Can milk supply just dry up?

Karmen - posted on 04/09/2012

Actually, in some cases it can just dry up. Not instantly but eventually, nothing comes out. I am pregnant with my forth child and with my last three, I had problems with breastfeeding and was constantly going to a Lactation consultant. The best way to find out if you're lactating any or enough for your baby is your baby's weight gain. My oldest and youngest were hospitalized at 2 months for poor weight gain because I had nothing to give. Found out later that I have a hormone disorder which causes poor lactation and eventually drying up. My question is, how can I get around that? Are there any herbal medicines I could take to increase my milk supply and can I start now before the baby is born so my breasts can be ready to feed when the baby comes? This is my forth and last baby.

Hillary - posted on 10/12/2010

I found that milk supply can decrease if you are under a lot of stress, pumping milk more often than breast feeding the baby, and not drinking enough fluids during the day. The best way to keep a good milk supply is to relax, stay hydrated and feed the baby at the breast as often as you can! I agree with the other comments. Usually babies seem more fussy and nurse more during growth spurts because they are trying to increase the milk supply even more!

Kristin - posted on 10/12/2010

Situations where you are extremely stressed, mentally, physically, or both, can disrupt your milk supply. Your hormones get thrown out of whack and then you really have to battle to get it back. Pretty much anything that alters your hormone levels can mess with lactation. All you can really do is continue to feed frequently and really take care of yourself (do what you can to reduce/manage the stress). It takes time and patience with both yourself and the baby (will get very frustrated).

I've not had it happen personally. But it has happened to friends. They got their supply back after consulting with lactation specialists; hospital and LLL members/directors. They also spoke with their doctors and pharmacists about the meds they were taking and how that impacted their milk supply. One friend had to quite taking an OTC antihistamine because that was the culprit and another had to change her birthcontrol to something else.

Hope this helps.

Maggie - posted on 10/12/2010

Mine definitely did. I tried everything from mothers milk to blessed thissle, I didn't over do it and I tried pumping all the time. It was really strange because it was exactly at 3 months after my son was born that it did. I didn't do anything different either. It was strange and saddening. And it definitely wasn't all in my head either. Because I tried to keep it going trying different things.

Nicole - posted on 10/12/2010

In my experience, stress had an impact on milk supply. I have four children and in two experiences of sudden and extreme stress (for example, my last baby had to be hospitalized at a week old because of sudden illness) -- my milk supply just dropped almost immediately! I was not able to express the same levels that I had before. But with relaxation, more water, better eating -- all things that are affected when I am stressed -- my milk supply returned after a few days. I fed the baby more frequently too to help encourage milk flow.

HEIDI - posted on 10/12/2010

You can pump and throw away the milk if you want to breast feed or give him your milk in a bottle after your off the pain killers....

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/12/2010

Chloe, were you able to breastfeed shortly after she was born? Wereyou nursing at least everytwohours in the hospital and then at home? Were you extremely stressed or not eating and drinking enough?
Any of these things will affect your milk coming in properly, specifically if you aren't breastfeeding about every two hours around the clock.
If you can find out why it didn't work then you can avoid it happening again!
There's always a cause, but sometimes it's hard to figure it out!

Anna - posted on 10/12/2010

I was hit by a drunk driver a month ago and stopped breast feeding cause of the meds i was put on, i didn't want to harm my baby, but i still have milk. But i did dry up with my 3rd cause i got pregnant. but that is the only time i had that problem...

Geraldine - posted on 10/11/2010

IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SUPPLY AND DEMAND THERE ARE SOME TEAS OUT THERE THAT HELP INCRESE PRODUCTION LIKE MOTHERS MILK TEA

Chloe - posted on 10/11/2010

My milk never came in properly, i was advised to bottle top my daughter when she was 6wks, 2wks later she would no longer take the breast as i didn't have enough milk i had 'dried up' :(. Fingers crossed my milk comes in good for my next bub (due dec)!

