Colostrum and Tandem Nursing

Wow, what a good mama you are! As a midwife I have seen women produce enough colostrum for their newborn and for a nursing toddler. Also, I just gave birth to twins who had to spend 3 weeks in the NICU. At the time I was also nursing my 3 year old son. Even though I had seen other women do it and I knew that it shouldn't be a problem, I had the same concern. The lactation consultant set me straight. We do NOT have a finite amount of colostrum that runs out. Our bodies will make as much colostrum as needed until a certain amount of time after the birth. Our bodies have a wisdom that we just don't understand. You will have plenty of colostrum for your baby and your older daughter will get the benefits of it as well!
BLESSINGS!

Congratulations! Both for your pregnacy, and for not weaning! I have 7 kids (& 11 grandkids) I had them roughly 2 yrs apart, but nursed each for 3 yrs. None suffered from my nursing while pregnant, or tandum nursing. They are all healthy, intelligent adults now.
I agree with the advice Molly and some others gave you. Your body is an equisite machine that is programed for the preservation of the species. I too am a midwife. While it is true that nursing can give you braxton-hicks contx, and that nourishing two at once does require more calories than nourishing one, it does not cause premature labor, malnutrition does. Every b-h contx you have is one less contx you'll have during labor, I call this a bonus, not a risk factor.Optimal nutrition is of utmost importance for optimal outcome, no matter how many babies your nourishing.
I still remember through one pregnancy the WIC nutritionist kept telling me I was starving my baby, and going to end up with a "sick, scrawny, premature baby in NICU". Well, the day after I gave birth, while I was at the health dept. filing the birth certificate, I proudly marched over to the WIC office to show off my "sick, scrawny, premature baby" all 9 lbs, 11 oz of her, that took me only 90 mins of labor! My first stage consisted of 3 (yes, only 3!) contrx, 20 mins apart, while I was still in bed nursing my toddler. By the 4th contrx, I was starting to push; Becky was still trying to nurse, so I sat her down with a bowl of Cheerios, and went to lie down, and out slid Rachel! Nursing through your pregnancy, and even the labor itself makes for a swift relatively easy birth, not that ANY birth is "easy"!!

BTW, nursing raises your blood sugar, in order for your body to make milk and nourish the growing fetus. So many doctors are not saavy on the effects of prolonged nursing, nor nursing through pregnancy. I was mistakenly dxed with gestational diabetes during the course of one of my pregnancies, just because I was still nursing & my Dr. didn't realize how that affected blood sugar. A lot a research and stressful days ensued becazuse of that, so remember, fore-warned is fore-armed. So if the doc tells you you have GD, I wouldn't necessarily believe him (her), unless (s)he also happens to be a lactation consultant.

Whatever you do is the right thing for you. I never intended to nurse my son for so long...he is now 3 and still nurses once in a while (I strongly limit when). However, he had a milk protein intolerance and so we nursed longer than I expected...and during that time I became pregnant again (his sister was born when he was 25 months). I figured he would self wean during pregnancy, but did not. And, I did not push the issue. I am responding for two reasons:

1. Some individuals have suggested they would wean because of jealousy issues. To be honest, I believe that allowing my son to also nurse has helped with jealousy. Early on, they periodically nursed at the same time. My son always understood that the baby 'needed' mommy milk and so it was never a problem when it was her turn. It was nice for him to have the opportunity to bond with me through nursing though when his sister was napping, etc. My experience was positive and so I wanted to add it.

2. I read a lot about tandem nursing and tried to research it as much as possible because I was concerned about my unborn child's health. My OB (who is also chair at a large teaching institution) had no concerns at all with nursing during pregnancy. Perhaps that was why I was comfortable continuing to nurse. I really doubt the unborn child suffers...I think it is probably more the mom. Tandem nursing is indeed exhausting...I sometimes think my kiddies are sucking the life (and brains) out of me. But, in the end, we continue because of the bonding it creates.

Good luck! Life is a constant challenge...and it is harder when tired...so, I am hitting the rack now.

