breastfeeding while pregnant

Yes, your body will carry on making milk while you're pregnant, so you'll be able to breastfeed.  While you're breastfeeding your toddler, your unborn baby will still get all the nutrients she needs from your body. Make sure you're eating well, so you don't go short yourself. Keep taking your daily vitamin D and folic acid supplements. Your body releases the hormone oxytocin to let your milk down when you're breastfeeding. Oxytocin is also released during labour, but there's no evidence that breastfeeding during pregnancy can trigger contractions.  However, if you're expecting twins or more, or you've had a miscarriage, or premature birth in the past, your midwife may caution against breastfeeding during pregnancy. Breastfeeding while pregnant may enhance some pregnancy side-effects. If you have nausea, you may feel more sick.  The sensitive nipples that go with early pregnancy may be more sore because you're breastfeeding. Most mums find the soreness doesn't last long, and they soon adjust. By about five months of your pregnancy, your breasts start to produce colostrum in readiness for your baby's birth. Your toddler may not like the change in taste and drop in quantity of milk, so you may find he weans himself off breastfeeding around this time.  If he doesn't self-wean, it's fine for him to keep feeding. It won't mean there's less colostrum for your newborn. If your baby is less than a year old and you are breastfeeding him while you're pregnant, make sure that he is still putting on weight after your milk changes. After the birth you can breastfeed both your babies (tandem feeding), if you'd like to. You'll have enough milk for both your children. One benefit is that mums who tandem feed are less likely to get mastitis than mums who feed one baby. Whether or not you want to carry on feeding your toddler once your new baby arrives is a personal decision. Don't let other people put you off, if it's what you feel is right for you and your children. If you decide that tandem feeding isn't for you, aim to wean your toddler while you're pregnant. If you leave it until after his new sibling arrives, he may feel left out at a time when he'll already have lots of adjustments to make. Find out what to expect from labour and birth this time around.