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Your Period and Breastfeeding Milk Supply

Breastfeeding can be HARD. And something that makes it even harder is struggling with low milk supply, or the constant worry that your little one may not be getting enough through exclusively breastfeeding or pumping. The possibility of low milk supply is one of the many, many things I wish I had known before delivery. 

While there are many reasons for a low milk supply such as a poor diet (pass me another family sized bag of Cheetos!), dehydration, missing feedings or your baby sleeping through the nights, for me it has been my period and breastfeeding milk supply.  

I was one of those special unicorns that started my period at 9 weeks postpartum with my first son, and my period 6 weeks postpartum with my second. Yep. Like, 100% on time, clockwork periods again- lucky me! This was something my doctor said was nearly impossible at my 6 week postpartum care appointment, saying breastfeeding was even a way to avoid pregnancy.

Thank goodness for “real” birth control options and sex education, because I would have been one of those women popping out a baby once a year surrounded by 82 children ‘back in the day.’

Of course, everyone will be different when their period returns. Your menstrual cycle may go back to normal without any changes to your milk supply, or with very few dips only during the days of your period.

Before my period and breastfeeding milk supply dropped: 

At the beginning of my breastfeeding journey with both of my children, I felt like a rock star. They both gained weight excellently, I even had a large freezer stash after just a couple months. But as soon as my period started, my supply absolutely tanked- and I couldn’t find any information really backing it up. 

The vast internet says that many women will have a “few days” before, during, or after her period that there may be a slight dip- and this is true for many (even most) women. But for most women, your milk supply will be unaffected throughout the other phases of your cycle. 

At the same time, I know most women don’t start their periods until 6+ months postpartum, when little ones are starting solid foods and don’t get their full nutritional needs from breast milk anymore. In these cases, it makes sense to start you period and lose a bit of supply since it isn’t necessary or their sole source of food any longer. 

Period and Breastfeeding Milk Supply With My First Son

With my first son, I knew there was a problem, but the internet, family, and even the pediatrician said “he’s getting more than you can pump, don’t worry!” and “if you’re still getting letdowns, things are fine.” 

I went along with it assuming my supply had just regulated, and he got better at nursing- that’s why our sessions were shorter, I wasn’t pumping extra, and my breasts felt more empty. 

Whelp, I was wrong. After about a month of this, we went to my son’s 4 month checkup, and he had lost weight- cue the mom guilt! 

Go. With. Your. Gut. I knew he wasn’t getting enough, but I went along with what I wanted to hear, I wanted to be able to solely provide for him. His fussiness wasn’t because of a regression, or possible early teething, or the countless other things I heard. He was hungry, and I wasn’t satisfying him- no matter how much water I drank, how many hours a day I pumped, or how much money I spent on supplements. 

From that point, I saw a lactation consultant and was able to find out he was only getting about an ounce per feeding. We started supplementing formula that day, and he was a completely different baby! Within a week, my supply dried entirely despite my attempts and he was a happy, healthy formula fed baby throughout the rest of his infant months. 

Period and Breastfeeding Milk Supply With My Second Son

Now, with my second son, I was told things could be different. I was experienced, I would be more relaxed, I’d have the hang of this thing. But the first difference, was a new diagnosis of PCOS (which also can affect breastfeeding, FYI), and my period started even sooner. 

I was expecting the possibility of my supply dropping again from the beginning, so I was diligent from the beginning. I pumped, ate lactation cookies, drank BodyArmor, invested in a Hakka to catch letdowns on the other breast, was was SO CONFIDENT. But then my period started.

I went from exclusively breastfeeding PLUS pumping 8-16 oz extra a day, to realizing I was starting to struggle. I started “topping him off” with a few small bottles a couple times a day if he wasn’t full enough. I started power pumping, only getting half an ounce in total over the course of an hour when the week before I would have nearly filled both bottles within 15 minutes.

I went from an overly confident breastfeeding mother to not even being able to hand express more than a few drops and supplementing stashed milk for half of his feedings within just a few days. Then old aunt flo appeared, and it made sense. 

