Milk drying up in pregnancy? (not me!)

[TeniBear]

Hi all Just to clear up any misconceptions - NO THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT ME!

A friend of mine has recently discovered she is pregnant, very unexpectedly. She's very passionate about breastfeeding (her LO is a couple of months younger than Milly), but is a bit scared her milk is going to dry up, or at least diminish somehow.

So, just so I can show my friend - who is NOT ME! - how common is it for milk to dry up completely or partially? If/when it does happen, at what point should she prepare for it? And what can she do to decrease the chances of it happening?

I really want to support her, but I don't have any experience with breastfeeding in pregnancy. I'm hoping to soon though

And for the last time, THE THREAD IS NOT ABOUT ME!

[Blixie]

mine did, i was 5 months pregnant fed DD2 at lunch time went to put her to bed and she was fussing and popping off and smacking me tried to hand express to see if any milk would come, nothing happened. Went and got the breast pump and couldn't get any with that either literally a few drops! Didn't know it could just stop like that! Took forever for my milk to dry up when DD1 self weaned. So my poor baby didn't get to self wean and i felt so bad But lots of women breastfeed through pregnancy and go on to tandem feed so it depends on the person i guess

[Heaven]

I think supply drops for almost everyone. But that certainly doesn't mean the end of breastfeeding. It's different for everyone when it happens. I definitely felt like I didn't have much milk but I just kept feeding my DD. I would just make sure I kept feeding her regularly to keep my supply up as much as possible.

[TeniBear]

Her biggest concern seems to be that she knows her bub is/will be too young to wean. I know she wants to at least get to 2 years, which now seems only possible if she feeds through pregnancy and then tandem feeds.

[Artechim]

My milk dried up around the end of the first trimester with both subsequent kids, so the older two were both around 18 months. I remember my poor DS crying and asking me for "more empties please". I guess that my milk might have come back if I had kept feeding, but my nipples were sore and I felt they were old enough anyway.

[trishalishous]

im 21 weeks and still feeding, no dramas

[Jellyfish]

I think just keep feeding, I never noticed a supply drop personally and my DD1 was over 2 so able to communicate quite effectively. She did tell me when the colostrum began. I was actually half hoping my supply would drop and encourage weaning (as my DD was over two and I thought it would be a good time and gentle way for things to happen) but DD1 never skipped a beat, she did begin sleeping through the night about a month or two before DD2 arrived though (at around 2yrs 7months). I'm currently feeding both and having a toddler around is very handy in the early days of establishing a supply and dealing with engorgement, I'm glad we kept it up and now she is over 3!

The best thing for supply is to just keep feeding frequently, drink lots of water and maintain a healthy diet. If it does drop then I would just start feeding more frequently were I concerned but really, just like at every stage, you can follow your babies lead... if they want more feeds or solids, they will let you know. I wouldn't think pumping would be neccesary as the baby feeding will work much more effectively at increasing supply and expressing could displace that. In terms of solids, most would be starting to increase their intake after one which is quite soon so that will probably happen naturally (milk also becomes more calorie dense so less is required).

[starangelk]

My dd self weaned when I fell pregnant, it was one of the indicators of my pregnancy. She flat out refused the boob but I continued to pump for a few months so she could have the benefits of the milk. Then my supply ran out, I think due to full time expressing and a tired Mummy who was pregnant, had a toddler and working. I'm not sure it had anything to do with being pregnant and running out of milk. I hope that makes sense.

[Sterla]

My milk dried up when I was around 3 months pregnant - at least I think it did. That was the time when DS stopped wanting to feed to sleep like he always had and I couldn't squeeze anything out myself. DS kept dry-feeding for a month or two, but eventually he stopped wanting it and had fully weaned by 22 month (2 months short of my goal). I'm sure it is different for everyone though - perhaps the younger the child the more likely they'll keep going because they feel they need it more?

