By Annie L.
Editor’s note: The following story contains topics that include ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and temporary weaning. Reader discretion is advised.
Nursing a toddler has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. I have considered weaning off and on, but we are taking things day by day and going with the flow for now. When I found out I was pregnant, I figured we would continue to nurse and see how we both felt. I knew that some people struggle with nipple sensitivity while nursing during pregnancy, and I worried about nursing with nausea or morning sickness, but I didn’t consider it a reason to end our nursing journey early.
Everything changed in the first week after that positive pregnancy test. Initially, we thought we were experiencing an early miscarriage. All pregnancy losses are heartbreaking at any stage. For us, after almost a month of tracking my pregnancy hormone levels and monitoring closely, I was finally diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy.
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus and is not viable. It almost always requires some sort of medical intervention, as ectopic pregnancies can rupture the fallopian tube where it is growing and cause internal bleeding. Sometimes, an ectopic pregnancy will require surgery. In my case, I needed a shot called methotrexate or MTX. Methotrexate is a form of a chemotherapy drug, meant to stop the cells from multiplying. It has many uses, including treating rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, but for ectopic pregnancies, MTX is given in a very high dose. My provider was really supportive and helped me weigh my options to make an informed decision. She understood the importance to me of continuing to nurse my daughter, Olive, and being able to wean her on my own terms. She also offered options that would not require cessation of breastfeeding. She gave me some time to think about it, knowing this would be an already emotional decision, further complicated by the possible impact on breastfeeding.
There are mixed reports on safety of methotrexate while nursing. Some sources say you need to completely wean. Others say that you need to only wean/pump and dump for 24 hours, and some say closer to one to two weeks. Ultimately, both my doctor and I leaned towards the conservative end of risk-taking, and we went with the option to wait one week before beginning nursing again.. After talking it through with my husband, we decided MTX was really our best treatment option. I knew I would have to figure out what nursing looked like after treatment. Before heading to the emergency room for treatment, I had one last nursing session with Olive, not knowing whether it would be our final one. Would I be able to maintain a milk supply during this week? Would she even want to nurse afterward?
The next day, I was thoroughly exhausted. Not just physically from treatment, but emotionally. The pregnancy loss and the interruption to my nursing relationship with Olive were both weighing on me. That morning was hard. We were all up early, and Olive was ready to nurse and feeling unsettled without her usual morning routine. After many months with no pump use, I found myself, reluctantly pumping again. At first, I had plans to pump at least twice a day, around the times Olive would normally nurse. In reality, I couldn’t keep up with it. Pumping, in that scenario, was hard on me emotionally. I knew I wasn’t producing a ton of milk anymore, just due to the fact that Olive was a toddler only nursing a few times a day. But only getting minimal amounts when I pumped and knowing I needed to dump it right out was so discouraging. On top of that, I was feeling immense sadness over my pregnancy loss, and my physical symptoms were increasing with cramping and bleeding. I pumped only a handful of times and just hoped for the best. I hoped we could resume nursing.
Soon, with the guidance of our doctor, we decided that it was safe enough to nurse again. I started the week not sure if we would be able to breastfeed again or if we would be ending the journey sooner than we had thought. Now, nearly six months later, we are still nursing. If anything, this short break in breastfeeding reignited Olive’s interest in nursing, and I’m not seeing an end anytime soon.
I hope that my story will be encouraging news to someone going through a similar situation. There are so many uncertainties in pregnancy loss. Whatever works for you and your family, La Leche League is here for you. I was grateful to have the support network of my fellow La Leche League co-Leaders and my LLL Group to lean on. Not everyone would understand wanting to nurse through a scenario like this.
Olive and I get to figure out the end of our nursing journey together, on our own terms.
Sources:
Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always
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Your gift helps support this blog and the website!
Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Thank you!
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Last Updated: June 17, 2025 by Yael Breimer
Nursing Through Ectopic Pregnancy
By Annie L.
Editor’s note: The following story contains topics that include ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and temporary weaning. Reader discretion is advised.
Nursing a toddler has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. I have considered weaning off and on, but we are taking things day by day and going with the flow for now. When I found out I was pregnant, I figured we would continue to nurse and see how we both felt. I knew that some people struggle with nipple sensitivity while nursing during pregnancy, and I worried about nursing with nausea or morning sickness, but I didn’t consider it a reason to end our nursing journey early.
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus and is not viable. It almost always requires some sort of medical intervention, as ectopic pregnancies can rupture the fallopian tube where it is growing and cause internal bleeding. Sometimes, an ectopic pregnancy will require surgery. In my case, I needed a shot called methotrexate or MTX. Methotrexate is a form of a chemotherapy drug, meant to stop the cells from multiplying. It has many uses, including treating rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, but for ectopic pregnancies, MTX is given in a very high dose. My provider was really supportive and helped me weigh my options to make an informed decision. She understood the importance to me of continuing to nurse my daughter, Olive, and being able to wean her on my own terms. She also offered options that would not require cessation of breastfeeding. She gave me some time to think about it, knowing this would be an already emotional decision, further complicated by the possible impact on breastfeeding.
There are mixed reports on safety of methotrexate while nursing. Some sources say you need to completely wean. Others say that you need to only wean/pump and dump for 24 hours, and some say closer to one to two weeks. Ultimately, both my doctor and I leaned towards the conservative end of risk-taking, and we went with the option to wait one week before beginning nursing again.. After talking it through with my husband, we decided MTX was really our best treatment option. I knew I would have to figure out what nursing looked like after treatment. Before heading to the emergency room for treatment, I had one last nursing session with Olive, not knowing whether it would be our final one. Would I be able to maintain a milk supply during this week? Would she even want to nurse afterward?
The next day, I was thoroughly exhausted. Not just physically from treatment, but emotionally. The pregnancy loss and the interruption to my nursing relationship with Olive were both weighing on me. That morning was hard. We were all up early, and Olive was ready to nurse and feeling unsettled without her usual morning routine. After many months with no pump use, I found myself, reluctantly pumping again. At first, I had plans to pump at least twice a day, around the times Olive would normally nurse. In reality, I couldn’t keep up with it. Pumping, in that scenario, was hard on me emotionally. I knew I wasn’t producing a ton of milk anymore, just due to the fact that Olive was a toddler only nursing a few times a day. But only getting minimal amounts when I pumped and knowing I needed to dump it right out was so discouraging. On top of that, I was feeling immense sadness over my pregnancy loss, and my physical symptoms were increasing with cramping and bleeding. I pumped only a handful of times and just hoped for the best. I hoped we could resume nursing.
Soon, with the guidance of our doctor, we decided that it was safe enough to nurse again. I started the week not sure if we would be able to breastfeed again or if we would be ending the journey sooner than we had thought. Now, nearly six months later, we are still nursing. If anything, this short break in breastfeeding reignited Olive’s interest in nursing, and I’m not seeing an end anytime soon.
I hope that my story will be encouraging news to someone going through a similar situation. There are so many uncertainties in pregnancy loss. Whatever works for you and your family, La Leche League is here for you. I was grateful to have the support network of my fellow La Leche League co-Leaders and my LLL Group to lean on. Not everyone would understand wanting to nurse through a scenario like this.
Olive and I get to figure out the end of our nursing journey together, on our own terms.
Sources:
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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Category: Breastfeeding and Health Conditions, Breastfeeding and Infant Loss, Breastfeeding during Pregnancy
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