If you breastfeed through your whole pregnancy, to your due date, will you still get colostrum?

Question

Just another random thought courtesy of yours truly.

Answer 1

Yes I did. My son was a little confused.

Answer 2

http://www.llli.org/NB/NBSepOct07p230.ht...

Your older baby will continue to benefit from your milk until sometime around 20 weeks, when your milk production will drop. Please discuss this with your pediatrician, who can make suggestions about her nutritional needs at that point. Depending on her age and intake of solid foods, you may need to supplement your daughter's diet for a time. If, at that point, you are still interested in nursing your little girl, you could offer her the supplement in a cup to avoid late-onset nipple confusion, as well as avoiding having to wean her from the bottle later.

It is perfectly acceptable to continue to allow your daughter to nurse even after milk production drops. The comfort and closeness are still beneficial, as well as keeping the door open to continue nursing after the baby is born. Many mothers have found that breastfeeding becomes more comfortable after the first trimester of pregnancy, and you will be able to continue your nursing relationship with your daughter as long as you both like. Not only can you nurse during your pregnancy, you can continue to breastfeed your older daughter when the new baby arrives. Your body will adjust to make the proper amount of milk as needed, and both your babies will benefit from the perfect nutrition and immunities provided by your milk.

One reason doctors may advise weaning is because of the effects of oxytocin on the uterus. Research shows that repeated, ongoing nipple stimulation through the use of a breast pump can bring on labor in a woman who is at term. Breastfeeding immediately after birth helps the uterus to contract and return to its pre-pregnancy state. Both of these effects occur because nipple stimulation triggers release of the hormone oxytocin, which causes milk "let-down" and also contractions of the uterus. However, there are several reasons why continued breastfeeding should not pose a problem for women with normal pregnancies.

http://www.llli.org/NB/NBJulAug00p116.ht...

The uterus is different during early pregnancy than it is at term or immediately postpartum. It contains far fewer oxytocin receptor sites - places where oxytocin can be absorbed. Between the first trimester and the third trimester of pregnancy, the number of sites in the uterus becomes 12 times greater (then doubles or triples before labor begins). The lower ability of the uterus to absorb oxytocin during early pregnancy suggests that oxytocin will not cause effective contractions during that time. This may be why inducing labor using intravenous oxytocin sometimes fails: the uterus is not ready.

Answer 3

Yes.

Its so rich it may cause the older child to get the runs!

The same hormones that cause your body to go into labor trigger production of colostrum.  I believe it is oxytosin.