Tandem nursing and nursing through pregnancy chat

I've had a lot of moms pm me with questions about tandem nursing or nursing through their pregnancies. Many have also asked me in other threads. So, I thought I'd start a chat thread and Mara said if we generate enough interest/members it can be a sticky.

Here is Kellymom's information on the topic.
http://kellymom.com/bf/tandem/index.html

woot!

I <3 you!  

I tandem fed my twins. I know that's totally different than what this is about but I just know I LOVED it. The greatest. I will never forget how when I'd be feeding them together and they'd hold each others little hands in between my breasts. We all 3 bonded together.

I'm trying to nurse through this pregnancy. The beginning was really tough. I would get tired and irritable and my milk was dwindling. I was EBF my 15 month old. Well I have started incorporating solids and now he only nurses 3-5 xs a day. I feel 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!

Quoting 3LittleMonkeys:“ I tandem fed my twins. I know that's totally different than what this is about but I just know I LOVED ... [snip!] ... how when I'd be feeding them together and they'd hold each others little hands in between my breasts. We all 3 bonded together.”

OMG How sweet!!

Neat. I don't have any questions myself, but I'm more than willing to provide information/experiences to others who may need it.

C.

Quoting 3LittleMonkeys:“ I tandem fed my twins. I know that's totally different than what this is about but I just know I LOVED ... [snip!] ... how when I'd be feeding them together and they'd hold each others little hands in between my breasts. We all 3 bonded together.”

Nursing twins together is totally what this is about too  

Isn't the bond amazing while having two nurslings? I feel like while all siblings have nice bonds (in general), my girls have something really special that can only be gained through snuggling at the breast together. It's helped keep Lydia from having jealousy issues and they just enjoy each other SO much!!!

Quoting 3LittleMonkeys:“ I tandem fed my twins. I know that's totally different than what this is about but I just know I LOVED ... [snip!] ... how when I'd be feeding them together and they'd hold each others little hands in between my breasts. We all 3 bonded together.”

Aww that is so sweet!!! That kinda made me tear up, Did you ever take a picture of it for keepsakes??

I have a question about tandem feeding... when you get pregnant and your still bf a toddler does your milk change... decrease? Since nipple stimulation triggers contractions in the uterus is it bad/risky??? What about when the baby is born... do you have colustrum of is it milk... these are questions i have always wondered.

I wasn't able to nurse through pregnancy since my milk dried up but I want to tandem if my then 15 month old expresses any interest. Any advice?

I'm pretty sure we're heading down this road. Violet loves nursing more than anything. I'm sure she'd be nursing long after my milk becomes colostrum.

Quoting God:“ Neat. I don't have any questions myself, but I'm more than willing to provide information/experiences to others who may need it. C.”

For the most part, we've had smooth sailing, I haven't figured out how to nurse both of them while laying down like at bedtime and such. I think we just have to wait for Charlotte to get a little bigger. She doesn't like nursing while on my tummy and Lydia is a booger about not holding up her own head while nursing. I guess she's relaxed haha.

Quoting Sherry + 2:“ I wasn't able to nurse through pregnancy since my milk dried up but I want to tandem if my then 15 month old expresses any interest. Any advice?”

Is she showing any interest now or is she not wanting to even try. I let my oldest dry nurse, though she only wanted to every couple weeks or so. When the baby came, she was REALLY interested, so I just latched her on and she nurses almost as much as the little one haha

Quoting tandem mama:“ Is she showing any interest now or is she not wanting to even try. I let my oldest dry nurse, though ... [snip!] ... When the baby came, she was REALLY interested, so I just latched her on and she nurses almost as much as the little one haha”

she likes messing with my nipples whenever she sees them since we co-bathe that is pretty much every day lol.

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.”

Often your supply will decrease as your milk slowly changes to colostrum. WHEN this happens varies woman to woman, but the "average" is 20 weeks. I had colostrum by 14 weeks and know women who don't have it until around 30 weeks.
Nursing won't cause labor unless your body is ready. If you end up in preterm labor from nursing, you probably would have had it anyway. Your body is used to nursing by the time you get pregnant, so it's similar to how you can continue any exercise program that doesn't risk blows to the abdomen while pregnant, but shouldn't start something rigorous and new.
The contractions nursing causes are similar to braxton hicks and many women don't even feel them while pregnant. I actually had less this past pregnancy while dry nursing a few times a week than I had with my first pregnancy.
Sex also causes similar contractions to what nursing causes and that is safe during pregnancy.

When the baby is born, your milk will be colostrum and it then comes in fully after a few days.

Quoting Sherry + 2:“ she likes messing with my nipples whenever she sees them since we co-bathe that is pretty much every day lol.”

haha. My oldest (Lydia) was obsessed with my nipples while I was pregnant because she didn't like the taste of the colostrum and only licked my nipple a few times a month really. 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!