i think my 18 month old uses me as a dummy .. lol

[mummy2aiden]

my son is 18 months old and im 15 weeks pregnant and i cannot express not even a tiny little dot of milk so im pretty sure its all gone .. He only used to feed before this once a day if that .. but whenever hes upset its the first thing he goes for ..

Hes never taken a dummy or a bottle (not that he needs a bottle now he drinks cow milk out of a cup)

Can pregnancy cause milk to dry up? And do you think hell stop wanting to suck? or do i have to be really firm with it and not let him at all? So far hes done the leading and its cut down alot .. what did you other mums do?

oh sometimes he starts to suck then he stops and frowns up at me and pushes away .. lol ..

[MantaRay]

Pregnancy does reduce your supply. Some babies will happily feed through the drop, and others get frustrated and give up. It sound like your little one is quite happy to keep going.

If you are happy to keep letting him take the lead it's fine to do so. He will most likely still be getting some milk, and the milk he's getting will have a higher concentration of nutrients and immunity factors. This is nature's way of providing extra protection as the baby start to grow up and starts reducing feeds.

It can also be very helpful to have a toddler who still bfs as it does provide them with a lot of comfort and helps you to settle them easily when they are upset. If he continues to feed through your pg, it can be a way for him to cope with the changes involved in having a new baby in the family. Tandem feeding (when you are feeding both a baby and a toddler) can also help mums avoid engorgement in the early days.

Best of luck with it!

[Jennifer13]

I know several Mums who bf their toddlers throughout pg without a hitch, some who had nothing but a little colostrum for the latter part of their pg. The toddler was often in heaven when all the milk came in after little brother or sister's birth!

Some toddlers do wean themselves while you're pg, losing interest if there's no milk, but for many it's about more than just the milk, it's also the security, comfort and closeness that they feel from bfing.

It's up to you and your DS to do what works for you!