Is it possible to breastfeed while pregnant?

The article was consulted professionally by Specialist I Pham Thi Yen – Obstetrician and Gynecologist – Share99 Hai Phong International Health Hub.

While the mother is breastfeeding, the fetus in the uterus still receives all the necessary nutrients from the mother's body. Therefore, pregnant women need to eat enough nutrients, drink enough water, daily supplements of vitamin D and folic acid.

It is peculiar that the mother's body continues to secrete lactation milk during pregnancy, ensuring lactation. To secrete lactation milk, the mother's body releases a hormones called oxytocin. Oxytocin is also a hormones that appear during labor and childbirth, so many people are concerned that breastfeeding can cause miscarriages. However, so far there is no evidence that breastfeeding during pregnancy affects the fetus or causes labor.

In the event that you are pregnant with multiple pregnancies (twin pregnancies, triplet pregnancies,…) or have had miscarriages, or have had premature births,some experts may advise the mother to be cautious about breastfeeding while pregnant.

Breastfeeding during pregnancy can increase some undesirable effects during pregnancy (such as if the pregnant woman is nauseous, the condition will worsen). Sensitive breast head condition at the beginning of pregnancy can be worse, more painful if the mother breastfeeds.

Around the 5th month of pregnancy, the mother may begin to appear colostrum in preparation for the birth of the fetus in the abdomen, at the same time the amount of breast milk secreted is also less and less. Therefore, babies who are being breastfed may not like this change in taste and quantity, it can gradually give up breastfeeding. In case the baby does not breastfeed on her own, the mother continues to breastfeed, and this does not mean that the mother lacks colostrum for the soon-to-be-born fetus. If the baby is breastfeeding under one year of age, the mother should monitor to make sure that the child still grows well after the breast milk is changed.

After birth, the mother can still breastfeed two babies in parallel at the same time and does not need to worry about lack of milk for both children. One benefit of parallel breastfeeding is that the mother will be less likely to suffer from mastitis than those who have only one breastfeeding.

Whether or not to breastfeed while pregnant is entirely decided by the mother, based on considerations of the benefits for the children and for the mother herself.

If the mother is pregnant while raising a small child and does not want to breastfeed in parallel, it is advisable to wean the child during pregnancy, because after the birth is finished weaning, the child may feel "abandoned".

Article reference source: mayoclinic.org, babycentre.co.uk