After my first (very light) period, I was actually able to bounce back pretty well- likely dues to all my efforts to keep things up! He was satisfied after 90% or more of his nursing sessions, although I wasn’t able to pump very much, if any, extra milk to put away for later. That was fine by me- I was still able to solely provide for him, and my impressive freezer stash could help supplement on those days when my supply dropped again. 

Then I got my second period, and it felt more like a “real” period, and breastfeeding milk supply TANKED again. More dramatically and for longer than the first time. I first noticed the dip in supply around ovulation, and it steadily declined throughout my cycle despite power pumping, supplements, hydrating myself 24/7 and even a two day nursing vacation. (What is a nursing vacation?)

Leading up to my 3rd postpartum period, my supply had been on a steady decline, and I was exhausted physically and mentally. My nipples hurt from all the pumping and nursing, and I wasn’t seeing any difference. I started my period, and I had to supplement or top off every feeding with my dwindling stash that day. My mom came over unexpectedly, and I cried, and cried, and criiiiied. 

So what am I doing about my period and breastfeeding milk supply?

I was so over this. I told myself I would save my sanity this go around and supplement with formula as soon as I knew it was time- it wasn’t worth the emotional and physical toll. She reminded me of this, so after my mini breakdown, I went and fixed him a half breast milk & half formula bottle, and he was just as happy with it as he was with a full breast milk bottle or nursing session. 

I went into my second nursing journey with the best attitude, and gave 110% gold star effort, but sometimes hormones, medical problems like PCOS, and so many other things can make it a problem. 

My period and breastfeeding milk supply journey is not over, but it has changed. We have our great days, and we have our really bad days- and that’s okay. We are adapting, changing, and just going with the flow. Having a formula “back up” has even taken the stress off of breastfeeding, and that feels like it may even be helping with production and let downs. Is it really? I don’t know, but I’ll take the feeling! 

So what should you do about your period and breastfeeding milk supply?

In the end, I do believe I have a ‘super special’ case with how quickly and drastically my milk supply changed with my period. You need to do what ever is best for you and your baby health wise, but also emotionally. Obviously, you’r little one needs to be getting to nutrition necessary to grow and thrive. If these needs are not being met by your usual nursing sessions alone, it is time to add nursing sessions, additional breast pump & bottle feeding sessions, or supplement with formula. 

If you aren’t sure if your supply is dropping, or just regulating, you can always stop by your pediatric office, WIC office, or even a lactation consultant to a before/after nursing session weigh to see approximately how munch your little one is getting during a feed.

You can also just go in for additional weight checks to make sure your baby is still on track with weight gain compared to previous visits. 

How to increase milk supply during period?

Thankfully there are several ways you can try to increase your supply. Just know that these may not work for everyone, and for the select few, it could just be a hormonal imbalance that tips & tricks may not be able to help. Remember,

if you need to supplement or switch to formula feeding, you are still an amazing mom!

You are giving your baby what they need, and putting their needs above your wishes to exclusively or partially breastfeed- and there is nothing wrong with having that want or desire too. ♥

Power Pumping:

This was the most effective for me when I went through “dips” or some lower production periods- and it’s probably the one you have heard the most about. Essentially, you are trying to mimic cluster feeding by pumping multiple times back to back with small breaks between the sessions. 

The most typical pattern is pump for 20 minutes, rest for 10, pump for 10, rest for 10, and pump again for 10 for a total of 40 minutes of pumping. 

With a newborn and a toddler, I found it to be really hard to set aside an hour to do that in addition to regular feedings, etc. So if I didn’t have time for that, I would pump for 10 minutes, rest for 10, then pump for 10 again. Or, pump for 10 minutes, rest 10, pump 5, rest 5, pump again for 5 for a total of 20 minutes of pumping. 

I saw at least a bit of a boost when I followed any of these patterns for a few days. You can even add a few pumping sessions back to back like this after feeding baby to get an additional round in.

