By Stephanie W.
Editor’s Note: The story in this week’s blog post comes from Issue 1, 2012 of New Beginnings in magazine form. La Leche League News, a bimonthly LLLI publication for members, started in 1958. The name was changed to New Beginnings in 1985. New Beginnings was acquired by La Leche League USA in 2010 and continued to be published as a magazine until 2014, when it was converted to its current weekly blog format at www.lllusa.org/blog/
I can’t believe I am a mother, nor can I believe I am already in the fourteenth month of breastfeeding my son. When I think about my breastfeeding journey, I cannot help but believe it started long before my son was born. I have a successful nursing relationship because of serious planning, good doctors, lots of prayer, and my supportive family.
I was diagnosed with lupus 13 years ago. Lupus is a non-communicable autoimmune disease that comes in periods of flares and remissions. When it’s active, the immune system goes haywire. The immune system gets confused and attacks the body’s organs in the same way as it would attack a virus or infection. The symptoms are different for each person diagnosed. In my case, it generally attacks my kidneys, though it’s often accompanied by extreme joint pain, not unlike arthritis.
In the course of the last 13 years, I have been through several flares, all of which were treated with chemotherapy, I was also diagnosed with endometriosis. This required surgery, leaving me doubtful whether I’d ever have children. After I was married, I began seeking the advice of my doctors to see if they thought I would be able to have children. I had one doctor beg me never to have children, because pregnancy is the single greatest trigger for a lupus flare. I had another doctor seriously encourage me to adopt. Though we actually pursued adoption through the home study phase, I had a serious longing to conceive. Finally, when I had been in remission for a couple of years, I found a doctor who took me seriously. Though she was hesitant, she thought it was doable.
Before I could even think about conceiving, I had to get all the right doctors lined up and on the team. I found a high-risk pregnancy specialist who drives 400 miles once a month to see patients in my area. To my surprise, he was very encouraging, saying that in most of the cases that he’s observed of women with lupus, the woman’s health improved with pregnancy. I began to reevaluate my medications, discontinuing any that were unsafe for pregnancy. My doctors, however, encouraged me to remain on one maintenance medication, because my risk for complications was higher than the risk for drug interactions.
After this, I became pregnant in about one year. What a whirlwind pregnancy! I saw the doctor just about every week, having ultrasounds, having the baby’s heart checked (he was at high risk for a defect), and getting my kidney output checked. We totally wowed the doctors until week 37 when my kidneys decided they had had enough of the pregnancy. Though I was planning a natural birth, it just wasn’t going to happen. I had to be induced.
In about three days, I had my son, Gideon, in my arms and our breastfeeding journey began. I had made every effort to educate and prepare myself for breastfeeding before Gideon was born. I had gone to La Leche League meetings.
I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I threw out all formula samples I was given. I was determined that I was going to breastfeed. I also made sure my medications were going to be safe for breastfeeding. For some reason, I was more concerned about taking medications while breastfeeding than I was while pregnant. I knew that keeping my lupus under control was one way to ensure that I would have a good nursing relationship with my son.
I am very thankful that my lupus has not really affected my ability to breastfeed. I had some emotional struggles when we came home from the hospital. The first month of my baby’s life is a blur to me. I look back and think I didn’t actually start bonding with him until he was one month old. I find it difficult to explain, but l felt guilty because my labor was induced. The pain of birth also lasted longer than I had expected, as the medications caused me to heal more slowly than average. I am so glad my son had a stronger, healthier immune system than mine. I am also grateful for the physical closeness of our breastfeeding relationship, since I was emotionally distant for that short time. It was a great blessing to have my mother come and stay with us during the first weeks. Her calming presence was invaluable.
I am extremely grateful that I have been able to breastfeed. What started out merely as a method of saving money has become my greatest joy in motherhood. Having learned more about the benefits of breastfeeding, I wonder if, through breastfeeding, I can give my son a healthier immune system than mine. Doctors don’t know if lupus runs in families, but if there is anything I can do to prevent my son from getting it, I really think breastfeeding is it.
Breastfeeding is the single most important gift I can give my son to ensure his immune system is properly established.
My breastfeeding journey isn’t a particularly unusual one. Like other mothers, I had struggles with clogged ducts and mastitis in the early months, but I’m so thankful none of my trials resulted from lupus. I still hope to breastfeed for another year or two, so l really hope we can continue uneventfully until my son decides to wean himself. He may have competition, though, as we hope to have another baby soon. I have, after all, made the first doctor’s appointment.
Send your nursing and parenting stories to Kylie at [email protected]
Resources:
● lllusa.org/special-circumstances/
● laleche.org.uk/when-a-mother-is-ill/#conditions
Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always
Please consider donating to La Leche League USA.
