think my milk has gone

6 replies

Kveta · 01/12/2011 09:45

I'm 13 weeks pg with DC2, and still feeding DS (2y 2m) once or twice a day.

Until a few weeks ago, I could hand express a few drops of milk (for rubbing on sore nipples after a feed, for example!), but now, nothing - even if I try before he normally feeds.

Can people please reassure me that this is normal (have read Adventures in Tandem Nursing book, but tbh cannot remember a single word about this from it!), and my milk will come back eventually? I was leaking colostrum from 16 weeks when pg with DS, but presume that won't happen this time if I'm still bfing a toddler?

DS still tries to feed for 15-20 minutes, but is getting frustrated and started biting sometimes, which obviously I do not want to encourage...

thanks :)

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 01/12/2011 09:53

your milk WILL come back. eventually.
women experience different levels of milk reduction/loss in pregnancy. it can really vary greatly so I wouldn't like to second-guess what your supply will do, but it will arrive back before baby is born.

i found it really, really painful breastfeeding ds2 while I was pregnant with ds3 and he eventually weaned as I couldn't let him nurse for very long and coupled with the lack of milk he lost interest :(

if you're happy to let him nurse then go with that and you should get through it ok!

BartletForAmerica · 01/12/2011 10:39

I'm 15 weeks with DC2 and have found exactly the same. DS (16mo) was getting frustrated and biting in the last few weeks, so I decided to stop and he's not been bothered about it at bedtime when he was normally feeding. He has gone in for a couple of extra feeds when I've been topless (like getting changed) but they've been short and, I think, mainly for comfort. I'll carry on not offering him but not stopping him if he's latched on!

Original poster

Kveta · 01/12/2011 10:46

thanks, I have tried don't offer, don't refuse, but he launches at me going 'milk please mummy?' and pulls my top up, so it isn't working very well :o

luckily it isn't too painful, although a bit nippy at times, so will just let him carry on and see what happens. Is it wrong that I'm a bit :( about it though?!

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 01/12/2011 10:49

aww bless him,

not wrong to be sad at all, i was very sad when ds2 stopped, i'd been looking forward to tandem feeding and I don't think ds2 would have been anywhere near weaning if I hadn't been pregnant so i felt really sad knowing that he ought to have been nursing still

then when i had ds3 it felt weird, the little usurper!

Original poster

Kveta · 01/12/2011 10:50

ha ha, we are calling the foetus 'usurper' or 'nemesis' :o I had no big plans to tandem feed, but am too lazy to wean, so was just seeing what happened really! never thought I'd still be bfing a 2 year old either!

OP posts:

TruthSweet · 01/12/2011 13:52

Hi Kveta - I 'lost' my milk at 14 weeks with both DD2's & DD3's pg. It came back as colostrum at 24 & 26 weeks respectively. It hurt like buggery in the first trimester but eased off in the 2nd.

I used to allow DD1 to nurse for 3 books then 2 books then 1 book at night (children's books not War & Peace or Homer's Illiad!) and I could cope with nursing to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. With DD2 I used counting to let her know when we would be finishing.

I hope you find a way to work things out to you and DS's satisfaction. All the best.

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