Pregnancy Tips

Being expectant doesn’t mean you have to stop breastfeeding your child. Long ago doctors believed it actually took nutrients away from the baby inside you, however that is not the case. Even today we have people that believe this and they will argue with you the entire time. Only you can conclude if you should quit breastfeeding your newborn or not. Don’t let someone else make that resolution for you.

Reasons To Stop

A few reasons you might want to stop breastfeeding may be if you are feeling continuously drained of energy. Or maybe your child has started to bite. Sometimes your milk will just dry up, this is your body’s way of informing you that it has had enough and to take a break. Mastitis could play a big part in making you stop immediately as well. Mastitis is an illness in the breast when it isn’t expressed enough and gets engorged.

Stopping Or Weaning

If you do plan on stopping because you are pregnant, ensure sure it is for the right reasons. If your child has reached a particular age, it may be best. But never just yank it away from them. Your little one could wonder why it is being taken away. Consider if they had done something or become discouraged about the new child coming. Some children decide to wean themselves, which is a big help to you and you won’t feel so guilty about it. You can choose to do it cold turkey, or slowly step by step wean him/her off. Cold turkey can have some bad results. Try limiting his/her feeding times to certain hours and gradually as time passes reduce it more. Your child will quickly stop on his/her own and it won’t be a traumatic event.

Continuing To Feed

If you do plan on continuing to breastfeed while you are pregnant, talk with your doctor about it. Not all the time will the doctor agree to your decision. Sometimes he/she may see something in your condition that you don’t. Listen carefully and find out if it is a just reason or simply his/her own belief. If it is the doctors belief, you can always seek out one that agrees with you. Being pregnant is difficult enough at times, knowing you have someone in your corner will often relieve the pressure.

Don’t be confused if your family and friends want to say something about it and they will probably give you all kind of advice on how to stop and what they’ve read. Nicely explain to them it is your decision and you’ll do what you think is best for your children. Try finding a support group in your area so you have someone to vent to or talk about these issues. Check out if there is a La Leche League close to you or online that you can join.

Remember that as long as you take proper care of yourself and your body, you’ll be able to safely breastfeed while pregnant.