Milk: When does it go away?

[b_light]

I'm pretty sure I still have milk, but the supply is definitely going down. I'm 13 weeks today. How's everyone else's milk supply?

[mymary]

i was going to start a thread on this a couple weeks ago. I will be 13 weeks this sunday, and about two weeks ago I woke up ENGORGED slightly! I for sure thought something was wrong, but nope. Still pg, just making at least as much as before and seems slightly more. Now, this is in the am, but throughout the day seems like enough for her feedings. Weird.

I was wondering too, when its going to stop.

[BeccaBaby1]

I haven't noticed a difference yet. I'm 12 weeks.

[tlcdoula]

I stopped nursing my dd when she was 9 1/2 months old and had milk for several months after that when it turned to what looks like colostrum and that is what I have now. btw - my baby will be one year old next weekend.

[paxye]

In the past I have had milk until the colostrum comes in at about 7-8 months... I still have plenty of milk now so I don't think that it will be different this time around...

[sweetpea_119]

This time around, I'm still producing enough to keep the little guy happy I can't believe it because in previous pregnancies, a severe drop in my supply was one of the huge indicators that I was pregnant again. I hope my supply keeps up this time! It didn't stop my others from nursing, but it sure is easier to nurse when there's something there!

[StrawberryFields]

I still have milk at this point but I think that it dried up approximately 20 weeks into my last pregnancy.

[scheelimama]

I'm totally jealous of you all, my milk has been pretty much dried up for a few weeks now. I'm 13 weeks and a bit. DD still nurses 3-5 times in a 24 hour period. For a week or so, a few weeks back, she seemed like she was going to wean, but she's back and nursing just as much as ever now.

I was a really poor milk maker though with my first two children and my milk would dip drastically when AF came to visit. When I got pregnant with my second child we were forced to supplement with formula for the first, my milk dried up quickly. It's totally unfair that some people make milk so easily.

[Gray's Mommy]

I've been nursing my toddler & a few weeks ago (maybe in week 9??) he mentioned "no milk in nursies". I am totally okay with the weaning though, been waiting for a long time to stop. He only nurses 2 times a day now.

[mrsfrenchy]

Well, my boobs feel a little empty, but there's still milk in there. It seems like mine has already started to change to colostrum though because her poop is so loose (and gross) now.

[jillmamma]

Not much, if any, but that is probably mostly due to the fact that she is almost 4 and only nurses a few seconds right before bed. With DS, he was 2 and still nursing 4-5 times a day, so I think my supply was definitely down, but still had some at this point.

[smokeylo]

I am almost 14 weeks and still have plenty of milk, although I'm not leaking like I used to. DD is still nursing like crazy. I have a friend who's nursing and pregnant and she said it went down around week 25
for her.\

[Astraia]

Almost 13 weeks, and DD (7 months) is now almost exclusively on formula. I have pretty much nothing there for her. I was OK with formula when she was only getting 4 oz or so a day, but now I'm liking it less and less and less.

I hate the fact that I'm giving her formula- she's gotten the flu since we started needing to supplement, she's been crankier, her poo is gross, she just a couple of days ago developed her first-ever yeast infection, and i hate making with/dealing with/cleaning up after/paying for bottles.

Seriously, I hate it all. I almost went into a total rage in the kitchen about 20 minutes ago, and it took all my self control to not heave the tin of formula against the wall and burst into tears.

So yeah. Just a bit jealous of you that still have milk.

[leila1213]

Crashing from Feb DDC. I'm 9 weeks (DD is 3 yrs old) but I swear my milk dried up the instant I got pregnant. Maybe there was a little bit left for a little while, but I think it's completley gone now. DD still wants to nurse though!! J/K I'm not really upset, but wonder whether she will continue the whole pregnancy or give it up eventually???

[cc_mama]

Still doing ok here. Sometime's running a little low on days dd wants an extra nursing session. She just had her first overnight away from me and we skipped 5 - 6 nursing sessions over the last 3 days so I'm hoping that doesn't change my supply too much. On the other hand, I'm getta a TON of pressure to wean her - and part of me wants to be done, so I don't think I'd be too devestated if I lose my supply - as long as she doesn't get to cranky.

[scheelimama]

Originally Posted by Astraia

Almost 13 weeks, and DD (7 months) is now almost exclusively on formula. I have pretty much nothing there for her. I was OK with formula when she was only getting 4 oz or so a day, but now I'm liking it less and less and less.

I hate the fact that I'm giving her formula- she's gotten the flu since we started needing to supplement, she's been crankier, her poo is gross, she just a couple of days ago developed her first-ever yeast infection, and i hate making with/dealing with/cleaning up after/paying for bottles.

Seriously, I hate it all. I almost went into a total rage in the kitchen about 20 minutes ago, and it took all my self control to not heave the tin of formula against the wall and burst into tears.

