My supply is dropping already?!?

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I'm not even 4 weeks pregnant and I'm pretty sure my supply is already dropping.

My DD was trying to nurse A TON and now is hardly wanting to. The whole time she nurses she acts frustrated and antsy. She nurses for a long time, which is unusual for her. She's also taken a sudden interest in eating more solid foods, so I'm assuming she is hungry.

I figured this would start to happen a few months in...but already?

[~Demeter~]

My supply took a dive around the 4 week mark and I was feeling very frustrated with my daughter. I thought it was impending AF droppage not pregnancy related. I took a test a week later and then realized that's what was going on... Anyway! My supply seems to have leveled out a little bit for now. I can hear her swallow and I can express a little by hand. I don't think I'm as abundant as I was before getting pregnant... also, some of the irritation and sensitivity I was experiencing seems to have let up just a little bit. Hope you experience the same?

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I can tell she's still getting some (swallowing and such), especially first thing in the morning after not nursing for a long time. But it seems to get lower and lower throughout the day. Poor thing. I hope she adjusts ok.

[~Demeter~]

Of course, after I posted this... I noticed I'm pretty low in the supply department today, too. My daughter woke up from her nap and wanted to nurse for almost an hour. It was starting to get really uncomfortable again. I need to start eating better... I think that's part of it. Nothing seems appetizing to me at the moment.

[momongeon]

Hey ladies. I am not experiencing this currently as I stopped BFing a yr ago but I can shine some light on it. I got pg with ds2 when ds1 was 9 or 10 mo. Supply was so important to me b/c I didn't want to supplement at all. I would rather give milk around 11 mo than use formula but that is just me. My supply took a dive but not like I thought. It hurt me more than anything. I have heard the taste changes a bit as it changes over to colostrum even in early pg. Ds continued to nurse until he was 15mo when he could care less about nursing. We were doing it for me at that point but we survived.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

That's good to hear that he still kept on for so long after the dip Meghan. I'm kind of scared that she won't keep nursing. I don't think either of us are ready to be done yet. She loves her na-na and I think it would be really hard on her emotionally to not have that.

My goal is to at least have some quantity of milk to make it through cold and flu season.

I'm really ok with her weaning at some point during this pregnancy as I'm not sure I'm up for tandem nursing, but we'll see.

[~Demeter~]

I say eat oatmeal for breakfast and look in to some teas that are safe in pregnancy to up your supply. That's likely what I'm going to do Sage is 27 mos but is a total boobie girl. She comfort nurses quite a lot yet so I'm thinking she'll probably go through the pregnancy just fine, even when my supply dips even more. It's probably going to be more dependent upon my comfort level, lol, but I'm hoping to tandem.

[momongeon]

I was the same way. Was not ready to stop but didn't want to tandem feed at all. Come to find out he would have been fine. He nursed a few times a week after DS2 was born but only for a minute or so until just before I stopped with ds2. Your metabolic needs will be increased more so then if you were only nursing. What ever is left over from the metabolic needs of the baby will go to the milk. Your body knows the priorities and hate to say it but you are the last one to get any of it. So it is also important to increase your calcium oils and water. This can help. Keep offering it to her and she will at the very least get the comfort of being at your breast. I seem to remember you mentioning that she wasn't eating as much solid food as she was nursing. This may help her turn that corner and still continue to nurse.

[rissierae]

I've noticed a drop too. Partly because it seems like ds nurses a lot, but then doesn't need to pee as often as I think he should. I think he is getting some milk, but not as much as he used to.