Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Breastfeeding and Pregnant Again | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I have six-month-old baby girl and am exclusively breastfeeding. Today I found out that I am five weeks pregnant! What should I do?— Zeina | | | ANSWER |
November 1, 2001 | | | Dear Zeina,
You are truly amazingly fertile--98 percent of women won't get pregnant while breastfeeding, until after six months or when they start supplementing the baby or when their menstrual periods resume, whichever comes first. It looks like you are in the two percent who don't follow that rule.
I am not sure if you are asking what to do about the pregnancy, or what to do with the breastfeeding. The decision of what to do with the pregnancy, of course, belongs to you and the baby's father. Medically, there is some increase in the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight when babies are conceived within a year of a birth, but most of these babies do fine. You are at greater risk of anemia, since you haven't had that much time to build back your iron stores yet. But in general, the medical risks aren't that high.
As for breastfeeding, you can continue to nurse your child. While most women wean the baby by the time they are in the midpoint of the next pregnancy, there are families who choose to tandem breastfeed the two children. There are some concerns about nipple stimulation in the third trimester, so consult your OB practitioner about whether tandem feeding would be a safe option for you.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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