Rebecca - posted on 10/11/2010

You should try to drink as much water while nursing as you did while pregnant. LIfe in general can affect a mothers supply so try to avoid letting too much stress into your life (not always easy). Birth control other than the mini pill & some medications & herbs also do affect supply. In general out side of those issues it is rare for a mother to actually have her supply dry up. If you notice your supply taking a dip nurse more often & longer & it will increase in 24-48 hours. It's all about supply & demand so if enough isn't being removed the body thinks it doesn't need to make as much & will adjust it production. I typically see moms with this problem & it is simply a matter of doing less house work etc & going back to more time nursing. It is time consuming in t he begining with the mother & baby just learning but it will get easier as the baby gets older and it is SO worth the effort!

HEIDI - posted on 10/11/2010

If your going to use fenogreek you have to use blessed thissle with it together. It also worked except that you start to smell like a glazed ham.. LOL... Not a really bad odor if I had to choose...

Minnie - posted on 10/11/2010

Shruti- if you are nursing her frequently when you are together you will still continue to produce milk. Nursing during the night is an excellent way to maintain good milk production.

Remeber- many babies go eight hours at night without nursing. You two are just backwards! This is called reverse-cycling.

Shruti - posted on 10/11/2010

hey guys i have a 7 mth old daughter and i am a working mom. i am away from my DD from 8 am to about 7pm. i nurse her when i am at home (about 4-5 times in 24 hrs - all mostly during the night). my question is, since i dont feed her during the day (and my schedule doesnt allow me to pump at work), does that mean my supply will dry up?

Kristi - posted on 10/10/2010

I agree with many of the posts here wherein moms who thought their milk had simply "dried up" were just misinformed and lacking proper support and experienced an unfortunate circumstance created by an outside influence, i.e. took antihistamines or herbs, created a supply/demand problem by supplementing or trying to schedule the baby's feedings, etc.

Karen - posted on 10/10/2010

my milk dried up for 16 weeks in the middle of my pregnancy and then came back...lol
yes i got pregnant while still nursing my 3 yr old. The milk was fine the first 12 wks of my pregnancy then it dried up at week 12 but my daughter refused to stop..she dry nursed a couple times a day for 16 straight weeks and then at 28 wks my milk came back. i am currently at 34 wks pregnant..since the milk came back she has doubled her nursing. i assume it came back in preparation for teh new baby. i keep thinking my 3 yr old will quit on her own..but she isnt budging..i am hoping not to nurse the 2 together..we'll see.

Elizabeth - posted on 10/10/2010

Did they have older babies? I know when my son turned one, I suddenly felt less full. He naturally started decreasing his nursing frequency, and I think my body has a little more equilibrium about it all. Had I not known better, I might have worried about my "supply." Also, one side produces better than the other, and he's old enough to show a strong preference for the side with the better production. So that makes the other side produce much less, as we don't nurse from it as often.

Flo - posted on 10/10/2010

My son has just gone two and is still an avid breastfeeder. He has always drunk ALOT. In fact the health visitor who came round to check up on us right after his birth burst out laughing because he was in such a hurry to glup his milk down. Still now I think I could feed another child or two if I needed to. Even fasting for Ramadhan didn't affect my milk supply, I have a strong believe in my body and in his ability to fulfill his needs, and I have read about women in much less privileged places around world who survive on a meal a day, if not less and still feed their babies. In fact because there is often a scarcity of food their children feed from them a lot longer and grow up to be strong resilient children/adults. In a country with access to good nutrition we have every advantage to be successful breast feeders, what lets us down is lack of information and good female support when we are most vulnerable. There is huge pressure to do 'right' rather than wrong without the supportive environment, which can be tragic. There is no blame on a mother who turns to formula, after all she does so with her child's best interest at heart. It is the professionals, those we turn to because we think they are trained and knowledgeable who seriously let so many women down.

Joy - posted on 10/10/2010

Milk supply does not simply dry out for no reason. Frequent breastfeeding will increase milk supply because the baby is sucking more. I have been breastfeeding for almost 2 yrs now and my baby is slowly weaning off breastfeeding because she is not needing to breastfeed as often plus I am also 7 months pregnant so my body is preparing for the next baby so there is less milk supply for me until my new baby starts breastfeeding too then my milk supply will increase again to meet the needs of my new baby plus the occasional sip :) from my 2 yr old.