Dear Becka,

Hello. Congratulations on your pregnancy and on continuing to meet your toddler's physical and emotional needs through breastfeeding! It is evident from your letter that you want to do what is best for your older daughter and your new baby. You are obviously a loving, concerned mother. I applaud you!

After reading your letter, I felt compelled to respond. I am a La Leche League Leader and the mother of four children, all breastfed and ALL tandem nursed. I have nursed through three pregnancies. My youngest child is 7 months old, and at the time that I became pregnant with her, I was nursing THREE children. During the last trimester, all of my children had nearly weaned themselves, the youngest of which was 2 years old. I ate well during pregnancy (lots of protein, iron, folic acid, and other vitamins and minerals) but I gained only 20 lbs. I am thin to begin with, so some may have said that this was too much for my body to handle. However, my energy level during pregnancy was terrific, and I gave birth in January to a beautiful, healthy 10 lb. baby girl! My previous pregnancy (when I was nursing two children) resulted in a 9 lb. baby girl. Both of these two labor/births were just two hours long from start to finish. My point is that if you take care of yourself, nursing does not affect your health or the unborn baby's. And you do not really need to DOUBLE your calories. You need to make healthy food choices and make the calories count.

As for the colostrum issue, your baby will most definitely receive your colostrum. Your nursing toddler will not take it all during pregnancy or after. Yes, many women do begin to manufacture colostrum in the later months of pregnancy, but having a child nursing during this time does not take it all away. Your body is designed to make the right milk for your baby at the right time. If you feel concerned, certainly nurse the newborn first. Your newborn will need to nurse often and be in your arms. And the toddler/preschooler should be able to wait. However, nursing does indeed contribute to closeness and LACK of jealousy between siblings.

By the way, there is definitely nutritional value to human milk well into the toddler and preschool years and even beyond! Nursing children do not become ill as frequently or severely as non-nursing children. And that is just one of the MANY benefits of extended breastfeeding. Another is additional IQ points the longer a child is breastfed. And you cannot deny the wonderful bond it fosters between mother and child.

Some children will wean themselves during your pregnancy and some will not. Of my four children, only one weaned during my pregnancy, because she did not like the taste of the milk (more salty) or the lowered production. And later she described the taste of the colostrum as being like butter. She even gagged! That was a first for my family! But once she made up her mind, that was that. It was her choice and no problem with me.

Ultimately, you must do what is best for your family. However, please make your choices based on credible fact, not on others opinions. It sounds as though you already know the choice that is best for you, and you will follow your heart. And there is no need to pump colostrum for your newborn baby. He or she doesn't need a bottle, just your breast. There will be plenty available, and introducing a bottle too soon may have its risks.

An excellent resource on this topic is Tandem Nursing by Hillary Flower. Two other fabulous books are The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by LLLI, and Mothering Your Nursing Toddler by Norma Jane Bumgarner. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and God bless your family.

Sincerely,
J. Hernandez
LLL of Wilmington

My sister has had 7 children including 1 set of twins. She always let them ween themselves. What she has found is that during the later stages of her pregnancies, the child who was still nursing would ween themselves. Your milk will change taste and texture, some children will continue to nurse, but most will stop some very suddenly once the milk changes. Be prepared, it happened to my best friend, her oldest stopped within 3 days once her milk began to change. I would continue to do what you feel is right. From my understanding, the colostrum comes in after birth, but I could be wrong. I think breast is best with as little bottle as necessary. My son never had a bottle!

You are doing the right thing for both of your children.
I wish you the best.

Your colostrum will not run out mama. Many women have tandem nursed before...it can be done. I would look into your local LLL. Keep up the hard work mama.

I wouldn't worry too much. Our bodies have a wonderful way of making things work.

The info I found on Kellymom.com (an amazing source for bfing info) just says to make sure the new baby nurses first until your milk comes in. That way he/she is getting the colostrum instead of the older child.

http://kellymom.com/nursingtwo/faq/07bflimits.html

I wouldn't try pumping the colostrum because then you aren't getting baby to the breast to learn how to nurse.

Good luck! I'm sure things will work out great.

