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KC in TX
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Nursed #2 until 4 months preg with number 3
Nursed #3 until 4 months preg with number 4
Was still nursing #4, but she just weaned herself from her once a night feeding.
I had to wean because of the fatigue and just feeling yucky.
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
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ALmom
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Nursed through
preg. #2 (#1 was a miscarriage) at age 27
preg #3 miscarriage at 10 weeks
preg #4 31
preg #5 miscarriage
preg #6 34
preg #7 37
preg #8 miscarriage
preg #9 40, I think
preg #10 miscarriage
preg #11 42
I also had another miscarriage when I was not nursing.
All my miscarriages were in early pregnancy and the midwife actually advised against changing what I was doing in early preg. as that would be more problematic.
As far as how often children were nursing. In my 2nd and 4th live birth, I had nursed very frequently throughout pregnancy (one of these was my toddler that nursed like a newborn almost but as a newborn she simply came up for air  ) and nursed tandemly after birth in one of them. In the others, the babies (really toddlers) weaned themselves either very, very late in pregnancy or in the case of my oldest, she weaned after nursing the day the baby was born.
I found the discomfort hard to deal with, but basically did not want a new adjustment for the child at that point. I guess I was a bit paranoid that they might have felt pushed aside (don't really think this now). We were committed to nursing on demand and none of our children were scheduled in any way and all nursed at night and slept in our bed. (Even if they had moved to their own room, they all moved back in with us whenever I got pregnant). I did sometimes have to just ask for a minute or briefly put off a nursing to get psychologically ready for the soreness. We kind of found a pattern that worked for both. In the case of 2 of the children that nursed through pregnancy, the nursing was rather extensive. In the case of some others it was mostly upon waking, sleeping and a few times during the day as a short pull themselves together after a boom or disappointment. Sleep was the biggest factor in how easily I could deal with the nursing, so being attentive to adequate rest for me was a big factor in how I felt - both about nursing and morning sickness. I had one child nursing during labor. Most of mine actually slept through labor - but nursing during labor was a bit interesting - not something I am anxious to repeat .
I did follow the Brewers diet of 80 - 100 g of protein and drank milk and actually charted what I ate in each food group daily (kept me honest). I also simply tried to remember to take my preg. vitamins after the baby was born (did better at it during preg.). I gained 50 pounds with every pregnancy, but lost all but 5 pounds easily until my last 11 pound baby (now I am 60 pounds overweight and cannot seem to lose it even 4 years later).
I usually had extended times of ammenorrhea - anywhere from 3 years to 18 months. We were always so anxious for another but felt it would be selfish to simply wean so we could get pregnant again. We felt the ammenorrhea was not such a great thing - esp. the 3 years.
Janet
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MaryM
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Nursed through second (age 28) and fourth (age 36) pregnancies with the older one weaning right around the time of the births of the new sibling.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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SaraP
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I nursed through my second pregnancy at the age of 25 and then tandem nursed for two years after that (DS1 and DS2 are 16 months apart).
I nursed through about half of my third pregnancy at age 29 until DS2 weaned himself.
Edited to add that before my second pregnancy I had been a vegetarian for more than 20 years - since I was a little child - because I just didn't like meat. During that pregnancy, though, I had overwhelming cravings for roast beef and did begin eating meat again. Apparently one just cannot take in enough protein calories to nurse and care for one very active toddler and grow an 11lb 11oz baby on vegetables alone!
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Mama to six on earth, two in heaven and two waiting in Russia. Foxberry Farm Almanac
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mary theresa
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This is all so interesting to me -- tandem nursing, and nursing while pregnant. I had never heard of tandem nursing before joining these boards 
I have been under the impression that you need to wean when you get pregnant. The reason for this impression is that I have two friends whose milk dried up at about 4-6 mos into their pregnancies, or they at least had to heavily supplement with formula. One of my friends weaned her first at 9 mos b/c pg with 2nd and the second at 6 or 7 mos because pregnant with 3rd. My other friend's baby is nearly all the way weaned at 8 mos. b/c she is 4 mos. pg. I always felt sad for the babies being weaned so early and wondered if is was just necessary for the health of the new unborn baby. My daughter is 10 mos now and doesn't like "big people food" so she nurses alot, but my cycle is back and I could get pregnant any month now. I just worry about my milk drying up if that happens and my daughter is nowhere near ready to wean.
