Nursing, Preggo, No More Milk---Help!!

[anomaly13]

I am pregnant, due at the end of August, and have a 21 month old who I was planning on breastfeeding until he was at least 2. However recently my milk has dried up, there is no more. He still wants to nurse at bedtime/naptime but it really hurts, not sure if it is b/c there is no milk or the whole sore nipples during pregnancy. Either way I let him nurse b/c it gets him to sleep and usually only lasts 10 mins. But sometimes it lasts a lot longer like 30 mins. Anyway I guess I am looking for advice on how to get my milk back, if it is at all even possible, before the next baby comes. And will my milk come back when the baby comes? I never had a problem with milk with my son, always had more then I needed until recently. Also we just moved from moist sea level to extra dry 5000 feet, not sure if that has anything to do with it. I am trying to drink a lot more water, like a gallon a day, but see no change. Not too sure what is safe to take, will be seeing my midwife next week to ask her. Any advice is appriciated. Also if I can't get milk for him I am concerned about what I should be feeding him. he only started really eating solids about 4 months ago and was still getting lots of milk until a few weeks ago. (no meat of dairy for him).

[peacenclarity]

I understand it to be very common to dry up during pregnancy, although not all women do, and it may depend upon how often a child nurses, but some nurslings will continue to dry nurse even up until the colostrum returns, sometime in the later part of the pregnancy, and I am sure you will have no problem producing again when the time comes. You might try a nursing tea concoction (which includes fenugreek) to encourage your milk supply returning more rapidly and at its optimal levels. Hope this is helpful.

[sarah04]

Have you tried eating oatmeal? That is generally really good for increasing supply.

My milk dried up in my 2nd trimester, but came back in my 3rd trimester (although just a little, it was something!). When we had no milk, DS would nurse for sometimes only 2 minutes and then be done. I let him "nurse" whenever he wanted to, and he actually got down to just 2 times a day. After the baby was born, he picked right back up and wanted to nurse every time the LO did!

You may want to try posting in Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy, you'll probably get more answers from the mamas there.

Good luck!

[veronicalynne]

If you can try to hang on through the discomfort, you will be able to tandem nurse when baby comes. My dd1 was nursed all through my pregnancy with dd2 and it did hurt alot and I am sure there was nothing there by about 6 months. But she hung in there and when baby was born, dd1 was soooo happy to be able to have milk again. Just be sure to feed new baby first, and then the older one. I know my dd1 was a blessing after the baby came. I was soooo engorged and when baby couldnt drink enough to help, she was able to step in and help. It also increased my milk supply. I am not sure what you can do to increase the milk while pregnant. I know fenugreek seeds but I would not recommend them while pregnant.....they might have side effects...I dont know. Just what others have already told you about drinking lots, eating well, resting, oatmeal, and if you can eating dates.

[luckygreen713]

There is an herbal company that makes very safe herbs for mamas called Mother Love. They have a tincture made just for this-its called More Milk Two. Its for pregnant moms who are nursing older babies. Check out motherlove.com. I use one of their products (I'm not pregnant) and it really works well. Like pps said, try oatmeal too. I wuold definitely get your midwifes approval before using any herbs, though. Good luck!