re: Tandem nursing and nursing through pregnancy chat

I think this is a great idea. I nursed my son through my entire pregnancy with my 4th and tandem nursed until I found out I was pregnant again. I still nurse my daughter full time and my son still sometimes, but mostly at night. I plan to tandem nurse once this baby is born also.

I mixed fed my first child through out the first 8 months of his life, ultimately at 8 months...due to my own lack of knowledge on how to maintain my milk supply he ended up ultimately on formula. However I know I was going to exclusively breastfeed my next child or try until my nipples damn near fell off.


My daughter is now 4 weeks old and EBF, and 2 weeks after she was born..my son nursed again for the first time 20 months. It was incredible. He has only nursed a hand full of times since as he is a very busy guy. However I have finally established enough of a supply to pump for him exclusively now.

I know that isn't technically tandem nursing, but I'd like to keep this thread in my watched topics as you ladies could probably offer advice as to keeping a supply up for my EBF newborn and for my toddler!

Quoting tandem mama:“ haha. My oldest (Lydia) was obsessed with my nipples while I was pregnant because she didn't like ... [snip!] ... She's fully nursing 3-5x a day now that I have milk. I'd say just follow her lead and if she wants to nurse again, go for it!”

Thanks! Did anyone give you a hard time about it? I have a feeling my inlaws may be a little put off by it.

Quoting HippieBabie EBFT:“ I'm trying to nurse through this pregnancy. The beginning was really tough. I would get tired and irritable ... [snip!] ... guilty, but my milk supply has dropped a lot. I hope to make it the whole pregnancy and tandem nurse when my new LO arrives!”

I felt guilty a lot when my milk changed. I thought Lydia was weaning, but she went back to it. During my pregnancy when I thought she was weaning, I was so sad, I thought it was my fault and she wouldn't be weaning if it weren't for me being pregnant. But, I figured if she REALLY wanted it, she'd nurse. She went back to the breast though thankfully!!

I am subscribing to this thread even though i am only nursing one, and i dont have any plans for a second lol. But i am going to shool to be a LC and am working on becoming a LLL leader and would love to listen in on you ladies and your experiences.

Quoting friendlygirl626:“ I think this is a great idea. I nursed my son through my entire pregnancy with my 4th and tandem nursed ... [snip!] ... my daughter full time and my son still sometimes, but mostly at night. I plan to tandem nurse once this baby is born also. ”

how great!!!

Quoting communist daughter EBFB:“ I mixed fed my first child through out the first 8 months of his life, ultimately at 8 months...due to ... [snip!] ... in my watched topics as you ladies could probably offer advice as to keeping a supply up for my EBF newborn and for my toddler!”

That is awesome!!! Lydia wouldn't take my milk in anything but the breast, still won't. I do pump for my friend's six month old too, though. So I can provide pumping tips...well maybe, big supply comes naturally to me.

Quoting Garcia Momma EBFB!:“ Aww that is so sweet!!! That kinda made me tear up, Did you ever take a picture of it for keepsakes?? ... [snip!] ... What about when the baby is born... do you have colustrum of is it milk... these are questions i have always wondered.”

I can answer some of these from my experience.

My milk supply tends to drop a bit during the first trimester, but always rebounds just fine by the 2nd. My son never seemed to be bothered by the thicker milk - mine never really got as thick as actual colostrum until delivery. I even nursed him about an hour after I gave birth to my daughter. I didn't have any preterm labor problems at all or have any more contractions then the normal braxton hicks type that I have had with every pregnancy.

Quoting Sherry + 2:“ Thanks! Did anyone give you a hard time about it? I have a feeling my inlaws may be a little put off by it.”

I'm just getting comfortable with my parents knowing that Lydia nurses because they said it was weird when my aunt let her kids self wean. My mother in law nursed my DH til he was nearly 3 so she's super supportive.

Quoting friendlygirl626:“ I can answer some of these from my experience. My milk supply tends to drop a bit during the first ... [snip!] ... problems at all or have any more contractions then the normal braxton hicks type that I have had with every pregnancy. ”

It really interests me how differently bodies react to the hormones.

I had an increase in my milk the first trimester, then by 14 weeks it was almost completely colostrum. It was thick and yellowish/clear and there was only a couple tablespoons. Lydia said it tasted like a bug and refused to drink it. she also once told me it tasted like pickles haha. She sort of licked me and didn't drink a few times a month until my mature milk came in. Then she would nurse a couple times a week and now it's 3-5x a day.

Quoting tandem mama:“ I'm just getting comfortable with my parents knowing that Lydia nurses because they said it was weird ... [snip!] ... it was weird when my aunt let her kids self wean. My mother in law nursed my DH til he was nearly 3 so she's super supportive.”

Thats awesome. I'm not one to care what others think so long as I know I'm doing the best for my babies. I just hate that I know it's going to be brought up. Like they are questioning my parenting skills.

Quoting tandem mama:“ I felt guilty a lot when my milk changed. I thought Lydia was weaning, but she went back to it. During ... [snip!] ... for me being pregnant. But, I figured if she REALLY wanted it, she'd nurse. She went back to the breast though thankfully!!”

I was worried about that too. My midwife said that the taste of milk would probably change toward the end of my pregnancy as your bodies natural way of trying to wean the older baby off the breast before the new baby gets here. Luckily it never bothered him much and he continued to nurse straight through.

Quoting Sherry + 2:“ Thats awesome. I'm not one to care what others think so long as I know I'm doing the best for my babies. ... [snip!] ... the best for my babies. I just hate that I know it's going to be brought up. Like they are questioning my parenting skills.”

I don't know why I'm more comfortable with strangers seeing me nurse my 2 1/2 year old than I am my parents even KNOWING I do. Maybe it's just because the things I heard them say about my aunt when I was younger? Things I used to agree with and I'm SO glad I no longer do.

Quoting tandem mama:“ It really interests me how differently bodies react to the hormones. I had an increase in my milk ... [snip!] ... drink a few times a month until my mature milk came in. Then she would nurse a couple times a week and now it's 3-5x a day. ”

That is so cute...a bug and pickels. Johnathon was only 3 months old when I got pregnant with Emma and so he couldn't talk, but it will be intersting to see what he thinks this time around. I still nurse him at night if he wakes up. I am a little nervous about possible nursing 3 babies though - I have thought about trying to wean him off his night feeding before the new baby comes, but I feel so bad when I think about it. With all the changes going on I just can't see taking his comfort away from him. I am just going to play it by ear and see how it goes and do what feels right.

Quoting friendlygirl626:“ That is so cute...a bug and pickels. Johnathon was only 3 months old when I got pregnant with Emma and ... [snip!] ... can't see taking his comfort away from him. I am just going to play it by ear and see how it goes and do what feels right. ”

I really think (but don't know for sure) that the milk changes depending on your older nursling's needs as well. While your body does eventually try to wean them, I think the more they need it the longer it will wait to change. My oldest was 21 months when I got pregnant. There is a mom on here who I'm hoping will join this thread who is nursing her 21/22 month old twins (i'm not sure their exact age, but around there) and her newborn.