Nursing infant and milk supply TTC

[Rosie023]

I have a 3 month old and am nursing in demand while TTC. My questions is if/when I get pregnant how will my milk supply be affected? Will it diminish being pregnant? I'm worried about having enough for my baby. What was your experience with breastfeeding a relatively young baby while pregnant?

[Viola]

In my experience in talking to other mothers, you will probably have to supplement if you get pregnant any time soon.  Of course it depends on when you get pregnant, how quickly and how much your milk supply dwindles, and how much in solid food your child is eating. Most women I know who were breastfeeding when they became pregnant lost their milk by the second trimester and had to supplement, but this isn't true for every woman.

My milk seemed to dry up right before I became pregnant the second time, and then I was producing colostrum almost immmediately, it seemed, but I was nursing a toddler.

Here is an old article from LLL's publication, New Beginnings.  If you scroll down to the part about milk supply, it talks about it.  http://www.llli.org/nb/nbjulaug00p116.html

I'll see if I can find some more recent links.

[Viola]

OK, here is another article, it doesn't say much about decreased supply other than it happens about halfway through. http://kellymom.com/pregnancy/bf-preg/12earlyweaning/  

I've known moms who claim to have never lost supply, but they were breastfeeding toddlers.  With an infant, I would just make sure to monitor how much the baby is nursing, developmental gains, wet & dirty diapers, weight, etc.

[maos211]

I was exclusively nursing and pumping milk for my son at 8 months when I became pregnant. Within a couple of weeks I was so so so sore but I didn't stop. My supply went from 6-8 total per pumping session to 1-2 ounces total. I wasn't ready to quit so for the next 4 months I pumped more and more and endured horrible pain but the supply never went back up. I had to stop suddenly at 12 months because my pregnancy had complications and I needed to get emergency in utero surgery for the placenta. Now my DD is 13 months and I just got pregnant again. I must be 4 weeks or so and I'm not sore yet but my supply has gone from 8 ounces total per pump session to about 4-5 total. And it takes me twice as long to pump now. Hardly feel let downs.

[Abraisme]

My milk started to dry up at 8 weeks and was totally gone by the time I was 12 weeks pregnant. I am a person that has always had very good supply otherwise.  Once pregnancy hormones kick in, there is nothing you can do to keep or increase your supply.   My DD was a toddler at the time and naturally weaned herself, which worked out well for us.  I would say that it's likely you will have to supplement if you get pregnant now.  Not everyone has their milk dry up, but it's extremely exhausting to be pregnant and breastfeeding either way.