I have tandem nursed all of my children, being spaced 27 and 22 months apart. I do not believe it is absolutely true that all the colostrum is consumed. It is my understanding (and I am also a trained midwife and aspiring lactation consultant) that you continue to make colostrum until after the birth of your baby. Your breasts are able to make the perfect milk, with exactly what your baby needs, even if you are tandem nursing. I believe the best thing to do is to allow your baby the opportunity to breastfeed as soon after birth as possible, and in the first few weeks, when youre supply is being established; allow your newborn to breastfeed first, or if nursing together, offer the newborn the fullest breast first (once your milk comes in). You will likely still experience your milk coming in around day 2 or 3, as all the hormones that tell your body when to go from colostrum to breastmilk production are still in place due to the pregnancy and birth, even if your toddler is still nursing. I hope this helps. -M.

WOW!!! I was shocked at some of the "opinion" responses! PLEASE listen to those who actually have some knowledge in the area of breastfeeding. There were some really good responses from several LLL leaders and midwives. There is NO reason to have to wean your toddler or pump the colostrum. You will continue to have colostrum for your newborn...if you are concerned, just nurse the baby first. Do not worry about jealousy issues either...it is actually a great bonding time for the siblings. I am a nursing mother but was also tandem nursed as a child. My brother is 2 1/2 years older than me and he did "claim" a breast before I was born. My mother said that when I first got home from the hospital she put me on the "wrong" breast (which would have been either one), but then everything was fine from then on out. She tandem nursed us very successfully (for several years...I must add), I got all the colostrum I needed, and my brother and I bonded in such a special way from the very beginning. I truly believe that it helped build a very close relationship not just with our mom but also with each other. I am now 35 and still have a very close relationship with my brother...never any jealousy issues! I am still nursing my 19 month old daughter and plan to tandem when my husband and I have another child. They WILL self ween despite what some of the responders said and as long as you are breastfeeding, your children DO get the immunities and nutrition that they need...there is not a magical age that it stops!
For more information check out www.LLLI.org or call your local LLL group. If you still need information...feel free to contact me and I will either help you or find someone to answer your questions.
Best of luck! And GREAT JOB on giving your children the best...BREASTMILK!!! They will thank you as they grow older! :-)

Becka,
You will still have colostrum when the new baby comes. Never doubt that when it comes to breastfeeding your body works just the way it is suppose to. Many moms have tandem nursed and after you birth your little one your breasts will make just what the baby needs.

My only suggestion is more of a comment. Your daughter probably will not wean herself, this is something you may have to decide to do on your own. Most kids do not wean themselves from nursing, paci, thumb, or bottle. You will have to decide if the tandem will work for you and if not, you will have to wean her soon. It should only take a month if you want to continue nursing her for another 2 months. That will make her 21 months, almost two is pretty good...very good for her health actually. In my opinion I would wean her. I think that you should give the same attn to your new baby as you have given to her. The new baby should get the colostrum along with all the benefits of feeding when he or she wants to. Your daughter may even get jealous of the new baby and want to nurse more. Wean her and show her she is the "big sis" and let her help you and become and good, helping sister. If she thinks she is still the baby, you may have issues of her accepting her new sibling. You can start by only nursing her to sleep now then night time only about a month before birth and then about a 2-3 weeks before your next baby is born, start to take away the bed time nursing. She will cry and will want to nurse but that is going to happen whether you wean her now or when she is 4, change is always hard on kids but she will be fine.

Good luck, W.

If I were you, I would stop nursing your 19 month old all together.After the first year, there aren't as many nutrients in breast milk anymore.The new baby is going to need it much more than a 19 month old.

My friend tandem nurses and she would love to help. She is a doula and childbirth educator. Feel free to call her - Brooke Atkinson ###-###-####

I'm all for breastfeeding but even if you had given your 19 month old a bottle she would need to be weaned from that by now or at least in the next 3-4 months before the baby gets here, so I imagine the same would go for the breast. Your new baby needs your breastmilk. An almost 2 year old should be getting nutrition from foods and juices. Just an opinion based on what I've heard and read.

Wow! I hope some of the other responses on this thread take time to do a little research.

