Lack of leaky boobs : (

NoeK

When DS was born, I had so much milk it was ridiculous and was able to nurse him for almost 11 months. But when DD was born for some reason my milk supply dried up after about 3 weeks, I was going through a divorce at the time and was transitioning to a new job, it was a very stressful time period so I attributed my lack of production to that.

 But to this very day I WISH I would have tried harder. Every time DD gets so much as a cold, I feel tremendously guilty because DS rarely gets sick and when he does it has never lasted more than 48 hours.

So this time around, I'm noticing that same lack of "leaky boobs". And I'm at almost 32 weeks. And at this point I had VERY leaky boobs when I was preggo with DS but not with DD. So I am scared to death that even though my life has drastically changed and thanks to God, I dont have much to really be stressed about. I am still so afraid that I wont be able to produce enough milk again, thats its literally bringing me to tears.

 I was thinking of starting to drink the Mothers Milk tea now and maybe start taking fenugreek supplements in addition to it, but I don't want to overload the baby's system with herbal supplements.

Any advice?

tokenhoser

Fenugreek is not safe in pregnancy. You can not stimulate milk production until the placenta separates from the uterus. It's hard to say what your issue was last time, but there is no reason to assume you'll have it again this time. Just nurse frequently after you have the baby, and if you sense there is a problem, seek out good help.

NoeK

whoa, I didnt know that, thank you for the heads up. I wont drink the tea either because I believe it have fenugreek in it as well. Guess I will just try to keep calm and do the best I can.

aylafsu88

Try not to worry yourself.  I never had leaky boobs when pregnant and I have an oversupply of milk.  Do not assume that you will have the same problems this time as every baby is different (you saw that with DS and DD).  Be sure to see an LC as soon as you can to work on latch, positioning, etc. Stay positive and GL!

sbevmc09

I agree with token.  There's really not much you can do ahead of time other than making sure you're drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy diet, but you're probably doing that anyway since you're growing a baby!  I guess it's somewhat of an advantage to know you might have problems so you know what to look for and to get help if you're struggling.

FWIW I had problems last time too and wasn't able to successfully BF so I've explored anything I can do ahead of time and there just isn't much.  I just asked my MW about the Fenugreek and mother's milk tea during pregnancy and she said definitely not during pregnancy because it can stimulate contractions, but that as soon as baby is born I can start both in the hospital if I want to, which I plan on doing.  

I haven't had any breast changes/leaks this time (and didn't with DS either).  I know that that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm not going to make milk, but I would feel much more reassured if I knew there was something there already!  I guess we'll just have to see  

Oleg&Liz

Actually there are things you can do during pregnancy to increase breastmilk after birth. I have a condition called IGT or insufficient glandular tissue and know a lot about it and increasing breast milk production. If you had a full supply at one point with your first child then you do not have this condition. However if you want to increase your supply there are safe supplements you can take now. Drink pregnancy tea, take alfalfa supplements, goat's rue can also be taken in the last month of pregnancy. I am pregnant with baby #2 and was prescribed progesterone injections by my OB because blood tests revealed I was low and this hormone is what causes breast growth during pregnancy. Now that I am in my 2nd trimester I am also taking alfalfa. Alfalfa and to a lesser extent goat's rue use in animals to increase milk production is quite popular. Alfalfa is also rich in vitamins as well. Stress will decrease milk production so try have methods on hand for after birth to keep your stress levels down. Good luck, I'm sure things will work much better this time around! and if not have a lactation consultant handy that you can contact right away to help with any issues that come up.