Hydration:

SO, so, so important! While over hydrating will not necessarily make your boobs burst with milk, being dehydrated will certainly stall your production. Try to drink a glass of water or a sports drink like BodyArmor or Gatorade during every nursing or pumping session. 

Sports drinks (like “blue gatorade”) are not a cure all like some people say. But it does give your body the proper hydrating tools like electrolytes, sodium, and even vitamins in some drinks. 

Lactation Foods & Snacks:

Well, this is one of my favorites because, well….. food! There are many in store and online options for ready to go snacks and treats like brownies, granola bars, cookies, etc. but they are also super easy to make yourself! 

Though these snacks are great to add in, a healthy, balanced diet is key- but it can be harder to maintain than you think. Between caring for other children, nursing sessions, errands, and more, it is easier to hit up the drive through, munch on a bag of chips, or even forget to eat all together. 

Try to prioritize at least one or two meals throughout the day to get a full range of food including protein, veggies, and healthy fats. I was the worst about this, and now prioritize lunchtime with my son to make sure we are both getting a super healthy, balanced meal throughout our day. 

Here are some of the main foods/ingredients you may want to look for in a good lactation snack. : 

• Oatmeal- the good old fashioned oats, not quick rolling!
• Brewer’s Yeast- great to add into any baking or smoothies
• Flaxseed- also easy to toss into any baked goods, or things like a bowl of oatmeal or creamed wheat when texture isn’t a big deal. 
• Barley & other Whole Grains- better for you all around, and easy to incorporate in many ways
• Almonds & Other Nuts- the perfect snack to keep on hand. Healthy fats, and known to help with lactation. 
• Dark Leafy Veggies- spinach, kale, okra, alllll the good things. I’m not much of a fan, so I found it easiest to add them into soups, pasta, and main meals in similar ways. A spinach smoothie was not in my cards, haha! 

Herbs To Increase Milk Supply:

Likely one of your first thoughts is to take some type of herbal supplement- and they can work for many mamas! But it will only do good if other areas of your life are in balance such as staying hydrated, a good nursing/pumping schedule, etc. 

Some of the most common herbal supplements are:

• Legendary Milk: Liquid Gold

  • This is a fenugreek free combination supplement that is recommended to take 3 times daily. It truly did seem to make a difference for me. My breasts felt fuller and more engorged than they had in weeks passed, but my milk also didn’t seem quite as creamy or thick (I am on day 3 of these, so it may be too soon to tell, I’ll update!). It is a bit expensive at $20 for a 10 day supply, but it’s also cheaper than formula if it is able to increase your supply by a bit.

• Fenugreek

  • If your sweat doesn’t smell like maple syrup, you aren’t taking enough is what several lactation consultants told me. Fenugreek is one of the most talked about supplements, and can help boost your supply. But can also have the opposite effect and halt a small amount of women’s milk production. If you notice an even larger drop in supply, stop taking it and consult a lactation consultant!

• Moringa

  • Moringa was a favorite of one the lactation consultants I spoke with. It is available as both a capsule form, and a tea. I took other supplements, and sipped on moringa & tumeric tea throughout the day. 

• Magnesium & Calcium

  • Using a magnesium supplement and calcium supplements during the days of your period can help since a magnesium and calcium levels are drastically lower during this time. 

• Milk Thistle

  • Another common herb that can increase milk production. It is often found in combination supplements with other herbs, but can be purchased as it’s own and taken in combination with whatever else you’d like. 

• Goat’s Rue

  • Another common herb that can increase milk production. It is often found in combination supplements with other herbs, but can be purchased as it’s own and taken in combination with whatever else you’d like. 

• Fennel

  • Another common herb that can increase milk production. It is often found in combination supplements with other herbs, but can be purchased as it’s own and taken in combination with whatever else you’d like. 

• Alfalfa

  • Another common herb that can increase milk production. It is often found in combination supplements with other herbs, but can be purchased as it’s own and taken in combination with whatever else you’d like.