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Can You Breastfeed While Pregnant?

R@pToRLast Updated: February 20, 2023

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Can You Breastfeed While Pregnant? — Can You Breastfeed While Pregnant

You have just started getting used to life with a breastfeeding infant when you get the news that you are pregnant again. It would be an understatement to say that this is a blessing with mixed characteristics. You are probably wondering, in addition to the obvious question, how that happened and whether or not I can continue to breastfeed my child.

Can You Breastfeed While Pregnant

And a great deal more inquiries will spring to mind after that. If I continue to breastfeed my young child, will that have any negative effects on my developing child? Will my infant receive adequate nutrition if I continue to breastfeed?

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Does breastfeeding prevent pregnancy?

It has been discovered that if you breastfeed your baby exclusively, this can delay the onset of your period (ovulation), but only for a short period of time and only under certain conditions. According to research, the lactational amenorrhea method of birth control (also known as LAM) can be as effective as 98% up until your baby is approximately six months old.

The acronym LAM refers to the delay of your period that occurs as a result of breastfeeding for approximately six months after the birth of your baby. The following conditions, among others, must prevail for LAM to achieve its goals:

Infant-only receives breast milk
No baby food or other items
Every four to six hours, the infant is fed.
The last period you had was not

This method is only reliable up until your child reaches the age of six months. When a baby is about six months old, it will begin to start sleeping longer during the night, which will likely result in a reduction in the number of times that you have to feed your baby during the night.

In addition, this is the age at which a baby typically begins eating solid food. The likelihood of becoming pregnant rises when the baby is eating solid food and breastfeeding occurs less frequently than every four to six hours.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, is generally in favor of LAM as a method of birth control.

Breastfeed during pregnancy?

Absolutely! Oxytocin is secreted during breastfeeding, and this results in the uterus becoming more constrictive. It was feared that the baby’s breast milk would stimulate uterine contractions, which could lead to the loss of the pregnancy or the baby being born prematurely.

Breastfeeding while pregnant (BDP) has not been shown to increase the risk of either premature birth or miscarriage, according to research conducted. BDP is something that is frequently seen in various other regions of the world.

In 1990, approximately fifty percent of Guatemala’s pregnant women were already breastfeeding their infants. In 1992, slightly more than 16% of pregnant women in 17 different countries, including those in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, were breastfeeding their infants.

There is no recent data available for the continent of North America; however, between the years 1988 and 1994, approximately 5% of expectant mothers had previously breastfed a child.

What are the risks?

You can be certain that the risk of having an abortion or giving birth too early is not related to BDP; however, there is a risk to you as an individual. It should come as no surprise that breastfeeding and pregnancy both put a significant strain on your body.

It is essential for you, your growing baby, and the baby you are feeding to ensure that you get enough calories and nutrition when you are pregnant and breastfeeding. This will support all three of you.

Prevention for next time

There are a lot of different paths you can take if you want to keep away from BDP for longer than six months after the delivery of your next child. There are a number of methods of birth control that can be used without risk while breastfeeding.

Researchers have determined that breastfeeding a child while pregnant does not increase the risk of having a miscarriage or giving birth too soon. Even though it’s not ideal, getting pregnant while breastfeeding is a reality for many women in many different countries around the world.

BDP does not cause any harm to the developing baby and will not cause your breastfeeding baby to become malnourished. When your baby is older than six months, in addition to drinking breast milk, he or she will begin to eat solid food. It is essential for you to keep up with your nutrition in order to ensure that not only your developing baby but also the baby you are breastfeeding receive adequate nourishment.

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R@pToRLast Updated: February 20, 2023

0 3 minutes read