Pregnant Kelly Rutherford still nursing her toddler, is breastfeeding while pregnant safe?

Rutherford at the International Emmy Awards
Nov. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson)

Us Magazine reports that Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford is pregnant and still nursing her two year old son Hermes. (Read more about that story HERE.)

While there are numerous reasons to breastfeed for both mom and baby (and it's recommended by doctors as the best choice), there are many doctors that say it's not a good idea while pregnant.

Over the years I've known about a dozen women who have been breastfeeding one child when they became pregnant. In each case their doctors told them to stop as it takes nutrients away from the baby growing inside. In fact just this week, my sister who has a 13 month old daughter found out she was pregnant and saw her doctor. Her doctor told her to immediately stop breastfeeding all together.

But not all experts agree. Breastfeed-essentials.com says:

If you are well-nourished you should have no difficulty providing for both your nursing child and your unborn baby, especially if your older child is more than one year old. It will be important for you to gain weight within the normal parameters and eat nutritious foods as well as get adequate rest, just as you would with any other pregnancy. It may be that you will need to consume extra calories if you decide to continue breastfeeding during your pregnancy and taking extra vitamin supplements may also be a good idea.

Although uterine contractions are sometimes experienced with breastfeeding, they are a normal part of every pregnancy and no different than those experienced by many mothers during sexual relations that take place during a pregnancy.

There is no reason to fear that the colostrum that your newborn will need will be "use up" by your older child. No matter how much your child nurses, there will still be plenty of colostrum for your new baby.

If you are pregnant and nursing another child, be sure to discuss the specifics with your doctor about what's best for you.