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May 8, 2002
Well, I obviously haven't been a very faithful diary writer! Yikes! It's been almost a year since my last entry. Since I'm now in the "Completed Diaries" section, I have no idea whether or not this will even post. I've wanted to do at least one more entry, however, because I know that when I was considering getting pregnant while breastfeeding I really wanted information from someone who had been there.
All in all I must say that all my worries about getting pregnant while breastfeeding, being pregnant while breastfeeding, and nursing a toddler and a newborn (tandem nursing) turned out to be groundless. I was able to get pregnant the first month we started trying--so obviously, nursing did not make it difficult for my husband and I to conceive. And, if anything, I had an easier pregnancy the second time around. Nursing while pregnant did not make me feel more tired or sicker. And yes there were a few things to adjust to when my baby arrived, but it didn't take long for us to work through them. 6 months after my second child's birth, both kids are still happily nursing.
Now I'll give a quick update since lots has happened since my last entry. I survived the rest of my pregnancy just fine. It wasn't fun being being in my 3rd trimester during the heat of the summer, but I spent a lot of time in the water and that helped trememdously. For the most part, I felt really good and enjoyed preparing for my baby's arrival.
Kyle was born in October--9 days late (so much for nursing bringing on early labor!), and weighing in at a whopping 10 pounds 2 ounces! (I guess nursing while pregnant didn't rob him of vital nutrients!) I was able to have him at the birth center and had a completely unmedicated labor and delivery. He started nursing right away. I think the lack of drugs in his system helped him to get the hang of breastfeeding from the start. It also helped that I knew what I was doing this time! From day 1 up until now he has been such a sweet, mellow, easy-going baby! He continues to be big for his age and is now 20 pounds. He did have RSV in January, which was a little scary, but he handled it really well and seems to be very healthy overall. He is just now starting solids and doesn't seem too enthusiastic yet, but I know he'll get the hang of it eventually.
Kara is now almost 3! She is doing wonderfully now, but we had a rocky couple of months right after Kyle was born with lots of emotional outbursts and overall negativity. I think it was a combination of her age--from what I've read 2.5-year-olds are where the term "terrible twos" comes from--and having to adjust to sharing me with her new brother. However, we have come through that difficult period just fine and are now doing great! She is still nursing twice a day--once before her rest time and once before bed. She still seems to need it and I still don't mind. She dropped her nap right after Kyle was born and that was tough since I had come to count on it! So, I started putting her down for "rest time"--she doesn't have to sleep, but must rest on her bed for an hour. That is working really well and I've even had good success getting her down for rests while Kyle naps. It's so necessary having a little "me-time" as anyone who's taken care of small children day after day knows!
Overall, I'm loving being the mother of two kids! Yes, it is more work and I do get overwhelmed from time to time, but I love sharing my days with both of them. They are so sweet together and as they both grow and develop the more the three of us are able to do together.
So if you are considering breastfeeding a toddler through a subsequent pregnancy (and beyond!), we are proof that it can be done and doesn't have to be a big burden. I encourage you to get all the information you can about nursing during pregnancy and follow your heart when making your decision. You can make it work! :o)
Happy nursing!
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