5 weeks and already dried up???

[Sara457]

I just turned 5 weeks today and my DD still nurses. But I have noticed that my milk no long let's down! She is almost 14 months but I would have liked to nurse her even longer. Poor thing is so confused. It happened way too fast too! I thought it would be more gradual.

Sorry just mourning this loss. She still nurses, but doesn't get much.

[crayfishgirl]

My supply dipped early on, but then came back. I'm 18 weeks now and I think I'm back down to virtually nothing, but it was more gradual after it came back. Hopefully you might experience something similar? I understand the sadness. My DD (19 months) still wants to nurse all the time, which has become painful at this point, but she really loves Boobie.

[kawa kamuri]

I'm about 5w as well and am nursing my 11mo. I'm pretty sure my supply has decreased significantly and it's bittersweet. I didn't plan to get pregnant while she was still so young and, while I'm sad about this loss, I'm at the same time happy for the coming new baby. I understand your mourning this. FWIW I lost my supply very early on during my last pregnancy also. It never came back and my then 2.5yo self weaned.

[dakotablue]

My supply dropped a bit in the beginning and I introduced oatmeal and DS started nursing more frequently and my supply built back up. Not to where it was before, but he is on a lot more solids than before (he started actually eating 'meals' at 10 1/2 months.)

One thing I did notice though I stopped responding to the pump almost all together. I can't pump almost anything, but DS has mouth fulls and I can hand express. I used to do really well with pump (When I did I had to attach 8oz bottles because if I went longer than 5-8 minutes 4 oz would over fill)

ETA: Oh and water intake. If I am low on day I drink more water and it comes back. I've had to double my water intake just to keep up. Also, I met a mom in MW's office who had two boys who were about the age difference DS will be and she said she had to stop nursing because her baby's fluid was low. She also said her lips were chapped even though she drank a ton.

[Sara457]

Thanks for understanding ladies. My family thinks its weird to nurse while pregnant. And to be honest, I get hyperemisis really bad so she probably would have had to wean soon anyways. Funny you mentioned the chapped lips. Mine have been horrible even though I have been drinking a ton. But I have been sick with a fever since Saturday too.

[Jayray]

My milk dried up really early, too. DS was about 14 months. I really did not like nursing dry, and he really wasn't that interested. I weaned him slowly over a few weeks and he didn't protest or even seem to notice. I thought I would be sad, but I wasn't. It seemed like the right time for both of us.

I hope you're able to work things out and nurse as long as you both want to!

[babygrey]

Originally Posted by dakotablue

ETA: Oh and water intake. If I am low on day I drink more water and it comes back. I've had to double my water intake just to keep up. Also, I met a mom in MW's office who had two boys who were about the age difference DS will be and she said she had to stop nursing because her baby's fluid was low. She also said her lips were chapped even though she drank a ton.

I'm 12w pg and still nursing my 18mo DD.

Fluid intake is HUGE for my supply. I thought I'd completely dried up around 7 weeks, but I upped my fluid intake-- okay, doubled, probably and got *some* milk back.

Also, rest is also HUGE for my supply. If I'm tired, I know I'll have no milk when DD wants to nurse. Assume it is my body sending my energy to the babes.

Also, when I noticed my supply drying up, I let DD have completely unrestricted nursing access, which meant that she was nursing A TON. (ouch! but that's another topic...)
She's back down to 3-4 times/day, but I think the increase helped my body remember that I was still growing her, too.

One other thing- I thought I was completely dried up and I was really sad about it. I was really surprised, then, when I was able to hand-express a couple drops. That made me feel better.

G/L