My milk's gone!

[ginadc]

I'm 14 weeks pregnant and still nursing DS, now 21 months. We had been tapering down our nursing sessions and mostly just nurse at bedtime, naptime and in the morning now. Well, the other day at random I just tried to express some milk in the bathroom, and I got nothing. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a drop--and I usually could squirt for distance!

I have no idea how long this has been going on. DS hadn't been acting differently about nursing, and I thought I could hear him swallowing periodically--we've still "nursed" since I noticed this, and I still can hear swallows, although maybe he's just swallowing saliva.

So...what's going on? Is it the pregnancy? I had heard that milk flavor can change during pregnancy and kids sometimes refuse the breast then, but I hadn't heard about milk production totally drying up mid-pregnancy. Will it come back?

[SallyN]

normal.
also, your milk might not be totally gone, just decreased such that you can't effectively hand express. If DS isn't acting differently, then he's probably still getting milk (nurslings are the most efficient milk removers!) Or at least, he's getting what he wants from the session.

I nursed through about midway through my pregnancy and DD self-weaned. She un-weaned about two weeks after her sister joined us. (yes, your milk most certainly comes back, no worries!)

[littlecityfarmer]

You're right on-- it probably is the pregnancy causing the drop in supply. Here's a good explanation from Kellymom:

Most mothers who are nursing through pregnancy notice a decrease in milk supply by mid-pregnancy, but sometimes as early as the first month. During pregnancy, the mature milk is also making a gradual change to the colostrum which is present at birth. Supply may increase toward the end of pregnancy as colostrum production kicks in.

Why does milk production usually decrease during pregnancy? Progesterone levels gradually rise during pregnancy. One theory for the cause of decreased milk supply during pregnancy (Flower 2003) is that the progesterone makes the alveoli permeable, or "leaky," so they can't store milk well. At birth (the delivery of the placenta) progesterone levels drop dramatically, allowing prolactin to take over. Prolactin makes the alveoli impermeable, thus setting the stage for the return of copious milk production.

The production of breastmilk depends upon adequate emptying of the breasts, but the supply and demand regulation of milk supply does not usually hold up when faced with the hormonal changes of pregnancy. The decrease in milk production usually occurs despite continued or increased nursing frequency, although a minority of pregnant mothers do not experience a decrease in milk supply. Obviously if your child does decrease demand, that will further decrease supply.

When your milk supply begins to decrease, your nursling may respond by increasing or decreasing nursing frequency. Your child will most likely make up for decreased milk intake by eating more solids (indeed, increased solid food intake is one way that pregnant moms might track a decrease in milk supply).

Don't worry-- your milk will come back after you have the baby (and speaking from experience, if you are tandem nursing, you won't have to worry about that awful engorgement as your early supply regulates...)

Hope that helps!