Breastfeeding In Tandem

So you’re still breastfeeding your baby only to discover that you’re expecting again – congratulations times two! But can you continue to breastfeed? Loren Stow finds out...

Tandem breastfeeding is the term used for nursing two children that are not twins; however, it can also refer to breastfeeding one baby while pregnant with another. The question of whether or not this is possible, or healthy, has a simple answer; it is totally possible as long as you have an uncomplicated pregnancy and antenatal history.

HEALTH CONCERNS

Many women worry about whether or not they can continue to breastfeed their baby when they discover they’re pregnant again. Will this affect the growth of their unborn baby or the nutrition of their breastfeeding baby? Is it something that the pregnant mom can do considering the amount of energy and nutrients that both pregnancy and breastfeeding demand of her? These concerns are normal. Mayo Clinic explains that tandem breastfeeding is generally safe as long as the mother continues to eat a nutrient-rich diet and take plenty of fluids.

They do warn, however, that the hormone produced during breastfeeding – oxytocin – is the same as that which is produced during labour, so this may cause uterine contractions and can possibly bring on a late miscarriage or preterm birth in women who are at risk. In other words, if the mother has had a late miscarriage or preterm birth previously, then it would be safer for her to wean her baby off the breast.

TWO IN TOW