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/10/2010

Amy Beth moe, how do you tell that you aren't making any milk? What are the indicators that there isn't any milk anymore?

Jayne - posted on 10/10/2010

best advice to anyone who thinks they have a short supply of milk-speak to your breastfeeding midwife or a doctor, don't give up unless you really think you have to!

Amy Beth - posted on 10/10/2010

I can tell you what I experienced, not researched. With child 3 I dried up. It may have been my diet or my body not being able to supply what he needed. But I just stopped producing. Now with child 4, I was cutting back at 8 months and it seems I have just stopped producing. It definitely isn't birth control as I am not on any. I believe its diet or nutrition. Maybe my body needs it more than hers.

Motunrayo - posted on 10/10/2010

i will like to know more...I'm so lucky,my breast supplies milk very well

Sabrina - posted on 10/10/2010

If I am with my son who is 10 months old.... I can feed him from the breast with no problem. He does have 3 meals of solid foods a day, plus a snack. And he nurses at least 5 times, sometimes more. WHen I am at work I have to pump to send milk w/ him to daycare. The sucking from a pump is different than that of a baby. So I don't get enough milk through pumping for my son to eat while I am away. So he does have supplemental formula for when I am away. As long as I am with him, he does not get a bottle tho. Things seem to be going well for us. I do not take any medications besides an occasional tylenol/advil for migraines. I dont take my allergy meds anymore because they do dry up milk, I just deal w/ the allergies and let me tell you, it is no fun. But until my son is done breastfeeding I don't plan on takin any meds that could affect him or my supply.

Tania - posted on 10/10/2010

No, milk supply cannot just "dry up". There is a contributing factor in most cases. Around the 6 month mark, production would not just "stop". It is probably growth spurt/starting solids/teething contributing to fussing at the breast. Unfortunately, doctors are among the uninformed and can contribute to misinformation.
Additionally, "not enough calories" absolutely does not contribute to production or quality of milk. Hydration is what matters. Women in tribes in Africa breastfeed and have very poor diets.
Medication, herbs, stress can all affect production. However, that is not milk "just drying up". Something caused it to. An established supply simply does not "just" go away.

Marie - posted on 10/10/2010

Heidi - my doctor prescribed 10mg tabs 3 tabs 3 times daily, however when i finally had 'too much' milk i lowered it to 2 tabs 3 times daily and sometimes i would just take them twice...they work before the week is even up, and the milk made is unbelievable ! i've never had to wear nursing pads until i started taking them!

Lydia - posted on 10/10/2010

wow thanks for sharing everybody. it's interesting about the 5,5/6 months mark. my daughter had a 2 week slot were i felt i was a 24/7 nursing mashine... everybody around started saying like "start giving her solids, your milk is not enough blablabla'... however i didn't listen to them because i knew better and we are now bak nursing on a normal schedule. i guess it's those times of growth spurt plus teething that make moms think there is not enough milk...

and also i actually don't trust doctors regarding knowledge about breastfeeding... they have often no idea and especially not when it comes to medication. i always will double check online before taking anything. (one doc of my friend even told her when she asked if the medication is OK for BF that he doesn't know and the best is to go online and check!!!)

Tania - posted on 10/10/2010

Several things can reduce the supply of milk.. drugs, herbs, introduction of formula feeds. Basically milk is supplied on a "supply and demand" basis.. if you feed regularly when yr baby shows cues/demands and feed fully from each breast then you should meet your babies needs. If you have any concerns or want more information I highly recommend finding your local La Leche League.. they are the world experts in breastfeeding and offer unparalled advice and support.

