It's looking positive that my latest IVF cycle has worked and that I'm pregnant (official blood test is next thursday, but I'm getting hpt's that are getting slightly darker each day). Since I started using Crinone (a progesterone gel) I've notice that my milk supply has dropped dramatically and I really don't want to stop breastfeeding my 12 month old DS. The other IVF drugs didn't significantly effect my supply, but it looks like the progesterone is, so I can only expect things to get worse as my body continues to make even more.

I'm already doing a number of things to try to increase my supply, but it doesn't seem to be working. I take pregnancy/breastfeeding vitamins daily, I take fenugreek and blessed thistle capsules 2-3 times a day, and I basically let DS feed whenever he wants. Lately DS is coming up to me every 1/2 hour to hour and pulling at my top, so (location permitting) I generally let him feed straight away. Sometimes he doesn't even seem to get let-down before he gives up. When he does get let-down I can hear the milk pouring into his mouth, but it lasts for no where near as long as it used to before he can't seem to suck anymore out and gets frustrated.

At the moment I think he would be trying to feed 10-14 times a day, with 3-4 of those feeds still overnight. I don't want to night wean him because I have a feeling he might be having his best feeds overnight. I'm also worried that if I night wean, it will only makes things worse with my supply.

I've attempted expressing again (I used to do it lots when DS was younger, and have 8-9litres in the freezer), but I find that my breasts won't let anything out now unless it's a real baby doing the sucking. They are too smart to be fooled by the pump. Add to that, I never really have time anymore with DS trying to feed so often.

I've felt guilty that I'm not able to give DS as much as he wants, so a few times I have tried giving him to EBM from the freezer. He was fine with it at first, then I made a major mistake of trying to mix it with some cows milk (maternal health nurse told me to because he was one now and should be having cow's milk too, grrrr) and he spat it out and now won't take my EBM from his bottle OR his sippy cup. I've just made him suspicious of what's in there

Any ideas on what I can do would be greatly appreciated! Also, does anyone know if blessed thistle and fenugreek are safe during pregnancy? A couple of times I've had raspberry leaf tea tablets to help boost supply, but I know that you shouldn't have that during the first couple of trimesters...