As I write this, I am currently 36 weeks pregnant. I wanted to provide an update on how it’s been breastfeeding in the third trimester. I promised in my first post on Breastfeeding While Pregnant that I would check back in.
I kept waiting for my milk to dry up, for the taste can change, or for her to just lose interest. Well, we are still nursing! In fact, my personal breastfeeding goal was always two years, and we are now just ten days away. To be perfectly honest, once I got pregnant, I felt fine with the idea of her self-weaning, or even with mother-led weaning if I felt the need. But weaning just hasn’t happened yet.
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However, as I continue breastfeeding in the third trimester, I have had a new challenge. Perhaps simply because this is my second pregnancy, Braxton Hicks contractions started a lot sooner and have been much stronger. The contractions are worse when I have been on my feet for a long time or haven’t had enough water. But the biggest trigger for the contractions is nursing. This comes as no surprise as any kind of nipple stimulation can cause uterine contractions. But it made me start worrying about breastfeeding increasing the risk of triggering preterm labor. Fortunately, in my case, the contractions are never regular or progressing. Neither am I otherwise at risk of preterm labor. But I did want to get confirmation from a professional.
My insurance during this pregnancy (Kaiser) provides lactation consultant visits. (How awesome is that?) So I decided to take advantage and get some advice on my concerns, as well as to help prepare for tandem breastfeeding. My daughter and I were lucky to have a visit with Rose deVigne-Jackiewicz, RN, IBCLC. My daughter was very excited to go to the “booboo milk teacher.” (And I suspect Rose and the other lactation consultant were kind of tickled to consult with a nursling that talked back for a change.)
The verdict? Since I am not having a high-risk pregnancy (other than being elderly, ha!) and I do not have a history of preterm labor, continuing to nurse is fine. Rose did say that if I wanted to play it safe for the next few weeks that I could try to limit nursing to 2-3 times a day at most and use distraction when she would otherwise like to nurse. She told me that after 38 weeks, to go ahead and if it triggers labor, at least the baby will be full-term. She also gave me some strategies for tandem breastfeeding in the hospital. She warned that some of the staff may not be familiar with it, but to just treat it as the natural thing that it is!
Together we talked to my daughter about sharing the milk with the new baby. She reinforced the strategy I have already started, talking to my daughter about how lucky she is to eat all kinds of food, but that the new baby will only be able to drink milk. The baby will always have the first turn at drinking milk, and then she can have as much as she likes afterwards.
I’m actually feeling pretty confident about everything now. The first two weeks nursing my first baby were brutal with pumping every two hours to kick start my supply. It will be so easy and natural to just have a quick toddler nursing session instead. My daughter will be much more effective and efficient than any pump. And as a bonus, having our special connection time will help her with all the transitions.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional or lactation consultant. This information is intended to share one person’s experience. Please consult with your own care providers regarding your own particular situation. (On the other hand, breastfeeding multiple children has been done for millennium, so maybe we should treat it as the biological norm!)
What are your thoughts on breastfeeding in late pregnancy?
For more advice on the safety of breastfeeding in the third trimester:
Kelly Mom on the safety of breastfeeding during pregnancy.
Kelly Mom on Breastfeeding Contractions.
And a great review by Hillary Flower of research on the safety of breastfeeding.
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