Tandem nursing is a term given to a situation when a pregnant woman is also breastfeeding. This happens when a nursing woman becomes pregnant and has to continue breastfeeding the baby. A lot of people consider breastfeeding during pregnancy to be unsafe and tend to stop doing it but it is important to know that there is nothing wrong with the practice.
However, it can have both advantages as well as disadvantages. To know more about what the benefits and disadvantages of breastfeeding during pregnancy are, you can go through the following given information.
Advantages of Breastfeeding During Pregnancy:
- One of the major benefits of breastfeeding while you are pregnant is that this practice helps to relieve moms of breast engorgement.
- Another advantage of breastfeeding while you are pregnant is that it does not stop the toddler from receiving benefits of breast milk. Breast milk is really important for the growth and development of babies and without them; they may be more susceptible to certain health problems.
- It has been proved that breastfeeding during pregnancy or tandem nursing leads to a lesser risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer in mothers or women.
- Breastfeeding your toddler while you are pregnant may help you feel good about the fact that you are taking care of two children on your own and this will make you feel more positive as a mother.
- If you are taking a healthy and nutritious diet, then you may not need to worry about the supply of milk. Thus one must not worry about the breastmilk supply when pregnant.
Disadvantages of Breastfeeding During Pregnancy:
- One of the disadvantages of breastfeeding while pregnant is that several moms feel that they cannot lose weight which is because of the lower metabolic rate as well as the stored fat in the body when a mom is breastfeeding.
- Another negative that may be associated with breastfeeding is that the breasts and nipples tend to be more tender during pregnancy and this may make them hurt when nursing their baby.
- Another thing that may prove to be a problem with nursing when pregnant is that even inspite of a good diet, some women experience diminished milk supply and this could create problems.
- If your toddler has started speaking or is a little older, then he/she may complain about the change in taste of breastmilk because at the end of pregnancy, the breast milk tends to change a little and becomes like colostrum type of milk. This milk is not only thick but also yellowish in color. It may taste quite different to the baby than normal breastmilk.
- Nipple stimulation triggers the production of oxytocin hormone in the body. This hormone plays a role in milk let down and also helps during contractions at the time of labor. But some moms are concerned that nipple stimulation can lead to preterm labor. Eventhough this does not take place but the hormone can surely product mild contractions occasionally. This is however normal.