ReichleyMama

Don't worry about it!!!  The baby I leaked the least with I had the most milk for when they were born!  Leakage has NOTHING to do with what your body will make for your baby.

sbevmc09

Oleg&Liz:

Actually there are things you can do during pregnancy to increase breastmilk after birth. I have a condition called IGT or insufficient glandular tissue and know a lot about it and increasing breast milk production. If you had a full supply at one point with your first child then you do not have this condition. However if you want to increase your supply there are safe supplements you can take now. Drink pregnancy tea, take alfalfa supplements, goat's rue can also be taken in the last month of pregnancy. I am pregnant with baby #2 and was prescribed progesterone injections by my OB because blood tests revealed I was low and this hormone is what causes breast growth during pregnancy. Now that I am in my 2nd trimester I am also taking alfalfa. Alfalfa and to a lesser extent goat's rue use in animals to increase milk production is quite popular. Alfalfa is also rich in vitamins as well. Stress will decrease milk production so try have methods on hand for after birth to keep your stress levels down. Good luck, I'm sure things will work much better this time around! and if not have a lactation consultant handy that you can contact right away to help with any issues that come up.

This is very interesting!  I'm already drinking a red raspberry leaf tea blend which includes alfalfa, do you have anywhere that I could find more info on taking an alfalfa supplement.  Is this just a pill?  Where do you get it?  And it works similar to like Fenugreek would?  Just boosts milk production?  How did you get the blood test done?  You just requested it from the OB?  Were they just looking at hormone levels?  Just wondering because I didn't know that this was an option.  I talked with my OB about the issue last time and they told me they couldn't do anything.  I talked to my current MW about it last week and she said there wasn't anything I could do before giving birth and seeing what happens afterwards

Oleg&Liz

You can take alfalfa in tea form or pill form. I use solar ray organic $10/bottle. I get it from whole foods but you can easily find it online or wherever they sell supplements, I'm sure GNC has some. I had a previous miscarriage and I have a very progressive doctor that decided to have my progesterone levels checked. Insurance will cover the test to help prevent miscarriage but not for breastmilk issues I'm assuming. It's only used during the first trimester as after that the placenta makes its own. Alfalfa actually causes breast tissue growth. Breast tissue growth naturally occurs during pregnancy to prepare your breasts for making milk. Fenugreek does not do this. It just stimulates the hormone prolactin, which stimulates the breasts to make more milk with the tisse that's already there. Goats rue also cause breast tissue growth which is why these two herbs are popular for women with my condition. For more info, get the book, Making More Milk. It's a great book and wonderful resource. Also good is Mother Food by Hilary Jacobson. It's a book about foods and herbs that promote milk production.

 

iris427

I never leaked a drop during either of my pregnancies and I exclusively breastfed both of my kids. You can't do anything to stimulate milk production during pregnancy. The best thing you can do is nurse your baby a lot once they are here. If your baby gains weight well and has enough wet diapers, you'll know you are producing enough milk. Since you were able to nurse your first child, it's unlikely that you have any medical reason preventing milk production. GL!

sbevmc09

Oleg&Liz:

You can take alfalfa in tea form or pill form. I use solar ray organic $10/bottle. I get it from whole foods but you can easily find it online or wherever they sell supplements, I'm sure GNC has some. I had a previous miscarriage and I have a very progressive doctor that decided to have my progesterone levels checked. Insurance will cover the test to help prevent miscarriage but not for breastmilk issues I'm assuming. It's only used during the first trimester as after that the placenta makes its own. Alfalfa actually causes breast tissue growth. Breast tissue growth naturally occurs during pregnancy to prepare your breasts for making milk. Fenugreek does not do this. It just stimulates the hormone prolactin, which stimulates the breasts to make more milk with the tisse that's already there. Goats rue also cause breast tissue growth which is why these two herbs are popular for women with my condition. For more info, get the book, Making More Milk. It's a great book and wonderful resource. Also good is Mother Food by Hilary Jacobson. It's a book about foods and herbs that promote milk production.

Good to know, thanks!

kaleb87

Lurker here, all the previous post have great advice! Also, once your baby is born, try eatting oatmeal, and recipes with yeast. If you Google it there is a recipe called "milk making cookies". Good luck!

angelacez

FYI, I never leaked with any of my kids and I had TONS of milk with my third.  So much so that I had a full freezer and gave it to a friend.  She got two whole months worth to use for her son after she had to stop(she had been using it at night before that when she was working).  Leaking means nothing.  But stress can mess with it a LOT!