What happens when you get pregnant while breastfeeding? Nothing too unusual happens. I have gotten pregnant while breastfeeding twice.
The first time I wasn’t sure if it was safe to continue nursing, and it made me very nervous. My Doctor actually told me to stop breastfeeding right away which I learned later was incorrect information.
I consulted with another Doctor who told me I did not need to stop and let me know it was safe to continue breastfeeding.
I continued nursing my baby and also went on to breastfeed during pregnancy two times.
The first time I got pregnant while breastfeeding there was nothing particularly noticeable that happened after getting pregnant.
I was sort of trying because I was ready for another baby, but I seriously had no clue if I could even get pregnant.
My periods were all over the place. And my luteal phase (time between ovulation and period) was very short which I heard was not good for getting pregnant.
The first sign I noticed of pregnancy was being extra tired. Kind of like pregnancy even when you are not breastfeeding. The second sign was a missed period.
I went on to have pretty typical early pregnancy symptoms.
After consulting with my second Doctor I felt it was safe to keep breastfeeding throughout my entire pregnancy.
Safety of breastfeeding during pregnancy according to Healthline:
You certainly can. But make sure to get enough calories to feed yourself, your baby, and your developing fetus. Aim for 500 extra calories per day if your baby is eating other foods besides your milk and 650 extra calories if they’re less than 6 months old.
In addition, you’ll want to factor in an extra 350 calories in your second trimester and 450 extra calories in your third. Sound complicated? Make it easier for yourself by listening to your body and making healthy food choices.
You may find that your nipples are more sensitive and that your let-down reflex makes you nauseous. This too will pass.
My experience breastfeeding during pregnancy
Common things which occur when you get pregnant while breastfeeding include more sensitive breasts, more sensitive nipples, and eventually a milk supply decrease.
Supply going down takes a long time to occur though, it was well into the third semester when this happened with my second baby and third pregnancy.
Your milk may taste different. I don’t know this for sure, but I have heard it and my first baby did wean herself when I was about 14 weeks pregnant. It did seem she did not like the taste of my milk.
My second baby nursed my entire pregnancy with my third baby. I would have loved for him to wean, and figured he would but he did not.
Once I was pretty far along in my 3rd pregnancy nursing was uncomfortable and my supply was mostly gone. But he kept on! And he went on to tandem nurse after the birth of my third baby for a couple months.
Conclusion
So to sum it up, nothing much happens when you get pregnant while breastfeeding apart from all the typical and wonderful things that happen when you get pregnant.
You may have some issues pop up along the way, but you should be able to keep breastfeeding and enjoy pregnancy all along.
Of course always check with your OB or Doctor if you have any concerns about your pregnancy.
I have much more on this subject. I never thought it would happen to me twice but it did.
Read on here for signs and symptoms of pregnancy while breastfeeding, and how managed to get pregnant while breastfeeding twice.
I also have a post on how breastfeeding can help prevent pregnancy as well.