[Heaven]

Her biggest concern seems to be that she knows her bub is/will be too young to wean. I know she wants to at least get to 2 years, which now seems only possible if she feeds through pregnancy and then tandem feeds.

She can do that Just keep feeding.

[feeb]

My boys are 18 months and 4 days apart, I fed thru pregnancy and am still tandem feeding now. Yes milk supply drops and DS1 didn't feed for as long but once DS2 was born and supply came back they were both feeding with no issues.

All she can do is keep offering the breast some children will naturally wean themselves as taste changes along with supply but she can't make her other child keep feeding if she wants to stop herself.

[wysiwyg]

What Feeb said, try not to stress and keep feeding, her bub may wean herself she may not, it might have happened at same time even if not pregnant (some bubs choose to stop before 2 as they have not read the guidelines :-) ). DD gave up when I was 20 weeks pregnant so about 21 months. I am not convinced was due to pregnancy - I never felt had 'dried up' I couldn't hand express any out but hadn't been able to at 12 months either.

The past few months after 10 months of no feeding she sometimes wants to feed when her brother is (she saw another 2 year old feeding at ABA and says "I want to feed like ****"). So she has a feed every couple of days again now, she has forgotten how to suck properly so is no good on her own but if DS is on other boob stimulating let down she has a good drink.

So even if your friends bub stops she may start again.

[sepata]

This might be a dumb question, but can you drink, like, mothers milk tea when you're pregnant? Or is it bad for the developing baby?


Excuse my sucky spelling, I'm on my iPhone

[TeniBear]

This might be a dumb question, but can you drink, like, mothers milk tea when you're pregnant? Or is it bad for the developing baby?


Excuse my sucky spelling, I'm on my iPhone

I did a little bit of Googling, and it was mentioned in another forum that it's okay. Apparently raspberry leaf tea is good for milk too, but not in the second trimester...

[feeb]

When I fell was pregnant with DS2 I actually asked an LC as I was taking Alfalafa and Blessed thistle and had been since DS1 was 5 weeks old and was advised to stop them.

Raspberry leaf I would be avoiding until later in 3rd trimester.

[HotI]

i fed through pregnancy and this week my DD will reach 2 years of breastfeeding (yay!). Normally, my milk ebbed and flowed abit, was easy enough for supply to increase for DDs growth spurts and times of illness. This was much more difficult during the pregnancy. when dd had a day or two of low feeds, i found my supply decreased and it was much harder to get back to the previous level. So, if your friend wants to feed through pregnancy, then my advice would be to keep feeding, try not to have too many low days. Baby still may wean but this will give you best chance at continuing.

[Ambersky]

I fed dd1 all the way through my last pregnancy, it was quite painful so i dropped her down to just a big cuddly feed in bed in the morning, she told me there was not much there sometimes but it never stopped her trying ..she then ramped right back up when dd2 was born, Wanted to feed as much as baby did. I tandemed for 9m, till i stopped dd1 at 3.5y.
Im now 16w preg and still feeding dd2, im trying to drop her feeds during the day but she feeds to sleep and during the night still. I would like her to night wean before bub comes but a toddler to deal with engorgement is REALLY use full.

[~ Mylitta ~]

It's definitely possible. I'm currently triandem feeding my 12 day old, 14 month old and 2 year 11 month old During both subsequent pregnancies it became excruciating to feed from around 3-6 months because my breasts were so sensitive. I'm really passionate about breastfeeding though and pushed through the pain so that the kids could keep feeding. My supply starting dropping from around 5ish months I think. My kids just kept feeding anyway. During the last month or two of the pregnancies my milk changed to colostrum and even then they just kept on feeding, lol.

It's like Christmas for them when the milk comes in after bub is born hehe. Strangely, my newborn copes quite well with my forceful letdown, and yet my 14 month old often coughs and splutters a little, lol. I think she got used to there not being much there, and gets a surprise when she gets a mouthful!

Best of luck to your friend