My endocrinologist recently encouraged me to wean my daughter before I got pregnant again. I asked her if it was a diabetes-related concern and she said no, that she was just concerned about my supply drying up due to estrogen and it being an abrupt weaning for my daughter. With no other concerns but that, I decided to continue breastfeeding her. (At 17 months, she still nurses 8-10 times per day and shows no signs of slacking off despite a healthy appetite for solid foods.)
I’ve been reading through great resources for tandem nursing and/or breastfeeding through pregnancy, like kellymom, but I wondered about it from a diabetes perspective. Did any of you do it?
Because I’m nearly 7 weeks with #2 now and it’s suddenly very relevant. 
So far, other than it feeling MUCH more tender to nurse her and feeling nauseous while doing it, nothing has changed. I have found that side lying (which I never really did before now) helps with the nausea and resting needs.
YAY! SO SO SO glad to hear your “official” good news! 
I have nothing to add here, but may find myself in the “relevant” camp soon enough, so I’m eager to hear others’ stories. Congrats Melissa!
I’ve spoken with a few people and have learned some general knowledge.
My OB said that after week 20, the risks increase slightly for contractions from breastfeeding. My toddler will be 20 months when I’m at the 20 week mark, so I could wean if I had to. I just know she’s not ready now.
My lactation consultant says that, unless you have a history with miscarriage, there is no reason to be concerned about the oxytocin related contractions, which are the same as those initiated during sex. If you’re cleared for one, you’re cleared for the other.
My friend (not diabetic) who nursed her toddler throughout her pregnancy (kids are now 1 and 4) warned me about a nursing aversion she developed in her final trimester that ultimately led her to wean the toddler just after the baby was born b/c she was afraid it would carry over into her new nursing relationship.
But I have yet to hear from any diabetic mommies. I’m wondering specifically about whether I’ll have the blood sugar dip with breastfeeding postpartum if I’ve continued nursing throughout the pregnancy. I haven’t seen a low from breastfeeding since the first month or two with my first child.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! sorry I cannot help you with your questions as my milk never came in with my first child and my pregnancies are 5 years apart. But I have decided to breastfeed this time and am very nervous about it because I have read a lot that it causes a lot of lows and you have to eat a lot of snacks, etc. What was your breastfeeding experience?
My daughter self-weaned right after I got pregnant with my youngest - my milk dried up and that was all it took for her to completely lose interest. She was 15 months at the time and it was a very frustrating time for BOTH of us because she didn’t know how to drink from a bottle or sippy cup… I had expected to just keep nursing her but that didn’t happen, so neither of us was prepared for it. We actually transitioned her to drinking from a regular cup (she didn’t figure out the sippy cup until much later), but she lost a fair amount of weight over that time (she was already on the smaller side - she was 17lbs4oz at a year, so she didn’t have much to spare!)
I know lots of people who have nursed through a pregnancy and beyond, but none of them had diabetes… I would expect a similar PP dip in BG since that is largely due to hormone changes following delivery, and not just nursing. With all of my babies, insulin needs were very low for the first 72 hours post-partum (very low basal needs, almost didn’t need meal insulin unless I ate a lot), then went up a bit, but still lower than typical pre-pregnancy, and didn’t really begin to increase again until my kids started eating solid foods (at 9-10 months).
So how does the hospital handle this big dip or not needing insulin at all after birth? Do you just “bottom out” or do you not take insulin what do you do?? This is the part I am most worried about…before I became pregnant I was only on 2 units of basal a DAY and I’ve already tripled that at only 15 weeks so I’m concerned about whats going to happen after I deliver.
It causes lows for the first month or two until your body adjusts. You have to learn to go ahead and snack when you sit down to nurse. I saw a 30-40 mg/dL drop with each feeding. Nothing I couldn’t accommodate for.
I needed insulin immediately after my c-section. My pump had been suspended (at my endo’s request) for about three hours (before surgery and then the 45min procedure) and I noticed that my Navigator CGMS was reading 190 straight up. I kicked my basal back on at the rate my CDE and I had determined for post-partum. Then I tweaked it over the next few days, ultimately needing maybe 80% of my pre-preg needs.
My daughter eats a huge variety of adult foods and drinks from a sippy like her toddler friends, so I know that, nutritionally, she would not be much affected. I haven’t introduced cow’s milk out of a nagging fear about bovine antibodies, but I could introduce it as a substitute if my supply dries up. I think she might continue to dry nurse if necessary just for comfort, but I don’t know how long she’d continue without the milk.
I don’t see a change in BG from breastfeeding anymore and apparently I just don’t get first trimester lows (my control is the same as pre-preg). Curious as to how postpartum will be if I press through the whole pregnancy nursing…if it will be similar to what I saw before.
So far, we’re in week 8 and there hasn’t been a change in my supply. We’ll see what happens as time progresses, I guess.
Thanks for all of the useful advice as always Melissa! I was worried I would be battling lows nonstop and it would be a huge hassle. This really relieves my fears.
I have nothing to add here, but may find myself in the “relevant” camp soon enough, so I’m eager to hear others’ stories. Congrats Melissa!