Also, make sure that you’re resting as much as possible between the feeds.

Getting Pregnant While Breastfeeding

“Can I get pregnant while I’m breastfeeding?” is also an incessant doubt raised by mothers and you might have heard a lot of myths regarding this topic. Yes, you can get pregnant while you’re still breastfeeding, but moms who breastfeed during pregnancy exclusively tend to experience a delay in the return of their fertility. It can take weeks, months or even longer for your body to become fertile again after the labour because it takes around six weeks for your body to heal.

For many women, once breastfeeding is no longer exclusive, they notice that the ability to get pregnant gradually returns. By around six months, your child will be eating solid foods and may also be sleeping throughout the night so that you’ll be breastfeeding less often and your fertility may begin to return.

There is an old-fashioned belief that a woman can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding. This is not true. They can get pregnant while breastfeeding even if their periods have not yet resumed after giving birth because ovulation (egg release) can occur before the start of menstruation. So the answer to the question is yes, you can get pregnant while breastfeeding.

Pregnancy Symptoms

What are the symptoms of pregnancy while breastfeeding? Early signs of pregnancy after giving birth are generally the same as those seen in a regular pregnancy. Some noticeable changes are:

Changes in the breasts

Change in milk production

Other physical symptoms

The earliest sign of pregnancy is usually considered as the changes in the breasts. A woman may notice these changes when she is about six weeks pregnant because these changes are side effects of the pregnancy hormones oestrogen and progesterone. These changes will affect the breasts and prepare them for breastfeeding after birth, even if she is nursing already. Breast changes can occur for various reasons, so avoid thinking of them just as signs of pregnancy.

In cases of confusions like these, it is best to consult your doctor. Adopt these tips and follow their instructions to be the best mom you could be.