Any way to prevent milk drying up while pregnant?

[veghead]

Just determined I'm pregnant with our second child. I'm still nursing our 17 month old and would love to continue. Hearing a lot about how women's milk changed/dries up about 1/2 way through the pregnancy. Anything I can do to try to prevent this?

[foreverinbluejeans]

Your milk will change but it doesn't have to dry up. If you keep nursing you will keep having milk. Some women have sensitive nipples and they cut back or stop nursing and that's why their milk "drys up."

[Peony]

Some women stop producing milk regardless of nursing around the clock. There are different hormones that drive milk production and then ones that sustain a pg, obviously while you are pg, those hormones win over milk producing ones. Some women continue producing milk, others do not. There is nothing that can prevent it, you will either be one that maintains a milk supply or you won't. Most women will have a decrease in supply though.

[elaine_benice]

Keep nursing...that is all u can do

Keep nursing.. drink plenty of fluids, eat well, relax, moisturize your nipples..

[Monkey Toes]

Originally Posted by foreverinbluejeans

Your milk will change but it doesn't have to dry up. If you keep nursing you will keep having milk. Some women have sensitive nipples and they cut back or stop nursing and that's why their milk "drys up."

I have a 19 month old and I'm 17 weeks pregnant. She nurses about 10+ times a day and night, at least, and I didn't stop her even though it literally left me crying in pain sometimes, and it still dried up a few weeks ago. I imagine she sensed my pain, but I absolutely didn't cut back at all. In fact she still nurses approximately the same amount, and definitely still as much as night. There just isn't anything coming out There isn't much control I have over my hormones...

[LadyCatherine185]

Originally Posted by foreverinbluejeans

Your milk will change but it doesn't have to dry up. If you keep nursing you will keep having milk. Some women have sensitive nipples and they cut back or stop nursing and that's why their milk "drys up."

Sorry but, not true. Your milk will either dry up, or it won't. I continued to nurse my DS and my milk dried up.. There was still a few drops in there but that was about it. It happened around the 2nd month or so.

But, he is still nursing a couple times a day and I'm starting to make colostrum.. I suspect he will start nursing more once baby is here and I have a full supply again.

[changingseasons]

I agree that there's probably nothing you can do. My milk dried up almost immediately, around 6 or 8 weeks I think, even with my 35mo still nursing multiple times a day.

[lilith1]

I had no luck, sadly, DS weaned himself with 9 months. Luckily I had a decent stash that lasted till' he turned 1.
Dried up in my 2nd. month. And I pumped as much as I could to prevent that- nothing. Later on it became extremely painful, very sensitive, so I stopped pumping as well- the view cc's I would get.
Good luck!

[almadianna]

i dont think that there is anything you can do really. some people do... and some people dont.

I did unfortunately. I second the suggestions of nursing to try and prevent it but it might just happen regardless of what you do.