Your gift helps support this blog and the website!
Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Thank you!
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Posted: April 21, 2026 by Yael Breimer
Breastfeeding with Lupus: A Look Back
By Stephanie W.
Editor’s Note: The story in this week’s blog post comes from Issue 1, 2012 of New Beginnings in magazine form. La Leche League News, a bimonthly LLLI publication for members, started in 1958. The name was changed to New Beginnings in 1985. New Beginnings was acquired by La Leche League USA in 2010 and continued to be published as a magazine until 2014, when it was converted to its current weekly blog format at www.lllusa.org/blog/
I was diagnosed with lupus 13 years ago. Lupus is a non-communicable autoimmune disease that comes in periods of flares and remissions. When it’s active, the immune system goes haywire. The immune system gets confused and attacks the body’s organs in the same way as it would attack a virus or infection. The symptoms are different for each person diagnosed. In my case, it generally attacks my kidneys, though it’s often accompanied by extreme joint pain, not unlike arthritis.
In the course of the last 13 years, I have been through several flares, all of which were treated with chemotherapy, I was also diagnosed with endometriosis. This required surgery, leaving me doubtful whether I’d ever have children. After I was married, I began seeking the advice of my doctors to see if they thought I would be able to have children. I had one doctor beg me never to have children, because pregnancy is the single greatest trigger for a lupus flare. I had another doctor seriously encourage me to adopt. Though we actually pursued adoption through the home study phase, I had a serious longing to conceive. Finally, when I had been in remission for a couple of years, I found a doctor who took me seriously. Though she was hesitant, she thought it was doable.
Before I could even think about conceiving, I had to get all the right doctors lined up and on the team. I found a high-risk pregnancy specialist who drives 400 miles once a month to see patients in my area. To my surprise, he was very encouraging, saying that in most of the cases that he’s observed of women with lupus, the woman’s health improved with pregnancy. I began to reevaluate my medications, discontinuing any that were unsafe for pregnancy. My doctors, however, encouraged me to remain on one maintenance medication, because my risk for complications was higher than the risk for drug interactions.
After this, I became pregnant in about one year. What a whirlwind pregnancy! I saw the doctor just about every week, having ultrasounds, having the baby’s heart checked (he was at high risk for a defect), and getting my kidney output checked. We totally wowed the doctors until week 37 when my kidneys decided they had had enough of the pregnancy. Though I was planning a natural birth, it just wasn’t going to happen. I had to be induced.
In about three days, I had my son, Gideon, in my arms and our breastfeeding journey began. I had made every effort to educate and prepare myself for breastfeeding before Gideon was born. I had gone to La Leche League meetings.
I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I threw out all formula samples I was given. I was determined that I was going to breastfeed. I also made sure my medications were going to be safe for breastfeeding. For some reason, I was more concerned about taking medications while breastfeeding than I was while pregnant. I knew that keeping my lupus under control was one way to ensure that I would have a good nursing relationship with my son.
I am very thankful that my lupus has not really affected my ability to breastfeed. I had some emotional struggles when we came home from the hospital. The first month of my baby’s life is a blur to me. I look back and think I didn’t actually start bonding with him until he was one month old. I find it difficult to explain, but l felt guilty because my labor was induced. The pain of birth also lasted longer than I had expected, as the medications caused me to heal more slowly than average. I am so glad my son had a stronger, healthier immune system than mine. I am also grateful for the physical closeness of our breastfeeding relationship, since I was emotionally distant for that short time. It was a great blessing to have my mother come and stay with us during the first weeks. Her calming presence was invaluable.
I am extremely grateful that I have been able to breastfeed. What started out merely as a method of saving money has become my greatest joy in motherhood. Having learned more about the benefits of breastfeeding, I wonder if, through breastfeeding, I can give my son a healthier immune system than mine. Doctors don’t know if lupus runs in families, but if there is anything I can do to prevent my son from getting it, I really think breastfeeding is it.
Breastfeeding is the single most important gift I can give my son to ensure his immune system is properly established.
My breastfeeding journey isn’t a particularly unusual one. Like other mothers, I had struggles with clogged ducts and mastitis in the early months, but I’m so thankful none of my trials resulted from lupus. I still hope to breastfeed for another year or two, so l really hope we can continue uneventfully until my son decides to wean himself. He may have competition, though, as we hope to have another baby soon. I have, after all, made the first doctor’s appointment.
Send your nursing and parenting stories to Kylie at [email protected]
Resources:
● lllusa.org/special-circumstances/
● laleche.org.uk/when-a-mother-is-ill/#conditions
Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always
Please consider donating to La Leche League USA.
Your gift helps support this blog and the website!
Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Thank you!
Follow us on:
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Category: Breastfeeding and Health Conditions, Looking Back
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