Does breastmilk supply drop off after 1 year?? Help please!

[GogoTheSmall]

I'd love some advice, my supply seems to have suddenly dropped and I'm a bit worried about it.

DD is 13 months old, bf and baby led weaned. She has only just in the last few weeks started to eat a substantial amount of food, and has only just had her first 2 teeth through, which may or may not be related, I'm not sure.

This week I have noticed a definite drop in my supply, to the extent that she often wants more milk than I can provide and she is left pulling on an empty breast. There is still milk there but nowhere near the amounts she usually has. I haven't had a problem like this since the early days

The main cause for concern is that bm is still her main source of fluids. She will drink water / juice from a spouted beaker but will only ever have a couple of gulps and then rejects it. She's not very keen on cow milk either.

Plus we're going to Greece in a week and I'm really worried she's going to get dehydrated.

DH was speculating that maybe this is nature's way of moving her on to solids and proper drinks? Could this be what's happening?

I really don't want to stop bfing, I wanted to continue until she was 2. Please help!

[hercules1]

No, your milk works on supply and demand and will carry on forever if you carry on feeding. I dont know what is happening. It is impossible to tell how much milk you have there, breasts are never ever empty though. SOmeone will be along soon to explain it better.

[BabiesEverywhere]

Bump for an expert.

Just interested how do you know your supply has dropped ?

Apart from the first few months, I haven't been able to feel milk in my breasts, yet my DD gargles with it...so I am making milk still

[GogoTheSmall]

That's just it, I can't really know for sure because my boobs never feel very full these days - but whereas she used to be quite satisfied with one side at a time, now she finishes one side, then finishes the other side and still seems hungry.

She's teething too so the last thing I want is a diminished supply if she's going to go off solids again.

Help!

[moondog]

Gogo,they feel less full as time goes on.
The more a baby sucks, the more milk is made,so if she still seems hungry,let her carry on sucking.
As an MNer once said, it is the equivalent of putting out a note for the milkman saying 'One pint extra tomorrow please'

[MaeWest]

Gogo - have you tried putting her back on the 'first' side again? I've done that when DS seems hungry for more...

[BabiesEverywhere]

Maybe she wants more comfort due to teething and hence wants to nurse more.

It doesn't matter if your DD wants 1,2 or more sides. Just keep offering until she refuses.

[policywonk]

DS2 (who's 3) sometimes goes from one to the other eight or ten times. There have been times when I've suspected he would never stop if I didn't draw the line.

[Elloeise]

I had this problem when ds was 6 mths old to the point my milk almost dryed up and i was told by the midwife (at the hospital) and my doctor seperatly that it was because of too much stress in my life (outside problems) and put my ds on a bottle it took a week or two for us both to ajust but he was a lot happyer as he was getting the food he needed. It was just me that was sad/disapointed but i soon got over it as ds became a happy contented baby again.

[hercules1]

Stress doesnt affect milk supply. It really doesnt. Sudden shock like a close death can interrupt it temporarily but stress doesnt affect it.

[BabiesEverywhere]

Elloeise, I wonder if you were given the right information from your doctor and midwife ?

I goggled 'Tiktok with 'Stress' and 'Milk Supply' and she states that stress does not affect milk supply and that...

"The milk ejection reflex ('let down') can be affected by huge stress, but it is temporary and will not affect supply in the long term. Just keep offering the breast to your baby. She may also need to suck for comfort and to feel close to you. This effect does not normally last for more than a few hours (though I have come across one case where it lasted 24 hours, when the mother had a sudden bereavement)."

And TBH the OP is not even sure if there is a problem and hasn't mentioned stress levels at all.

[GogoTheSmall]

Thanks for all the messages . I will just keep on offering her one side then the other until things even out again. She does feed more when she's teething too, so that is probably a factor.

I'm not particularly stressed at the moment but I have made some dietary changes lately - basically eating much more healthily and much lower-fat (still eating tons though). Could this affect supply do you think?

[hercules1]

Your diet is not affecting your supply and nor is any stress you may be under. Really, these are myths.

[MrsBadger]

nope - great page here