You should have plenty of colustrum, just drink plenty of water and eat like you are still pregnant, your milk will come in faster because you are nursing two, also your toddler will come in super handy to take the edge off of any engorgement issues! I had such bad engorgement and leaking with my first, but I've tandem nursed every child since then and no more leaky breasts at night, no more gross oversupply issues. I've been lactating for 11+ years, through 3 complete pregnancies, and based on my experience alone- not even delving into the wealth of information from LLL and those in the lactation field- you will definitely have colostrum and have enough, just stay nourished and hydrated!

The most special moment after my second baby was born was when her older brother woke up an hour or two after the birth (it was a homebirth) and saw her for the first time- she was nursing, and he wanted to nurse too- they both latched on and gazed into each others eyes, you could see her focusing- you know that quiet alert period right after an unmedicated birth where they are able to focus intently- and he reached across and held her little hand- too precious!!

I am also pregnant with my 6th (I'm due at the end of November so fairly close to you I guess) and still nursing my 20 month old, so this is the 4th pregnancy I've nursed through. My mother was a LLL leader and tandem nursed through 2 of her pregnancies as well, my sister is a LLL leader and tandem nursed through 1.5 of hers, no problems.

HTH!

Becka, I believe that the act of being in labor and giving birth triggers the production of colostrum, so I don't think it is true that your first will have consumed it all. Especially when you consider that when you go into labor, you are gonna need someone to keep your oldest while you are laboring (for who knows how long) and recovering in the hospital. Does your oldest take pumped milk from a bottle or sippy? As long as you have pumped ahead of time for her, she should be fine, because you wouldn't want to have her nursing right after you give birth as that would mean that she would be getting the colostrum that your newborn will need. I too was nursing my first part way through my second pregnancy. However, my doctors convinced me to stop nursing by the fourth month of pregnancy due to the possibility of pre-term labor. My oldest was only 9 months when I discovered I was pregnant again! I wasn't aware that nursing could cause contractions and I didn't want to take any chances of my second coming early. Anyway, although I stopped nursing, my breasts continued to produce milk, but when I gave birth my first milk for the baby was colostrum because your body is programmed that way. So, as long as you don't bring your oldest in to nurse ahead of your newborn after the birth, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. I don't have much to offer as far as tandem nursing goes, but I will tell you that just keeping up with feeding the newborn is going to be exhausting while running around after a toddler. We experienced quite a bit of jealousy as my oldest was only 15 months when his brother was born. You may find it easier to pump milk for the oldest and have her be use to taking her milk from a sippy cup by the time the new baby comes along. I know you said that she wasn't ready to ween yet , but this way she would still be getting the benefit of your milk, but not be as attached to your breast, so to speak, when little brother or sister is born. Hope this helps, congratulations and best wishes!

I would contact La Leche League. I'm sure someone there would know the answer to your question (which is very interesting and one I'm interested in :))

Here's the link to the local chapter http://www.llleus.org/web/GeorgetownKy.html

The leader's name is Karen ###-###-####

If this is not close enough to you just Google LLL and find the local chapter near you. They are so knowledgeable.

L.

Why are you still nursing a almost two year old child anyway??? Shouldn't she be on cow's milk and table food long before now?

No experience in this arena, but I HOPE you're getting extra-special nutrition while 'eating for three'!

God bless!

I nursed me first until she was 2 and a few months old, which was during my first trimester. I have not heard of the colostrum issue when tandem nursing a toddler and a newborn, so you may want to check with the La Leche League and get several educated opinions before you worry too much. If it is true, would your first child be ready for a special "big sis/bro" cup and special drink (yogurt smoothie for example) and nurse less? I know that I would hate for my baby to miss out on colostrum. Good luck!

Wow, I relate to your dilemma.
It is a really personal choice.

My son was 21 months when I weened him & I was 3 months pregnant. I decided to ween him because I felt that it would create less animosity towards the new baby & give my son an opportunity to become the "big Boy". I didnt want him feeling like the baby was taking something very special from him, but rather, he was grown up now & nursing is for babies. Passing the torch so to speak.

Your daughter will have to share enough things when baby arrives (your time & attention). By weening now you have a buffer of time so it wont be like the baby came & "took" the breast from her.

