Breastfeeding While Pregnant, but Maybe There Is Not Enough Milk???

Soft breasts don't mean you have less milk. Your body because more efficent the longer you nurse and doesn't always have that kind of engorged look. The biggest thing about being pregnant and nursing is that the hormone change make your milk taste change and lots of babies wean themselves from the breast. Also the biggest thing you need to produce milk isn't say water, but calories so eat up.

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I run a 90 member breastfeeding moms club and many of our moms have experience nursing through pregnancy and tandem nursing infants and toddlers. Most moms do notice a drop in milk or a taste change, but often this will change multiple times throughout the pregnancy.
I would just keep nursing and try multiple types of bottles or sippy cups. You can even try the straw trick, where you place a straw in a glass of water, block the upper end, pull the straw (which is now holding water) from the glass and they let it dribble into his mouth.

Best of luck and great job breastfeeding! Don't get discouraged!
:)

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I would talk to a lactation consultant. Then Try different sippy cups with water, especially if he sweats alot. After 6 months it is okay to provide some water. You definiatly do not want him dehydrated.

Congratulations on Breast feeding so long. I was lucky to make it to a year with my son, so I understand how you feel about that.

Maybe try increasing your callories, your body might need more with being pregnant and breastfeeding. Maybe you are drinking too much liquids and not enough foods.

Also, if your son is on solid foods, they do not drink as much.

Take action, but try not to stress as that will decrease your milk supply.

Good luck.

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Have a glass of beer. Lactation nurse recommended it to my mother 16 years ago and to my SIL 6 months ago. Just do it!

Check out La Leche League Inter. www.llli.org Great breastfeeding support and info.

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Hi K.,

My eldest child was 8 months old when I found out that I was 7 weeks pregnant with baby no. 2. I too wanted to nurse for at least the first year and transition to milk, since at that point she had never had formula (I would pump milk to put in her cereal in the morning and everything). The most important thing you need to do is find a reputable lactation consultant in your area. Many of these women are advising you pump, but that is one of the first things I was told to stop doing by my LC. Also, I would have to agree that although I have been known to have a dark beer to help with milk production while nursing, I would not do it while pregnant. The LC gave me lots of helpful suggestions and was able to determine if my baby was receiving sufficient milk (my breasts also seemed softer). She even introduced me to a mom that she helped tandem nurse her toddler and infant successfully.

What worked for me was increasing fluids and eating more calories and offering the breast more often than before - I ended up feeding one extra time a day until I stopped nursing. It was an unforgettable time and I'm glad you are trying your best to do what feels right for you as a mother. I do feel like I should warn you that the reason I had to stop when she was almost 11 months old was because my nipples began to hurt so badly that I just couldn't handle it. That it another common side effect of nursing while pregnant.

As for the bottles, that entire process was a nightmare in my house with my first 2 children. The LC's best words of advice on that were 1) to go to the store and look at all the nipples of all the bottles there are and pick the one that most resembles the shape of YOUR breast and 2) you should always find someone to take on that task for you it is not easy and can take weeks to happen.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Dear K.

You are doing great to breast feed your baby.It takes lot of love and patience. I had the same problem she will not take anything from bottle. He is 8 months so try the sippy cup . It takes lot of time but try. You can cut juicy fruits (watermelon, strawberry tiny pieces). You have to get ready for the second one. In India doctors often advise avoiding bottles(infections are high for bottle fed babies) and kids grow up being breastfed/ spoon fed to sippy cup and then drinking from cup. I was worried about the calcium intake but green veggies , egg are good source of calcium. I am sure you started the veg.

For me the first year was tough but I didn't had to fight for stopping bottle or taking away the pacifier. I see many kids continuing bottle after 1 year.

I hope this helps. Best of luck.
Mrs Sengupta

I'm not sure if I will be much help, but I wanted to try. First, I want to congratulate you on trying so hard and not giving up! I'm sure you know, but you are doing so much for your son. I had trouble keeping up my milk production and tried several things at once. I'm not sure if just one helped or if it was the combination, but here is what I did:

I took the fenegreek capsules that Rachel mentioned. I took two pills three times a day totaling 6 pills a day. I tried the old wives tale and ate oatmeal every morning as well as drinking extra milk which you are already doing. I also pumped every chance I got. I wasn't really producing much milk when I pumped, but the extra stimulation really helped boost my supply. It took a lot of extra work to pump that much, but it is worth it.

