If you're newly pregnant and would like to continue breastfeeding your older child, you have to read this post. Parents Ask expert Dr. Jason Rothart answers this reader's question:

Q: Is it okay to breastfeed while pregnant? I have a 10 month old who I nurse and just discovered that I'm pregnant again.  What's the deal? Is it safe? Is it true that I'd be depriving my unborn child of nutrients that will pass in to my breastmilk? Will it affect my periods after the baby is born? Or make me more or less fertile? Help!



For most women, it's possible to safely continue breast-feeding while pregnant, as long as the woman maintains a healthy diet and adequate hydration, including use of prenatal vitamins. The unborn child isnt effected in any way. For lack of a better term, a growing fetus is a parasite, and takes everything it needs from the mother's diet. Not only will the nutrition going into the breast milk not be missed by the growing fetus, a pregnant woman would need to not eat for 3 weeks and lose 15 pounds before the fetus is effected. That being said, during pregnancy there usually is a decreased milk supply in the nursing mother, as well as changes in the way the milk tastes. These two factors can lead a nursing child to wean themselves. 

The mother's comfort is also a concern. During pregnancy, nipple tenderness and breast soreness are common, and this discomfort may intensify while breast-feeding.  Furthermore, breast feeding while pregnant can trigger uterine contractions. And though these contractions are not effective to dilate a cervix, ie, labor contractions, caution must be taken.

Most importantly, breast-feeding during pregnancy generally isn't recommended for women who have a history of preterm labor. Finally, breastfeeding while pregnant will not effect future fertility or menstrual cycle regularity. These issues are both moot as the mother in question here is already pregnant. In a true post partum period, however, breast feeding stops the ovulation about 85% of cycles.  As always, it's important to consult your doctor as there may be individualized concerns that would preclude nursing while pregnant.