Low supply ds not interested in cows milk ttc

[janarae18]

Originally I had planned on ttc when ds turned 9 months but I have had to take domperidone for low supply issues since he was 4 months old.  Now I am off of the domperidone at 12 months and ds isn't really interested in cows milk . I am worried about his weight and so we are nursing a lot.  I am afraid if I cut back on sessions he will be getting even less than he is now which I am assuming is only 8 ounces .... I want to ttc again but I am worried about the milk I have now drying up... I have been nursing him every 2 hours to maintain my supply... If I cut back to every 4 or 5 hours will my milk dry up? I feel like now that he is 12 months he doesnt need to nurse as much but I am worried about his weight gain and the fact that he isn't interested in other forms of milk...

[BabySmurf]

At this point your milk should be at a supply and demand place - the more your son nurses, the more you will make.  If your son nurses only two or three times per day, then that's how much milk you would make.  That can change when you get pregnant - many people find that their milk does dry up during pregnancy...but it's not true for everyone.  I don't know having had previous low supply would affect this.

How much food is your DS eating? If he is eating a fair amount of food, then I wouldn't worry too much about his diet.  If he is still getting a lot of calories from nursing, then you would have to take into consideration supplementing with some kind of toddler formula or something if you lost your supply.  In terms of not drinking cows milk, that's not really a big deal - we have a dairy allergy, so don't have any dairy at all.  Plenty of people grow up vegan.  You just have to make sure that you are replacing the nutrients that you would be getting from cows milk with other foods.  For kids, a lot of that is calcium, vit D, and fat.  You could try fortified rice, almond, hemp, or coconut milk, or you could just eat other foods with those vitamins, minerals, fat, and protein. 

Anyone else have insight?

[foreverinbluejeans]

It is difficult to estimate how much a child gets when they breastfeed. Even weighing a toddler before and after feeds isn't an accurate way of telling how much they ingest. It seems like it would be. My son has a genetic disorder that involves FTT. He was hospitalized at around 12 months when he was breastfeeding. They would weigh him before and after feeds but explained to me that it wasn't accurate. 

If you are nursing every 2 hours it would seem to me that he would be getting much more than 8 oz a day. That would be less than one ounce a feeding. To meet what the government thinks a toddler needs of "milk" a toddler would need about 12 oz of breastmilk since it is more bioavailable than cow's milk. He may be getting that much. 

If a child weans from the breast or formula they don't need to drink milk or even eat food with milk it it. There are many problems/issues associated with drinking cow's milk. The amount of milk that is recommended for people in the US is influenced by the dairy industry. Human milk and cow's milk you get in the store are very different. Cow's milk is a source of protein, calcium, and vitamin D that children can get from other foods, foods that have suppliments, or suppliments. Things like soy milk or almond milk aren't milk at all but can be used in cereal. 

As you know for most women breastfeeding works on supply and demand. If a toddler were to nurse 4 times a day they would make the amount of milk they need for those times. Depending on why you have had supply problems your body may or may not adapt. Most mothers could just start breastfeeding more often again if they ran into problems from cutting back. That might not work for you. You know best how your breasts work. 

Some children continue to need breastmilk as a large part of their diet until they are 2 or beyond. This is normal. A toddler might continue to eat 32 oz of breastmilk a day along with a little food. It can be difficult for the mother and toddler if the mother gets pregnant.

I understand there are reasons to have babies close together but there are some compelling reasons for the mother's health, for the toddler and practical to wait until your child is 2.5 years to ttc. That's what the World Health Org recommends. 

[janarae18]

I am sure he is getting very little since I have had to take domperidone since he was 4 months old... I want to breastfeed him until 2 years of age but I am scared to continue taking the domperidone and while I was on it (not sure if it was from the increased breast milk or the medication) I had pain during intercourse and no sex drive even after a full hour of foreplay... lol