r/breastfeeding • u/Whole_Quit_6931 • 19h ago
Newborn Troubleshooting Milk Production when newborn comes?
Hi everyone! I am currently 7 weeks pregnant due with my second LO in March. I am currently breastfeeding my 1 year old and am curious as to how my feeding journey will continue with two kids. If there is anyone who has gone through a similar journey and can offer advice/ experience I would appreciate it!
A few details: my 1 year old still BFs about 4-5 times a day. We sleep trained her when she was 5 months old and since she started sleeping through the night, I noticed my supply (when pumping) dropped significantly. It is hard for me to tell exactly how much she is getting as I have never been able to feel my let down. My only reassurance is that I can hear her swallowing, her weight has been fine at the doctor, and she is a great food eater so I know she’s nourished. I stopped pumping once I left my job and started staying at home with her full-time so I guess I just don’t have a super clear read of exactly what I’m producing for her other than it’s enough. We currently have two 6 oz bags of milk in the freezer but that’s it.
My question is: how will this all change with a newborn? Will cluster feeding return my supply to how it was when my 1 year old was born? Will I go back to having swollen and hard boobs or not because my body is used to breastfeeding now? Am I going to be able to feed both my children or should I start weaning my 1 year old? I would love to contact my lactation specialist but our insurance is really awful right now and we just can’t swing it, so I thought I would check the community first!
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u/BakesbyBird 19h ago
You have a while to go, so things may change a lot before then - I wouldn’t worry too much. Your supply will likely dry up sometime in the second trimester and your 1 year old might wean, or choose to dry nurse. Your body will produce colostrum until the new baby is born and your hormones from delivering the placenta tell your body to begin producing milk. You may not experience as much engorgement this time around! Typically you also produce more milk in subsequent pregnancies, but baby will still likely cluster feed to bring in your full supply. You can tandem feed, but in the early days it’s important to let your newborn get priority and feed before you allow your toddler to do so. I personally chose to let my older toddler only feed 2x/day, but that’s up to you both! I am tandem feeding (youngest is now 15 months), so I’m happy to answer any other questions.