When might my milk dry up and what to do when it does?

[newtonupontheheath]

I'm currently 14+4 with dc2. At what stage of your pregnancy did you milk dry up? Did you replace feeds with something else?

Bit of background...DS (18mo) is still breastfed although I work full time so currently feeds on and off through the night (from about 4 onwards as useful to keep us in bed for an extra couple of hours!) Will quite happily go without all day until after dinner/before bath (more because he is tired that hungry iyswim)

Earlier this week, we replaced his evening feed with 4oz whole milk from a bottle. He's always taken bottles, no problem do now not fed to sleep (small victory here!) although I was initially reluctant to introduce a bottle at bedtime. To be honest, the extra time I have in the evening now DP can share bedtimes is worth it!

I dont think your milk will dry up while youre still feeding.

I'm 37 weeks and still have enough milk to keep my 21 month old interested although I suspect he'll think all his Christmases have come at once in a few weeks :)

Mine usually stops at 14w though this time it was more like 12w ,though the previous two pg I have bf through were a lot younger 'babies' - DD1 was 12m when I was pg with DD2 and DD2 was 13m when I got pg with DD3 - this time my youngest was 2.3y so bf a lot less than her sisters were at the same stage of pg.

My colostrum normally comes in between 24-26w and between milk stopping and colostrum my DDs have all nursed normally (well dry nursed!). I offered cows' milk as an extra during the time with no milk (just a cup or two a day) and then phased it back to one cup a day when the next baby was born and my milk 'came in'.

My DDs were all very pleased with the colostrum

There is no norm for what happens to milk production during pg, some women don't seem to have a dip in supply, some dry up completely (like me!) and some do have a dip to one degree or another - it just depends!

Thanks truth I haven't noticed any dip as yet...I can see what's coming here. I'll be in the same boat as organiccarrotcake when September comes and I'll never get minutes peace ever again!

Have noticed a couple of similar threads on here today, so off to read those [busmile]

I have fed DD1 through 2 pg (so tandem nursed through DD3's pg) when she self weaned at 3.6y and I was 8m pg with DD3.

DD2 (4.4y), I thought had self weaned recently but asked to have 'bah' today so had a little go, I am 16w pg now so about a month into no milk, DD3 still has a little nurse every day or may be twice. I expect that may change with colostrum's appearance but hey, more chances to sit around, it can't be so bad

TBH I am more scared of only having one to nurse (DC4) than tandem/triandem nursing as that seems easy to me (I have no idea what you do with a screamy 3y if they don't nurse??) but I am probably just odd

Oh interesting...I only have 1 DC so can't help, but when the colostrum comes in if it gets taken by an older sibling does the new baby still get some? For some reason I had assumed colostrum was finite and would hve to be saved for the new baby

Colostrum production happens once a certain point in lactogenesis stage I is reached (for some women that might be 20w for some 30w - I am usually making colostrum at 24-26w).

The production of colostrum is controlled by progesterone and production only starts to wind down once the placenta is removed and progesterone levels drop. This usually take 3-5 days (though may be 2-7 days depending on circs).

The older sibling can have as much pre-birth colostrum as they like as it isn't stored for the baby to have but it's probably best to let the baby have first crack at the colostrum once it's born as baby is just getting to grips with nursing and isn't going to be as efficient as a toddler or older child!

Gosh truth you know a lot about this!

Good advice re feeding after birth. I imagine DP will be mainly looking after ds at this time anyway so shouldn't be too much trouble.

Having spent 5 whole days (bank hol w/end plus working from home today) I have certainly noticed ds's interested has started to drop off. I'm thinking he might self-wean after all. Which makes me a little bit sad and a little bit relieved depending what kind of day I've had

Oh wow, so older babies/ toddlers can have a second dose of colostrum. I bet that's good for them. Thanks Truth and good luck with DC2 OP

It is good for them (lots of immunities in colostrum esp. IgA) but it can give them a runny tummy - both times my colostrum has come in I have thought the toddlers have had mustard coloured diarrhoea and each time DH has rolled his eyes and said no it's the colostrum...(colostrum is a laxative).

It was fun with DD1 & DD2 when pg with DD3 as they were both nursing a fair bit and DD1 was filling the potty with mustard loose poo and DD2 was filling her nappy at the same time I didn't know which to deal with first! I chose the potty as at least that can't get kicked over

Not come in yet this time as I am only 18 weeks so got 6-8 weeks of dry nursing left before the delights of colostrum toddler poo start (it does settle down btw so don't think it will be runny poo for 3m!)