Anyways, it is good to hear that so many of you nursed while pregnant. Did you ever have trouble with providing the nutrition for THREE people? I try to eat well, esp. alot of protein. (Sara i craved red meat while pg too!  ) But have any of you ever feel worn down by the amount of work your body is doing, or feel that the quality of your milk is decreasing or anything?
Sorry I do NOT mean to hijack the thread, but this is sort of along the same lines, right?
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Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
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Maryan
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I've mentioned this in another thread, but here's my data for the sake of "scientific research on nursing" ...
For all of my four children, I nurse unrestricted, often, on demand, in bed etc. and there is not a postpartem month that doesn't involve bleeding...and then cycles are totally regular by four months. (On a side note, I also bleed for two months in pregnancy) This baby (#4) is the only exception - I'm not regular yet. My husband and I don't practice NFP, so I don't know for sure when I start ovulating since I'm not pregnant right away after my cycles return, etc. I've never tandem nursed - while I am halfway through pregnancy, I couldn't take nighttime nursing, so I would wean them off that, but kept up daytime nursing until they just stopped - which ended up being somewhere in the middle or last trimester.
#1 (me-31) nursed til 16 mos., me - preg. at 11 mos.
#2 (me-32) nursed til 16 mos., me - preg. at 9 mos. but miscarried -- still nursing #2 pregnant again at 12 mos.
#3 (me-34) nursed til 14 mos (he weaned so early  )., me - preg. at 8 mos. but miscarried -- still nursing pregnant at 10 months
#6 (me-36) four months old - still nursing, haven't taken my once a month pregnancy test yet!
Mary Theresa -- in terms of energy levels - I'm a sanguine person with a lot of natural high energy, but I also sleep with the nursing baby in bed to get the most sleep. I make sure I go to bed to get "8 hours" of sleep (totally interrupted of course!!) Unlike my husband, I'm not a health nut - but I try to have a salad a day and a good supply of protein. I do have a half pot of coffee in the morning to jump start me and do "quiet time" on the couch in the afternoon. Although, I only seem to actually fall asleep for quiet time if I'm pregnant!
Ladies -- I agree, it is nice to see the other stories, because both of my sister-in-laws who nurse like me, must be prolactin sensitive (one of them even uses a pacifier) and get their cycles back much later! So I feel like the odd one.
I've heard that prolactin doesn't stay in your system long and is production is stimulated by frequent sucking (which the babies do!) but I've often wondered if high metabolism can push prolactin out of a system faster despite frequent nursing?
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Nina Murphy
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I'm writing this right now with a barnacle attached, nursing away.... (as soon as I sit at the computer chair, he comes over and pulls on my shirt...it's *the time*).
THANK YOU everyone.
I am loving all of the responses. So much great information and a total eye-opener. I also assumed most moms weren't even attempting it due to sheer fatigue and the being pulled-in-so-many-directions feeling---and that I was truly weird to be nursing so long (hardly!).
We have never used NFP to "space"...I've been pregnant or nursing for 19 years. I find this all so interesting----how different our bodies are, and how sacrificing mothers really are.
To be totally frank, I don't really find it easy to nurse. I know that sounds sad (  and kind of unintentionally pathetic) but I force myself. And the older they get....well: the harder it is to break away, right? It means so much to them.... My husband suggests weaning, and I look at this face and his little nodding head....and hear his sighs...what other choice IS there? And yet, things obviously have changed with my body..as I did get pregnant this time while still nursing----I wonder what is up with my hormones. Hard to tell, since I don't chart.....
