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Breastfeeding During Pregnancy

It Can Be Done!

By Debbie Friedman

"The tender nipples while nursing were a give-away that I was pregnant," says Traci Coburn.

Becky Sweetser has just found out that she is pregnant. "Well, I suspected I was pregnant when my milk production literally dropped to nothing all of a sudden, and what I did have changed," she says. "The milk was very watery, with a blue tint."

For many women, becoming pregnant while breastfeeding can come as a surprise. Some do not plan the pregnancy, while others assume a pregnancy is unlikely or even impossible while breastfeeding a child. As you hold your nursing child to your breast, you may think a new pregnancy will be difficult for everyone. As you care for one baby, how can you be growing another?

And yet, many women plan a pregnancy to ensure their children are close together. While breastfeeding can interfere with ovulation, it's an unlikely birth control for mothers who are nursing older babies.

"Breastfeeding is such a special time of closeness that it is unimaginable for some mothers to consider ending the relationship before the baby is ready, even if that means nursing through a pregnancy and subsequently nursing two babies together," says Ann Calandro, RN, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) from North Carolina.

Throughout much of the world, especially in less "developed" countries, nursing while pregnant is common. In the United States, it is important to understand that there are more misconceptions about breastfeeding during pregnancy that there are actual facts.

A woman can value her breastfeeding relationship with her child, and still ensure the well being of her new child growing inside. With some basic education and information for both the physician and pregnant woman, breastfeeding during pregnancy is almost always safe.

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