As for a bottle, have you tried different types of bottles? I know it is kind of expensive to buy one of every bottle, but we did that with my daughter. She only drank breast milk from it, but she eventually drank from the Dr. Browns bottles. If you do think you have to switch to formula, I would suggest you do it soon. I am 100% for breastfeeding, but if you can't, the longer you wait, the harder it will be for him to switch. I planned on bfing my daughter until she was a year, but at a year she wouldn't take milk so I ended up bfing for another 2.5 months. My pediatrician said that babies who are bf-ed after 6 months are usually 'milk snobs' and have trouble taking anything else. Also, if you can get some help, have someone else bottle feed him. He is used to you bfing him, so if you try to offer him something else besides the breast, he will probably just get mad at you.

I have heard that with the surge of pregnancy hormones that some women can't produce the same amount of milk. I'm not sure if you can take it while pregnant, but I do know there is a medication your doctor can prescribe that will boost your milk production. As I said before, I have never researched if it is harmful to your unborn baby, but if it comes down to it, it would be worth asking your doctor about it. Good luck and I hope that you can get your milk supply back soon!

P.S. No offense to AG, but PLEASE do not drink alcohol. The risks for both your baby and your unborn child are just too much.

You can try fenegreek (an herbal supplement) for increasing milk supply but it will not solve your problem immediately. My daughter was bottle fed (couldn't nurse due to medical issues) and took to the Nubby sippy cup with a soft spout. You could try milk/formula in a spoon or a nursing supplementer. You can try increasing his "solid" (pureed) food and adding more liquid to it. If you think he is dehydrated talk to your pediatrician right away--babies can dehydrate very fast, especially in hot weather.

i would say talk to your ob n maybe the lactation consultant at the hospital you delivered at

I was in the same situation recently. I have a 20 month old and a 3 month old. When my milk supply decreased early in pregnancy I was exclusively breatfeeding my 8mo old son. I contacted a lactation consultant at childrens hospital and they suggested fenugreek capsules, 3 600mg capsules 3x a day. within 2 days my supply was up and I could feed him adequately and stock up on pumped milk. Worked great until we were ready to stop nursing around 14 months old and now nursing my new baby just fine. My son never took bottles or pacifiers either. We skipped sippy cups and went to the straw cups . . . he does great with those, took a few days for him to get the hang of it though.
Hope this helps
Jenn

You really need to ask a lactation consultant.

1) your baby will not take a bottle. for now. or at all.
2) your baby is not peeing as much, and sweats a lot... hence, dehydration. Be very careful of that.
3) you are producing less milk.. hence, he is not getting sufficient intake.
4) you can still breastfeed while pregnant... but again, the body gets affected and milk production, may decrease. Every woman being different.

5) regardless, the NOW is crucial. What is happening NOW. Because, if a baby does not get sufficient daily intake 24/7, they can get dehydrated and their intake levels will not be sufficient for caloric intake etc.
So, call your Pediatrician...
Dehydration in a baby is dangerous.... look it up online for dehydration symptoms, too.

You cannot go on, nor he, with insufficient feedings for your baby.
Water or juice, will NOT replace breastmilk or Formula. It is not nutritionally the same. But, if he is dehydrated... you need to take him to the doctor or ER.

To me, you cannot keep trying to increase intake indefinitely... because he will not be getting enough intake, daily. And you don't know, when or if your milk will return to sufficient levels, for him.

Have your Husband try and give him the bottle.
Buy lots of different bottles/nipples and keep trying.
He needs intake.
Or you will need to supplement with Formula.

Next, as breastfeeding continues, the breasts are not always hard anymore with milk.. the breasts do adjust.. .and may "seem" empty, but it may not be.
Does your baby seem "satisfied" after feedings? Or is he still hungry?
that is an indication as well.
Can you SEE and HEAR him swallowing as he nurses? That is an indication as well, that he is drinking....
Do you produce milk when you pump?

all the best,
Susan

Hi K.,

I gave birth almost 11 months ago, and I am due again this monday with another baby. I was not expecting to get pregnant right after my son was born, as I usually space my children 4-5 years apart. I was successfully exclusively breastfeeding my son, and when he turned about 3 months old, I started noticing that my supply had decreased DRAMATICALLY! I had never had this problem before, as I had successfully nursed my 2 previous children to almost 18 months. I had no clue what was affecting my milk supply, so I contacted a lactation consultant, and the first thing she asked me is if I could possibly be pregnant.

I laughed out loud, but then I realized that there WAS a possibility, and I took a test, which was positive right away. I almost fainted! I never was able to get my supply back up to par, and I ended up quitting nursing. This was an agonizing decision for me. But my son is healthy and growing well on formula. I am not suggesting that you quit nursing by any means, as a matter of fact if you are able to continue, please do! I wish I was still. My LC told me about fenugreek, Mother's Milk tea, and increasing liquid and food intake, all to no avail. I would google some of these things, or contact a LC in your area. They have great tips and can be an awesome support for breastfeeding mama's. Good luck. : )

K.