Anyway, thanks again, everyone!!!
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Jacinta
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I've nursed partway into all my pregnancies except the first. I was 23, 25, & 27. However, they all stopped nursing about 4-5 months into it - I suppose my milk changed, and they didn't like it anymore? I think I would have tandem nursed if any of them wanted to. I do night-wean them when I get pregnant, for the sake of being able to function during the day!
Jacinta
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Cheryl
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Nina Murphy wrote:
| To be totally frank, I don't really find it easy to nurse. I know that sounds sad ( and kind of unintentionally pathetic) but I force myself. And the older they get....well: the harder it is to break away, right? It means so much to them.... |
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I don't find it easy either. I really loved nursing until around the time my dd was 2. (My boys weaned earlier) I don't enjoy being tickled, rubbed, kicked or getting a belly button massage. I prefer snuggling without moving involved. I also found that as my dd got older, she sucked harder, so I couldn't sleep through it. Now she is 4 1/2 and I'm still nursing her before bedtime because she REALLY wants to. I don't enjoy it, but I don't want to hurt her feelings. She'll want to stop someday. ??
As for your energy question.... I find that if I have two hot fudge sundae Pop-Tarts around 10:00pm, I have energy to stay up and talk with my dh at night and take care of the baby if she gets up. I'm always tired in the morning. A shower wakes me up. Quiet time in the afternoon keeps me going throughout the day.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Nina Murphy
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Great comments and comfort, Cheryl!
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Bookswithtea
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I nursed completely through my 2nd pregnancy and tandemed for about 2 months after #2 was born. After that, I decided tandem nursing is not for me. I nurse until about 6 months pregnant with each child after that.
I'm going to start another thread on the Brewer Diet...I've got lots of questions about that...Great thread!
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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JodieLyn
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I have to take my prenatal vitamins.. and the type and how much you take makes a BIG difference.. even when not nursing.. I can't function in the afternoon while pregnant unless I'm taking my vitamins (NF formulas prenatal forte) and then I'm fine.
And when I'm pregnant and nursing I always joke that I eat like a teenage football player.. and it's true.. I have to eat A LOT.. big meals.. snacks between all the meals etc.
Remember you're third in line.. the baby inside gets everything first.. then the nursling.. and you get the leftovers.. if you're feeling run down.. it's because you're not getting enough.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Jenny
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Tandem nursing was hard for me. I remember calling the LaLeche Leader to ask a few questions. She said tandem nursing can be hard b/c on one hand (or breast ) you are nursing this sweet, little, snuggly, quiet, still newborn with a teeny little mouth. On the other, you are nursing a sweet, enormous (compared to the baby), wiggly, humming, acrobatic toddler
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Jenny
Chris' wife and momma of 7. My blog: The Littlest Way--Bible Journaling, Inspiring Bible Quotes, Daily Affirmations, Prayer Journaling & photography
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alicegunther
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I just turned 39, and I've been nursing and/or expecting since the age of 25--thanks be to God!
I usually have about eighteen months of infertility between pregnancies because of nursing. My children usually naturally wean themselves when I am about three months along with the new baby. Perhaps the milk changes, because this has always happened, even though I haven't initiated the weanings.
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Angel
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I have only nursed into a pregnancy once, but I didn't know about Catholic doctrine and ecological breastfeeding until he came along either. My fertility returned at 20 months, I got pregnant with my twins at 21 months, and he weaned himself at 25 months. This was around the time it is recommended to wean in a twin pregnancy, so that worked out well... I was not looking forward to having to forcibly wean a child. (I never had before.) The problem I had with nursing while pregnant wasn't keeping my energy up -- it was the *pain*! I was *very* tender.
I wasn't able to nurse my twins, so I'm not dealing that right now. I do sometimes *wish* I was nursing them, though (they're 15 months old) because then maybe I could get them back to sleep in the middle of the night!!!
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Anyone nurse during/through pregnancy?
