Mom, who carries a second baby at the time,when the first is still very small, often wondering whether it is permissible to breast-feed during pregnancy. Her doubts and anxieties are quite understandable - you do not want to deprive an older karapuza of useful breast milk, and at the same time terribly harm the developing organism of crumbs, which lives under the heart. In general, according to medical recommendations, the interval between pregnancies should last at least two years, during which the maternal organism can fully recover. However, in practice, there are different situations, and sometimes a woman learns of a new pregnancy, when the older baby is only 2-3 months old. In any case, a short period between pregnancies is an additional burden on the female body, so the mother should not forget to show the doctor regularly and take all the recommended tests, as well as listen to her well-being.
Often a woman may hear recommendations likestop breastfeeding during pregnancy as soon as possible. This is motivated by the fact that the older child can “take away” useful substances from the younger one, as a result of which the crumb in the stomach will suffer and develop more slowly than it should be. Due to increased oxytocin secretion, breastfeeding during pregnancy can provoke uterine contractions and even lead to miscarriage or premature birth.
However, not everything is so sad.If a woman has no related problems (increased uterine tone, spontaneous abortions in the past), then breastfeeding and pregnancy are not mutually exclusive things. It is necessary to focus on the maternal well-being, age and needs of the baby - many women gradually curtail breastfeeding during pregnancy (by the second or third trimester), gradually reducing the number of breastfeeding and familiarizing the baby with new dishes. Moreover, by the third trimester (or even earlier), under the influence of hormonal rearrangements in the maternal organism, the taste of breast milk changes, and therefore the child often refuses to breast.
Если говорить о медицинских рекомендациях, то obstetricians advise to minimize breastfeeding by mid-pregnancy. This is due to the fact that up to 20 weeks the uterus is not so sensitive to the effects of oxytocin, which is released during breastfeeding, but in the later period the probability of premature birth increases significantly. Moreover, by this time the production of breast milk is significantly reduced. Similar recommendations are valid for those mothers whose second pregnancy passes without any pathologies. However, if a woman has any problems: a constant feeling of fatigue, a tone of the uterus, a strong toxemia - this is a significant reason to end up breastfeeding as quickly as possible. After all, the older and younger toddler need a healthy mom!
If a woman during pregnancy continuesbreastfeeding an older baby, she needs to eat right and eat foods rich in calcium (milk, cottage cheese, cheese), iron (beef, buckwheat, pomegranates) and other vitamins and minerals, include in the diet protein foods and more rest. The breast of a pregnant woman is very sensitive to external stimuli, so the feeding process often causes discomfort. In this case, you should limit the number and time of feeding, not allowing the child to "hang" for a long time on the chest. It is very good if mom has an assistant (grandmother, dad, someone from relatives or friends) who can distract the baby, play with him, and if necessary put him to bed. Mom is very important to decide how she sees breastfeeding after the birth of the second baby. If she plans to feed in tandem, that is, two at once, then no special action can be taken. And if she wants to feed only the youngest, then it is desirable to complete breastfeeding as early as possible, at least several months before the birth, so that the little tot will not associate the appearance of a brother or sister with weaning.
