Sudden supply decrease + pain = menses?

[LorenaAZ]

My little one and I are still enjoying our breast-feeding relationship at 14 months, but....my supply has dipped quite suddenly and my breasts are very sore/sensitive. Does this mean aunt flow is coming soon? I can tell I'm making less milk because I pump every day for my daughter (for when she's in daycare) and now I'm pumping 3/4 of what I used to pump a few days ago. She's still nursing during the day when we are together and through the night, as usual. Any ideas?

[Katie T]

Could be yes, I notice a supply drop (not so much the nipple pain but every one is different) like a day or so before I get my period. If that is what it's from you shouldn't have to wait to long before you get it to find out.

Could you be pregnant? I had sore nipples and a drop in my supply by about 10 wks pregnant. If you don't get your moon in a couple days I would take a dollar test to check.

Have you had your period since your little one has been born? (So you know if your late/when to expect it)?

[mamasthree]

same thing happened to me when dd was almost 1....severe nipple pain & decrease milk supply, and I thought, oh dear! 1 week later, hello AF. I never experienced that with my others, I never had symptoms, but AF returned much sooner with them.

[desertgirl01]

Hi, did you ever start your period? My first af showed up a month ago, and I didn't notice anything different. But, sometime last week, I started having nipple pain and my supply nose-dived (dove?), all around the time I'd be starting af again I jumped right back into a 28-day cycle. But it's still going on--it's been 10 days of pain and low supply and no af! At least the nipple pain has decreased, but I'm still not getting much from the pump, although my dd seems satisfied at home.

I'm certain I'm not pregnant as I have the copper iud and even took an old (expired, but just a few months expired ) pg test yesterday.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I would have typed almost the exact same thing! And, my babe is still an infant at 10 months. ..

[wildnewmamma]

I'm having very similar symptoms...my dd is 10.5 months old, my first period was at 7.5 months, then nothing until 10 months. Now my breast is really sore and my supply has dropped in the one breast...don't know what is going on??

[curiouscanadian]

For me, TOTALLY!!! AF didn't return for me until 17mo PP, but when it did, it came with very sore nipples and decreased supply (great combo...sore nipples and DS is pulling on them because he's dissatisfied with the supply! ).

It's to the point where almost every month since, I wonder about weaning sooner rather than later.

One thing that did confuse me at first is that while a lot of women get those symptoms right before AF, I appear to get them at the time of ovulation so 2-3wks before (I have long cycles). After last month I did a bit of research on MDC and found some people recommend taking Evening Primrose Oil supplements to minimize the symptoms. It's mentioned here on Kellymom. I can't yet comment on the effectiveness, but thought I'd mention it in case it can help someone else!