If tandem nursing proves to be too difficult (for you or for the children) it may be harder to ween your "big girl", she may get possesive.

Those were my thoughts when I made the decision. We had a little 4 day vacation w/out the 21 month old & I used the opportunity to break away. If you are considering weening, perhaps a long weekend at grandmas to help the process?

You have my support whatever you decide! Follow your gut.

P

Not sure about the colostrum or the possible problems of "territory" with your older child, but I was told by my Dr. that to breast feed while pregnant would require doubling up on calories (not just the "extra" pregnancy calories...more needed for BF). A lot of your calorie intake goes to the milk your daughter is taking. Are you sure that the baby is getting enough nutrients? You need to take vitamins and eat a much larger and healthier diet to ensure the baby is thriving in the womb! And while I'm not overweight at all, my Dr said that usually increasing the calories to ensure a healthy baby means increasing fats and carbs. She said if this was what I wanted to do, then she expected me to gain unnecessary weight and have trouble losing it after baby!
And a medical article I just read (but now I can't get back to that page to link it here) says that a woman begins to produce colostrum about 3 months before delivery. It's not just produced at active labor and delivery...that's when you body is told to start with the milk production (which normally arrives within a week after birth). Hope this helps!

Hi Becka, I would contact the nursing mothers counselors from Nursing Mothers of Raleigh. They are a great group and will be able to help you with that question. http://www.nursingmothersofraleigh.org/

Good luck! D..
my blog: http://bizformomsonline.blogspot.com/

definitely bring your question to a la leche league meeting and or leader. i have known several woman who tandem nursed and they all seem to have healthy thriving children and did not pump and save the colostrum. (at least not to my knowledge) Good luck and nurse on=)

keep nursing as long as you want. you don't want the guilt of forcing one child off for another. call your local la leche or (if you're in raleigh, call wake med's lactation group) and ask. i am with the other posters... i think your body will regulate the colostrum accordingly. congrats!

Hi Becka,

I can't help you with my own experience, but Kelly Mom is the BEST resource for breastfeeding moms. I am sure you will find the information you need there: www.kellymom.com/

Warmly,
D.

I would ween your 19 month old now. Your new baby needs that colostrum to start a great life. I am glad that you were able to breast feed this long and you haave given your daughter a fantastic start in life. But a few things you need to think about when you decide to wean her... If she was on a bottle would she still have it now?? Does she eat table foods and use a sippy cup?? If not she needs to be. Her body has outgrown the need for breastmilk. She wouldn't need formula now. If you are worried about nutrition after weaning they have plenty of products out now too help with that. You will still have the closeness to her that you have had. You can rock her, cuddle her, read to her. Hope it helps.

From: HLB
Date: Fri. Sep. 05, 2008

Becka,
I am not an expert but from my reading when I was pregnant (to my almost 19 mo baby girl & still nursing by the way!), my understanding is that the colostrum gives the baby protection against disease since the immune system is not fully developed. And as a now SAHM pharmacist I would be very careful since the baby will be born during the spring season (winter & spring have been known for high incedence of RSV-respiratory syncytial virus especially if baby is premature or has to be hospitalized) that is to say you want your next baby to have the best immune protection just like you offered it to your daughter. Then again as I stated I am not an expert it may be okay to breastfeed both of them just make sure you are getting plenty of nutrients but think about giving your newborn the same quality time you gave your first one. May God bless your family and whatever decison you make-I am sure ther is no right & wrong answer just do what will make you feel happy.

I am thinking that surely the indians nursed 2, and didn't have any problems. I would get in touch with la leche league and ask, how about your midwife? Good luck.

Your milk production will change during pregnancy as well as after the baby is born, but that doesn't mean that your toddler will "steal" all your baby's colostrum!

Obviously, go to LLL & check out books on nursing while pregnant, as well as those on tandem nursing.

It's possible that your older child will self-wean when the taste of the milk changes; or if the quantity goes down (as your body makes more colostrum and less "true milk"). I've heard of some children saying that the milk tastes "funny" when it turns to colostrum.

Colostrum production is triggered by pregnancy and birth. Nursing an older child may change this slightly, but your baby will get colostrum!