tandem nursing

Tandem nursing means breastfeeding siblings who are not twins. Few Moms actually plan on tandem nursing, but if you find yourself with an older baby or toddler who is still attached to breastfeeding when you become pregnant, and you continue nursing while pregnant, you may find yourself in this situation!

Tandem nursing can be challenging at times, but it also has benefits. Many Moms who have tandem nursed have commented that their older child exhibits almost no jealousy when the new baby comes along. In addition, if your children are spaced closely, you may want to continue breastfeeding the older baby because nursing makes life with a toddler easier.

Tandem nursing allows you to meet the baby and older child's needs at the same time and provides nutrition for both. Tandem nursing also can allow everyone to rest at the same time. Imagine a toddler running around while new baby and Mom are so tired, and when Mom is busy with a new baby! Continuing to nurse allows everyone to get some much needed rest.

Breastfeeding is a very comforting thing for a child. When a new baby arrives, continuing to breastfeed the older child is a nice way to stay very connected and it gives the children a lot of very close time together.

You can choose to nurse one child at a time or simultaneously, just as you would with twins. There are many positions you can use so experiment and figure what works best for you and your babies.

Often moms say the hardest time is right after the baby is born. A Mom is often surprised by her strong feelings of protectiveness towards her newborn. It's a time of adjustment for everyone. A tandem nursing Mom needs to get plenty of rest, drink and eat as much as she feels the need to, and get support. It's ok for her to set limits with her older child if she's uncomfortable with the frequency of his feedings. She can explain that since he is older, he can drink and eat other foods, but the baby can only have Mom's milk. See if he can be distracted with more cuddles, stories, playtime or snacks he enjoys.

It is a good idea for the newborn to nurse first in the early weeks to be sure she gets plenty of milk, esecially in the first few days after birth when Mom is producing colostrum. You will know your body the best and will learn how to coordinate nursing both babies. One thing that is almost never an issue is milk supply! A tandem nursing Mom usually has an abundance of milk.

Recommended: read more about other Moms adventures in tandem nursing.