So yeah. Just a bit jealous of you that still have milk.

This was totally me when I was pregnant with my second. We started having to supplement when she was 10 months old, when I was just 6 weeks along, my milk went away so quickly. She was totally weaned by 12 months. At that age, they don't really comfort nurse as much as they nurse for nourishment, so if the milk goes away, they tend to wean. I was so upset and people just didn't understand why, since after all, she was 12 months old and I should have been elated that it was so easy to wean her.

I'm struggling this time again, but it's a bit easier since dd is 20 months right now, instead of 12 months. It's still very sad though that she will have a premature end to her mama milk (unless she continues to nurse, it's possible, but she's definitely not getting anything at this point.)

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. And I totally don't understand how most of the people here still have plenty of milk. It's so not fair. But no matter what, your dd will turn out just fine, she'll survive on formula, even if it's not the best thing for her. Take heart. My oldest is a very beautiful, sensitive, amazing child now and doesn't have any memory of weaning early. It didn't bother her at all, just me.

[Kidzaplenty]

I have never run out of milk. In the last 20 years, I have only not had milk one time and that is after I had stopped nursing my seventh baby as I was pg with my eighth. After I lost that baby and my hormones shifted, I dried up. For me, it was a strange experience.

I am now 15 wks, and still have plenty to satisfy my LO that nurses all the time.

[leila1213]

Originally Posted by Astraia

Almost 13 weeks, and DD (7 months) is now almost exclusively on formula. I have pretty much nothing there for her. I was OK with formula when she was only getting 4 oz or so a day, but now I'm liking it less and less and less.

I hate the fact that I'm giving her formula- she's gotten the flu since we started needing to supplement, she's been crankier, her poo is gross, she just a couple of days ago developed her first-ever yeast infection, and i hate making with/dealing with/cleaning up after/paying for bottles.

Seriously, I hate it all. I almost went into a total rage in the kitchen about 20 minutes ago, and it took all my self control to not heave the tin of formula against the wall and burst into tears.

So yeah. Just a bit jealous of you that still have milk.

Have you ever looked into the homemade raw formula? Or BM donation, for that matter? At least trying those options might make you feel a little better about what you ultimately end up with. I'm sorry you and your babe are going through that.

[Astraia]

Originally Posted by leila1213

Have you ever looked into the homemade raw formula? Or BM donation, for that matter? At least trying those options might make you feel a little better about what you ultimately end up with. I'm sorry you and your babe are going through that.

I've got a recipe for homemade raw formula that I'll probably look into soon. We just this week started her on formula pretty much full-time so it's worth it now. It was one thing when it was a small bottle once or twice a day, and I could handle the store-bought stuff then, but now that it's all the time... It might make me feel less like I'm giving up (not that I have a choice in the matter). But I'm not sure yet. We'll see.

BM donations- only if I get it from friends. Some people might be OK with pumping a bit extra here and there, but for a full-time supply for an almost 8 month old... not so much. There are no milk banks here, anything donated goes to the NICU's.

Originally Posted by scheelimama

: She was totally weaned by 12 months. At that age, they don't really comfort nurse as much as they nurse for nourishment, so if the milk goes away, they tend to wean. I was so upset and people just didn't understand why, since after all, she was 12 months old and I should have been elated that it was so easy to wean her.

But no matter what, your dd will turn out just fine, she'll survive on formula, even if it's not the best thing for her. Take heart. My oldest is a very beautiful, sensitive, amazing child now and doesn't have any memory of weaning early. It didn't bother her at all, just me.

That's my MIL when she sees me giving Nigella a bottle- she's so happy that i'm "feeding" my baby, and going on about how easy it will be to wean her, blah blah blah. Definitely doesn't understand that it makes me feel worse and not better.

I keep trying to trick her- I won't let her fall asleep with the bottle, or give her a bottle when she's cranky. I'll let her be full and sleepy with the bottle in her mouth, but nurse her the rest of the way down, and I'll offer to nurse when she's upset or hits her head or whatever in hopes that the "comfort" aspect of it might carry forward now that there's no milk. I'm not sure it will work, but I'm trying.

My sister was formula fed when my mom got pregnant with me (when my sister was 7 months) and she's one of the smartest, kindest people I know. And when you think that more than 60% of American babies today are formula fed (and were formula fed themselves) and are perfectly wonderful people- i know she'll be fine. But you're right, I'm not It's hard on me, but she really doesn't seem to care if she gets the bottle or the boob (which makes me sad, I wish she cared!)

[Dov'sMom]

Crashing from March.

I think it's very variable. By the time I was 7 weeks pregnant with my second, my milk had dropped precipitously and by 9 weeks (DS was 7 months old) I was supplementing heavily.

Now I'm probably close to 7 weeks again and both my boys have been nursing like crazy and when I ask them why they're nursing so much DS1 tells me it's because there's not a lot of milk there so he has to nurse longer.