Summer - posted on 10/10/2010

My son was born 4 weeks early, was tongue-tied and a breech baby with a terrible suck and a tiny mouth. We struggled for weeks and weeks to get him to latch and ended up just pumping for a month until he got bigger and stronger. My milk supply was terrible at first, but I took Fenugreek (available in capsules at most pharmacies) and that helped but it wasn't until I got Domperidone that I really saw results (man, that drug is great!). For me it really was a situational thing, I ended up pumping every night at the end of the day just to be sure my breasts were completely emptied for the whole first year of my sons life. Once he was older and better able to empty my breasts I was able to wean off the Domperidone and would only occasionally use Fenugreek. Also oatmeal really helps. I struggled with supply issues the rest of my BF experience with him, but I never had to suppliment as long as I pumped and took my herbs. I even managed to nurse him until 14 months even though I was pregnant with our second son. My BF experience with the second baby was fantastic from the start, he was full-term, latched right off the bat and we have been going strong ever since.

I do know a few girls whose supply was diminished when they went on the mini-pill as well as the Depo shot. I think birth-control can also affect, even if the say it won't.

Ami - posted on 10/09/2010

Heidi - that's a good suggestion about the domperidone, i asked my doctor at the time what he could do for me, but he said that women with thyroid issues are often unable to bfeed - i suppose that shows just how uninformed some doctors are about bfeeding - sad but true. i did not take giving my babies formula lightly. as i said, i successfully breastfed my first two children and firmly believe that bfeeding is best for mother and baby. i attended LLL meetings all around atl looking for answers, called the hospital, my doctor, the baby's doctor, friends, LLL corporate, etc. it took three for four weeks for the pediatrician to convince me to finally try formula, i genuinely thought i may have been over looking something with the nursing and kept on trying, drinking water, nursing on demand, sleeping with the baby, pumping. nothing worked and it was ultimately the baby's dangerous and scary low weight that demanded it. my third would have had to have been hospitalized if she had kept loosing weight. luckily she took the formula and began to gain. "failure to thrive" isn't anything to play around with as there are serious side effects including brain damage. i really don't believe that mothers who TRULY WANT to bfeed would lie about their circumstances. i have spoken with some older mothers who have had trouble producing enough milk for their children without thyroid conditions. these mothers have also successfully nursed children previously, knew what they are doing, and found that things just weren't the same. i think that age could play a role for SOME women. i would never have believed it before. as a successfully nursing mother, i thought there was a solution to every obstacle. i suppose women's bodies do not all work the same, particularly in different age groups and especially when there are health issues present. it is possible, and even probable, that some women are unable to breast feed due to medical conditions. maybe the domperidone could have helped to fix this issue for me - i would like to think it could have! at any rate, i have four healthy, beautiful children and i am so grateful!

Kim - posted on 10/09/2010

I make sure she nurses at night...when she is going down and then at least twice as she sleeps with me so its very easy. She does not drink at all during the day...well maybe just when she is going down for her 2 sleeps but that is not a guarantee.

Vanessa - posted on 10/09/2010

sometimes we can have a low milk "supply" production when our thyroid levels are low. many women dont realise that their levels are low and put down their feeling "crappy", low energy etc as a result of giving birth.

Marie - posted on 10/09/2010

oh...and i was 'exclusively' breast feeding...there was no starting foods or bottles or anything...they ate on cue and never missed a feeding...

Marie - posted on 10/09/2010

mine did in fact dry up, i was only 16 when i had my first, and at 6 months it simply...dried up! she was so cranky and sad, because she was getting nothing for a whole day (and then i finally realized..) with my second, same thing happened..still, not 'well' informed on breast feeding, but saw the cue and grabbed him some formula...this time! (20 months later and still BF'ing!!! ♥) the same thing happened AGAIN but i knew i had options, i had twins and was not letting the 6 month mark get in the way :) my doctor prescribed me domperidone, and it worked wonders!!! i took the whole bottle and have been good ever since!!

