Nursing while pregnant - baby growth

[Larkspur]

I'm currently still BFing my 15-month-old, 3-4 times a day and a couple of times at night (co-sleeping) while pregnant, and have been hoping to nurse right through.

I've just had my 20-week scan and to my surprise and somewhat concern, this baby is much smaller than I expected, on the 5th percentile line. I've been asked to come back for another scan to check growth in two weeks. My first LO was a 91st percentiler (admittedly bigger than I expected) so this is a bit of a shock.

I'm concerned that the BFing may be affecting the baby's growth. I eat healthily, but with an active toddler, I definitely don't have the time to be preparing elaborate meals these days, so it's often (healthy) leftovers or a sandwich, a bit of fruit here and there, maybe a biscuit. I have a decent breakfast and dinner, but I am definitely not eating more, or probably even as much, as I did last pregnancy.

Has anyone encountered this, or had babies much smaller while BFing?

 

[Tacey]

I've had the opposite. My first was 8lb 7oz, my second was 10lb 5oz. I didn't have GD or feel like I was eating any more with Arthur. I was nursing Alice a lot too. I think there is often wide variation in sizes, so try not to worry. You'd have to be seriously malnourished to impact on the baby.

 

[snowfia]

I BF DD through the beginning of the pregnancy with DS and he was 10lb 14oz! So definitely didn't make him smaller :L DD was 7lb 8oz so he was much bigger too.
I don't think BF has anything to do with it.

 

[Celesse]

Mine were both born around the 50th centile. I think you'd need to be in a very impoverished area, with very bad nutrition for breastfeeding to effect the babies growth. In fact I think the fetus takes first, then the nursling, then whatever is left over is for you..... though don't have a source for that though.

I'm in worse shape this pregnancy than in previous nursing pregnancies and my milk has already dried up and transitioned to thick yellowy colostrum, even though DS is nursing just as frequently as he was when I was pregnant in summer. I'm pretty sure its my bodies way of preserving those nutrients for the fetus.

 

[Larkspur]

Thanks for the feedback. My toddler still seems to be gaining weight well (he does eat like a horse though), but I can't say I have put on much weight except bump this time. I did notice the other day my ribs are showing a bit more than usual. I'm going to try really hard to increase my food intake over the next few weeks.