If you get pregnant soon after having a baby, it's possible you might still be breastfeeding your baby. Though it is generally safe to continue breastfeeding while you are pregnant, some consequences can make it difficult for you to continue.
Contractions
Breastfeeding triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin, which stimulates your uterus to contract. These contractions usually aren't very strong and shouldn't cause any problems if you have a healthy pregnancy. However, Dr. Roger W. Harms, a Mayo Clinic obstetrician, writes that your doctor may discourage you from breastfeeding if you have a history of preterm labor.
Changes in Milk
If you become pregnant while still breastfeeding, your milk production is likely to decrease as your pregnancy progresses, and Harms says that the taste may also change. To ensure an adequate supply of breast milk, Laurie C. Zephyrin, assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center, writes on Babycenter.com that you should make sure to get adequate nutrition and plenty of rest to aid in milk production.
Breast and Nipple Tenderness
Both pregnancy and breastfeeding are known to cause breast and nipple tenderness, and combining the two can exacerbate this condition and make it painful to breastfeed. The La Leche League gives tips to help alleviate this problem, including shifting your child's feeding position until you find one that is most comfortable and using breathing techniques learned in childbirth classes to help cope with the discomfort. If you are still nursing an older toddler, the La Leche League suggests you nurse for shorter periods of time and ask him to nurse more gently.
Considerations
Eating a nutritious diet and staying hydrated are important not only to improving your milk supply, but also for helping your body weather the stress of pregnancy. You also should talk to your doctor about taking prenatal vitamins. You may also want to talk to your doctor about whether you should take calcium supplements, suggests Deborah Ehrenthal, an obstetrician and gynecologist. Ehrenthal writes on the Babycenter website that breastfeeding takes away calcium from your body.