Gretchen - posted on 10/09/2010

I've never heard of milk drying up all of a sudden. Generally, it happens over period of time during weaning or not nursing often enough to maintain the previous supply. Even contraceptives only decrease milk supply when estrogen is present. Progestin-only pills, etc don't generally affect milk supply. Sounds like these other moms are indeed not well-informed about breastfeeding or weren't telling you the whole truth about their situation. I'm fond of the expression: "Moms lie!" And haven't we all lied or exaggerated something about our kids to make ourselves feel better??? haha

Jennica - posted on 10/09/2010

Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand. The more your baby nurses (Demand), the more milk your body makes (Supply). Combined hormonal Birth control, some meds, stress, malnutrition can cause temporary drops in your supply. Not nursing often enough, or setting your baby on a schedule can be damaging to your supply. That being said, it is generally noted that it will normally take the same amount of time to build your supply back up as it took to decrease. So if your supply gradually decreased over 2 weeks, it will generally take about 2 weeks of very frequent nursing (or Nursing and pumping) to stimulate your breasts enough to bring it back up to par. You can take certain galactagogues such as oatmeal and fenugreek to help your supply or you can purchase some Mother's Milk Tea. It really does help with your supply :-)

Yelena - posted on 10/09/2010

I know of mothers that just feed their babies at night because they are at work, or the baby is past a year old and on solids during the day. I think that if a mother establishes a well rounded routine the milk supply will continue as long as she continues to feed. I had a 105 fever over the summer and I did not loose my milk supply. Yes it drastically reduced until I was able to get my fever down in the hospital but I had my pump and made sure I used it every 3 hours like I would do with feeding my son and I am still breast feeding him today.

HEIDI - posted on 10/09/2010

You can go to your doctor and get him to prescribe Domperidone 10mg tabs. It is used for acid reflux however it has a side effect. More milk supply if your nursing... It is often prescribed or advised to you to get prescription from doctor from breast feeding specialist. The only think is that I lost the dosage that you have to take. It's something like 1 tab 3 times a day for 1 week then increase to 2 tabs 3 times a day then 3 tabs 3 times per week. It's a lot but it does work... After your milk supply comes back up and your draining your breast then you can try to decrease the pills to see if your milk supply drops again. If not you can continue to decrease the pills.

Tina - posted on 10/09/2010

you definitely need to stay hydrated. I delivered cesarean, and it took a few weeks before my milk caught up with my DS's needs, and I was determined to BF. One thing I found helpful was to drink a glass of water before and during his feeding.

Brittaini - posted on 10/09/2010

oh wow there are so many reasons but mostly its diet related. stress, going back to work, not drinking enough water, using a hormone based birth control, not enough calories. you really have to take care of yourself just as good if not better than when you were pregnant! Unfortunately, those people didnt have a good support system to help them through any tough times. Sometimes it can just go through waxing and waning periods like their own babies growth spurts. It is sad there is such a lack of support.

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/09/2010

Ami, I really feel for you :( that must have been very hard to ho through and without a reason you knew of too. I don't have any medical advise, I'm stumped but I have to say that my motto always is that it's up to mom to do the very best she can for her child, when your milk was obviously not the best, you used formula. And so in that time and place formula WAS the best for that baby. So I hope you don't feel regret because you had to do what you could for your babies. I think there is a cause, but it sounds like you already looked all the places I'd suggest!
Maybe someone here can shed some light.......

Ami - posted on 10/09/2010

i have four children, nursed the first two very successfully, both well past a year. my second two, not so much. with my third, she tried to nurse, would get cranky and stop after a while. i would get her to try again, but same result: crying. she began to loose weight, she'd always been thin, and the doctors became worried as did i. this was around four months. we started formula and within a week or so, formula exclusively. later, i found out i have hypothyroidism. that slows down all of your body's functioning. i started medication and my thyroid was regulated. i thought i would be able to nurse my 4th as a result of a better functioning thyroid. with my fourth, same as my third, only he began loosing weight around two months. with both, i tried everything, nursing on demand, on a schedule, pumping, fenugreek. i know how to nurse. i had done it very successfully twice before. i am also an older mom, i had my first at 27 and my fourth at 36 and this may have affected things as well? i am wondering if anyone else has ever heard of thyroid issues affecting bfeeding with any positive result. i was a "nursing mom" for my first two kids and very proud to be one. it broke my heart that i couldn't nurse my last two for longer. i became a "formula mom" but when your baby gets the "failure to thrive" from the doctor, you accept what you have to. let me say too, that i am a stay at home mom and got help for my other kids so that i could focus on bfeeding, it was not stress related or that i was too busy with my others. just thought i would put it out there. there seems to be very little info about this, i attended LLL, called corporate and to no avail, no one seemed to know anything. anyhow, best of luck to all you nursing moms! way to go!

