Breastfeeding While Pregnant: it is safe
If like me, you’ve found that you are pregnant while you are still breastfeeding, or you are breastfeeding but want to get pregnant and are question whether or not it is safe to breastfeed. This short and sweet article is for you.
Is it safe to breastfeed while pregnant?
Yes, is it safe to breastfeed while pregnant.
Can I still get pregnant if I am breastfeeding?
In the first 6 months after birth, if you are breastfeeding exclusively and on demand you breastfeeding acts as an effective natural contraception.
After these 6 months are up, it is believed that women have much higher changes of becoming pregnant even as they continue to breastfeed. I believe that this may be because mothers are encouraged to begin weaning babies onto solid foods and off of breastmilk.
I breastfed my daughter, got pregnant and continued to breastfeed throughout my pregnancy. (I had not planned my second pregnancy and was optimistic that my continued breastfeeding meant that I would still be somewhat protected from becoming pregnant. I was wrong. I’m glad about that now.)
I was asked by doctors if it was okay that I still breastfed while I was pregnant. I assure them that it was absolutely okay and they promised to go off and research some more around pregnancy and breastfeeding so they could advise their patients better. On the other hand, very early on in my breastfeeding-while-pregnant journey I was advised by healthcare professionals that I should stop breastfeeding now, to make sure everything would be safe with the baby. I was advised to stop because in Brazil women never breastfeed into pregnancy. I was finally advised to stop breastfeeding soon because baby was almost due and the girls would hate each other.
What I’m the name of clairvoyant doctors?
They would hate each other?
In better news, I listened to none of the nonsense and continued on my breastfeeding-while-pregnant journey and into my absolutely blissful first few months of life as a mother of 2.
Just whacked them on the breast together, snuggled up with lots of cushions and was thankful for a moments peace and lots of bonding with my girls.