Tandem Nursing
Tandem Nursing
Tandem nursing refers to breastfeeding siblings who are not twins. Sometimes a mother finds herself pregnant before her baby is ready to wean, and she keeps on nursing through her pregnancy. You can nurse both a newborn baby and and older child that is not yet weaned. If you are nursing two children, it is not necessary to feed them simultaneously, though this may contribute to sibling bonding time.
Contrary to popular belief, nursing an older baby will not harm your unborn child. Your body is intelligent and knows to give your fetus nutrients first. Your milk will likely drastically drop in supply at around 16 weeks gestation or so. Unless you have some special circumstance that limits your activity, such as a high risk pregnancy, tandem nursing is quite safe.
While nursing does cause uterine contractions, so does sexual activity. If sex is still on the menu, then nursing during pregnancy is ok too.
The main thing to consider is that you need to get the right amount of rest and nutrition to handle tandem nursing physically and emotionally. Having the help of a supportive partner may be the single most important factor in successful doing this. When both parents are committed to breastfeeding, your chances of success are far greater.
Read more about the challenges, rewards and adventures in tandem nursing.
