My question is about starting your period again. I have a 5.5 month old son who has been exclusively breastfed from day one, just recently we started giving him some solids. He has always acted so hungry when I stop nursing him. He will scream and get so upset for about a minute after we stop nursing and when I try to let him nurse longer he won't stay latched on...So we introduced some solids, he eats about 3 oz. maybe 4 oz of solids throughout the day. I didn't cut out any nursing sessions, I still breastfeed him 5 to 6 times a day. But my milk supply has seemed to drop drastically! I don't know what I did to make this happen, He stopped getting up in the middle of the night to eat around 3 months so that cut one other feeding out. And then this past week I started my period. Did my period come back because my milk supply is so low that my body is returning to normal??? Will my milk supply continue to drop more and more now until I no longer produce milk for him??? Should I supplement with a few ounces of formula after he nurses?? I'm trying so hard to get my milk supply back up. I take fenugreek regularly i'm trying to nurse him more and I'm trying to make time to pump between feedings. When I pump though I feel like i'm taking away what little milk I had for my son when he goes to eat :(
Any advice or insight into this would be great! Thanks!
My ObGyn told me that once I introduced solids I would most likely get and period and that is how it happened. I started my period at 6 months after having me son, but I don't recall having a decrease in milk supply.
You're doing the right thing by pumping because you have to create "demand" on your breast to increase milk supply. It can take a few days, sometimes a week depending on the woman. When you nurse him, try to let him fully finish on one side. Don't switch until he wants to. Then offer the other side. If you don't feel like he fully drains at least one side, use the pump after he finishes. Or, if he finishes one but not the other, pump the other immediately after he finishes. This is what a lactation consultant told me to do is make sure you are fully drained as often as possible to send the signal to your body to make more. Also, the hind milk is higher in fat and will make him feel full. If you switch too early he won't get enough hind milk.
I second La Leche League and Kelly mom. Both have great websites: www.LLLI.org is the address for La Leche League.
Good luck!
M.
Edited to add: a nice hot shower always helped me get an extra let-down if I just let the water hit my back for a minute. You could shower and then pump, LOL!
Supply issues are just so much fun -- not. Chances are, your milk supply hasn't dropped but your body has adjusted. It's a common misperception to think you're producing less at this point. Supplementing is only going to put you behind the ball so to speak. It will actually decrease your supply. the only way to increase, is to nurse more often. It could be that your baby is going through a growth spurt. Your best bet to see if you're on track is to contact someone at La Leche League. They are so helpful. It's free, you don't have to join. They could also probably recommend a lactation consultant if you feel you need one. Another really great resource online is www.kellymom.com -- it has tons of info.
You've gotten a lot of good advice. I'll add that milk supply is always based on demand. I nursed both my girls for 17-18 months. With the first I started my period a week before her first b-day. With the second, I started around 6 months. So I don't think a drop in supply is necessarily the issue. Neither of my girls would take a bottle, so nursing and solid foods were all they got. As they grew, my milk supply increased - probably because their demand increased. With my first, I pumped because I worked part time. I or the babysitter would mix the milk in with her cereal. I could gauge how much milk I was making by how much I could pump while at work. It increased from 2-4 ounces to 8-10 ounces or more over a 6 month period. So don't worry. Your son will help you increase your supply as needed.
Your menses returning does not necessarily have anything do with your supply issue!
I exclusively breastfed all 3 of my kids - and got my period with each one at 6 weeks post partum. I had such an over supply issue with my 3rd that I should have donated to a milk bank.
That being said - Keep pumping- you are NOT taking away from what your baby gets at a nursin session. Nursing is supply and demand - the more that is removed - the more you make! Your supply is going to be highest first thing in the morning - feed your baby and pump first thing... your body will catch up. As long as he is gaining and developing normally - there is no reason to supplement... especially since he is on solids already.
Let's see. I too have started my period - around the same time. I am still nursing. My milk supply has dropped quite a bit, but not so much that my kiddo seems upset. I would say to make sure to feed your child what you have pumped. I would also recommend supplementing with formula, but you may need to up your pumping sessions so you can amp up your milk production. I would also recommend taking Blessed Thistle as well. Try this: I think Fenugreek comes in 500-600 mg capsules. You need to take 3 capsules 4 times a day. Blessed Thistle comes in 150 mg. You need to take 1 capsule 3 times a day. I also drink Mother's Milk Tea throughout the day, which also is available at Whole Foods or the Vitamin Store. If you are going to supplement with formula try this one: naturesone at www.naturesone.com. Most of all, relax. Stress will make it all much moe difficult. Hope this helps!
I have an almost 4 month old and had my first period last week. He is exclusively breast fed with no solids yet. I know he is getting plenty to eat as he is content and chubby. lol. So I don't think your period starting has much to do with decrease in milk.
I started my period around that time even when I had been exclusively breastfeeding. My supply went down with my hormone change. i was very worried about it - esp since I didnt know that that was what was happening. A couple of days after my period started my supply went back up to normal like nothing had ever happened! My baby just nursed a little more often and I pumped the same as usual (since I only had certain break times at work). It'd help to have some milk stockpiled if you can manage it between periods to make up for the decrease in supply for those few days?? don't worry!! :)
I nursed my son for his entire first year. My period returned around 5.5 months, too, but I didn't have any issues with my supply at that time. As he transitioned more to solid foods, my supply wasn't as great as it had been (but that was much closer to the 1 year mark).
Fenugreek is often recommended to help with supplies. The best thing to help increase milk supplies is to have the actual stimulation of the breast. Latching is the best way to stimulate, but pumping can help, too (not to the same extent).
A friend had an awful time filling her son and had to have her breastmilk analyzed. It wasn't high enough in fat to satisfy her son, and she had to transition to formula. My milk comes in VERY fatty, but the consistency changed as my kids aged and got closer to weaning.
I didn't want to use formula if I could breastfeed. When I was diagnosed with cancer (when our daughter was 10 weeks old) and had to start chemo, breastfeeding was no longer an option. I got over the hump very quickly. Breastfeeding is always best, it's what nature intended, but you should be so proud of what you've accomplished so far if you have to supplement your own supplies.
I'm not sure about your supply, but I cut out a feeding at about 5 mos. and shortly thereafter added solids. I started my period very soon afterward, hope that helps! I didn't have a super high milk supply, but it was always sufficient even after I started having my period.
Hey J.,
Yesterday, on the show Doctors, they had a lactation specialist and she said to nurse on one side and when you switch to the other side to pump on the side the baby just finished nursing on. She said that will help to increase supply. Just thought I would pass on what I know. Good luck.
In my experience, the moment the baby starts going a 5 hour stretch without nursing, your supply drops a bit and you start mensing again.
I wouldn't worry about him getting enough. Just eat healthy and don't take any cold meds, etc that might hurt your supply. As long as he is still growing well, he is getting enough. Your supply drops because he is eating less.
For all things nursing, I always refer to this site:
http://www.kellymom.com/
Hope that helps!
Teri
My supply also decreased around 6 months. I added two extra pumpings and made sure I drank plenty of water. My supply did come back up after about a week or so. I still haven't started my period so I can't comment on whether or not that affects supply. I did think I was going to have to supplement my son so I bought a really expensive can of organic formula. He absolutely REFUSED to take the bottle with formula!! He would take it out of my hand (or my husband's or my mom's) and throw it as hard as his little 6 month old hand could throw. It's a little comical to think about now, but at the time I was at my wits end because I didn't think I was making enough milk for him. Turns out that Mother Nature took over and evened things out for us. Good luck to you and your sweet baby boy!!
