Supply after AF « Hellobee Boards

Supply after AF

By mfa_lady Oct 21, 2015

Surprise, surprise: I jinxed myself by asking if I should drop a pump session last week! (http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-drop-a-session#post-2316954)

Three days after I posted that, AF returned for the first time at 9.5 months PP. Since then, I'm pumping a few ounces less a day. AF was here for 5-6 days. I haven't bled for 2 days but my supply still hasn't returned. DD seems perfectly happy when she's nursing, but the pump isn't quite doing the trick the way it was before.

At this point, I'm not freaking out about it, but would love to hear your experience. If this happened to you, did your supply go up again until AF came back the following month? Or did it stay lower for good?

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9 comments

mfa_lady
pomegranate / 3921 posts

Oct 21, 2015

Nobody?
stratosphere
apricot / 329 posts

Oct 21, 2015

Despite exclusively BF/pumping AF came back for me at 4 months pp. It SUCKED. My supply took a major hit every month for the week before and during AF, but then would come back to normal for two weeks. So yes, it did have a pretty major effect on my supply for basically half the time (two weeks on, two weeks off) but it wasn't a permanent consistent drop. I added a pumping session at midnight (hours after LO went to sleep) to help make up the shortfall. I took lots of Mothers Milk tea, ate lactation cookies, and managed to make it to 1 year without supplementing. LO is 14 months and still nurses twice a day but I gave up the pump on her birthday!
autumnlove
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts

Oct 21, 2015

My pumping supply is always lower right before af and the first 3 days (I have 6-7 day cycles) but it always bounces back. Nursing is always the same...LO doesn't seem to nurse longer.
mfa_lady
pomegranate / 3921 posts

Oct 21, 2015

@stratosphere: Ugh, 4 months--go you, mama! I have a pretty decent stash, so I am really hoping we will still make it to a year. So far, I'm still pumping enough for 2.5 bottles a day (she takes 3). I may pick the Fenugreek back up to help!

@autumnlove: INTERESTING. Mine went down a little for the first few days, then seemed to recover a little bit, and then has dipped again. Like you, though, it doesn't seem like LO is having any trouble when nursing! Thanks for sharing.
Raindrop
grapefruit / 4731 posts

Oct 21, 2015

Hey Due Date Twin!

I was EPing as you know. I was pumping 25ish ounces a day (3 pumps a day), just enough to keep LO on mostly breast milk and supplementing before sleeping.

Then at 7 months I dropped to 2 pumps a day which resulted in about 20 ounces a day.

Right at 8 months AF came and during that time I lost 2 ounces on each breast at each session (12 ounces for a few days - ouch!) but after AF and ounce came back to each breast and I'm at 16 ounces a day now.

I haven't had my second AF yet, we will see what happens there. But that's my story so far.

I was planning to stop pumping at 9 months but 2 pumps a day doesn't really bother me yet so I might just keep this up.
mfa_lady
pomegranate / 3921 posts

Oct 21, 2015

@Raindrop: HI! Thank you for this response. I have no idea what will happen next, but it's good to hear (especially in such detail, since you EP!) what your experience was. I'll be interested to see where it all ends up. It's also great to hear that you kept such a good supply after dropping a pump. GO YOU!
mfa_lady
pomegranate / 3921 posts

Oct 21, 2015

Anybody else have experiences to share?
Raindrop
grapefruit / 4731 posts

Nov 18, 2015

Just wanted to update.

I was at 16 ounces a day (4 from each breast 2 times a day)

I lost 1 ounce from one breast per pump (3 on one breast and 4 on the other breast 2 times a day) after my last period.

Now I'm at 14 ounces a day.

The weird thing was I lost 1/2 an ounce right before my 2nd period and then lost the full ounce when it was happening and it seems to just stay that way now it's over.

How are you doing?
mfa_lady
pomegranate / 3921 posts

Nov 18, 2015

@Raindrop: Good for you, mama! My supply has definitely gone down/stayed down, but I think it's because of 1) AF, 2) me dropping a session, and 3) E not drinking as much anymore! I quit the pumping session that I was doing in the morning after nursing and before work--I really just couldn't do it anymore. It was yielding anywhere from 1 - 3oz total, and just wasn't worth it! Plus, she's eating solids like a champ and now only takes two bottles at daycare instead of 3. So, my supply is way less than it was--I'm pumping 15-18oz a day, between 3 pumps--but it's working because I have a good freezer stash and that's all she needs in bottles these days anyway since we still nurse in the morning.

Thanks so much for updating! I think I'm going to try to drop one of my work pumps when we hit 11 months. Wish me luck!

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