Jayne - posted on 10/09/2010

Fenugreek is an awesome herb that will boost your milk supply immediately, I've had it in a Methi curry but you can get it in herbal stores. Your baby won't thirst themselves. We know ourselves if we are thirsty we can't last long without needing a drink and pretty sure if they suck long enough eventually hormones will kick in and they'll get something. (Breastfeeding mom with a 7 month old) Love all the breastfeeding moms out there!

Heather - posted on 10/09/2010

My first guess would be contraceptives or sudafed type medicines. However, I have also seen more and more studies on the correlation of low-iron anemia and low milk supply post-partum. Most woman are not educated well enough. We really have got to share experience and studies among the sister-hood.

Rachel - posted on 10/09/2010

I can see why an antihistamine could contribute to your milk drying up. I never used them when I was nursing, but I use them now, and they make me very, very dehydrated. Dehydration and nursing do not go together.

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/09/2010

I think that the op was asking if it can dry up without a cause, you have a specific cause for why your milk dried up, did your dr tell you that the antihistamine was compatible with breastfeeding?

Becca - posted on 10/09/2010

Yes, it really can. And very suddenly too. I was taking an antihystemine for an inner ear infection and it significantly reduced my supply within a few days. I had to start drinking Barley Fennel Water (see wise womyn herbal remedies or look on line) A cup of pearl barley and two tablespoons of fennel seeds in a quart of water, bring to a boil, strain, pour in a container (i used a mason jar) drink it several times/throughout the day, for several days, it will help reestablish your supply.
I had several issues including I couldn't let down at work to pump so, I was losing my supply, nearly got a bad case of mastitis..

Rachel - posted on 10/09/2010

I'm also surprised at how many moms "mysteriously" just dried up and I generally assume that they were uninformed, or did something unintentionally to hurt their supply. I nursed my son for over a year and didn't introduce solids until six months either. At first I had an enormous amount of milk. I was leaking constantly, wet all the time, and my son nursed about 45 minutes out of every 2-3 hours so that kept my production up. But as he got older my production would occasionally drop to almost nothing. It was always after a day of not eating or drinking enough. I'd start eating everything in the house, drinking a ton and within a couple days I'd be making plenty of milk. Eventually I knew better than to let myself get hungry or dehydrated. Funny thing is that at about 14 months I had to take a one pill prescription... as I was gulping down the pill I was reading the instructions and It said not to nurse for 12 hours. I though, man this is going to be the most awful night of my life, because my son still nursed in the middle of the night. He actually did pretty well that night so I decided that we were past the hardest part, and decided to stop nursing completely. By the end of that day I was as engorged as the day my milk came in. I was shocked at how much milk I was still making. My son, on the other hand, no longer cared. ; )

Maren - posted on 10/09/2010

Additionally, I noticed that around 6 months, my daughter really was consuming so much it was hard to keep up. I think most people don't drink enough and this is a real problem for breastfeeding moms. I made sure I had to use the bathroom really bad at least every 2 hours and I learned to cook with fenugreek, an herb known to help with breastmilk supply. Another mom said she swears that dried apricots helped her so I tried it and it seemed to help, although I have no scientific evidence of it.

So I suspect it's a combination of drugs, herbs, dehydration and an increase in demand from the baby. I haven't dried up but by Sister in law swears she did with both babies. But she also is not as concerned about what she took when pregnant and breastfeeding so maybe that was her issue.

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/09/2010

Kim, you can try taking her to a bath with you and having your breasts exposed she might want an extra feed each day, also try to nurse her in a calm quiet dark room, hard with other kids I know but if you can manage it might help. Also you can nurse her in the night without waking her up, just pick her up, and put her on before she wakes, called dream feeds. These might help her get enough milk even if she's having a hard time in the day. How often is she nursing in a day?