*Will my milk supply be affected by medication?*
For many, their main worry is whether there will be any impact to their breastmilk supply as a result of undergoing treatment. We want you all to be prepared for what might happen on your journey, so it’s only fair to point out that unfortunately, it is true. It is vital to be aware that many of the medications needed, whilst carrying no risk to the breastfed infant, do pose a risk to breastmilk supply.
We see many enquiries asking whether others have seen an impact to their supply. We understand the instinct to seek experiences in search of reassurance, but unfortunately there is absolutely no way to determine whether there will be any impact on your own milk supply or not.
As with other medication side effects like rashes, headaches etc, reduction/loss of supply is totally individual. You might find 10 people who say their supply didn’t dip and yours will, or vice versa. Similarly, it is impossible to know whether any such reduction will be a small dip, or a huge loss, it’s just completely individual and no matter what anyone else says happened to them, anything could happen to you.
*Can I prevent my supply from being affected?*
In normal everyday breastfeeding scenarios, low supply is something that once identified, can be investigated, and often, with appropriate breastfeeding support, it can be overcome, or a robust feeding plan put in place. However, this is not the case with low supply due to hormonal factors; whether medication related, or pregnancy related. Reduction due to hormonal factors cannot be counteracted with the usual methods, and hormonal loss of supply can be permanent.
*What do I need to be aware of?*
The risk that medications pose to supply is one of the main reasons that it is considered safest to wait until a baby is older than 12 months before having treatment. At this point they are not as nutritionally reliant on your milk.
A younger baby can be at serious risk where milk supply is affected, as a reduction of supply can often go undetected for some time.
In terms of supply, it is important that young babies are closely monitored for any decrease in wet nappy output. It would be helpful to consider regular weigh ins during treatment to ensure there is no dip in centiles, and also to monitor baby’s behaviour - looking for signs such as baby not seeming to show satisfaction after a feed.
If you are considering treatment with a younger baby, please read our page titled 'precautions around age' before proceeding.
On the flip side of this, it is reassuring to know that for an older baby, no supplementation with formula or other milk would be necessary. A baby over 12 months *can* get all the nutrition they need from a healthy and well-balanced diet, so there is no need to worry from a nutritional point of view about any supply reduction.
*Is my supply low?*
The mind is a funny thing. As soon as we start thinking that our supply might be affected, we start looking for signs, and we notice things that we might not have done! Add into that, that we are often stressed when undergoing treatment and you practically have a recipe for paranoia!
Babies continue to have developmental leaps that affect feeding behaviours even when we’re having treatment! It is also true that a baby can pick up on signs of stress in their parents, and that could add to fussing behaviours, however, we must accept that for someone who has supply concerns whilst on hormonal medication and/or pregnant, this may well be genuine low supply.
However, what does low supply mean for you? Assuming your baby is eating and drinking well, and has a healthy balanced diet, then there should be a limited impact. After 12 months, supplementary milk is not considered necessary for nutritional purposes.
Nursing offers so many more benefits that just milk, so try not to stress about how much milk they are getting and focus on how much comfort and joy they are getting - isn’t the fact that they love nursing one of the reasons you decided to carry on?
Please note - The above paragraph was intended for those following the recommendation to wait until after 12 months to start treatment - for those with a younger baby, please refer to the webpage with information designed for those with babies under 12 months, titled 'precautions around age'.
*My consultant has told me to wean because my supply might be affected*
This is perhaps one of the oddest reasons for being told to wean. Yes, a supply might be affected, but that does not mean your baby needs to stop. As we said above, nursing offers so much more than milk, and many of us carry on because of the love our little one has for breastfeeding.
Yes, your supply might be affected, but it is rare for an older baby to be as distressed by this as they would by a premature, forced weaning.
Even if your supply is affected drastically, continuing to offer the breast still puts the choice of nursing into your baby’s control - they can choose to suckle for comfort, and that usually means a great deal to them, and is, in itself a reason not to stop. Also, your supply might not be affected! There’s nothing to be gained by stopping ‘just in case’.
*What if treatment is successful?*
If treatment is successful, then pregnancy poses a further risk to supply. Again, this is very individual, however breastmilk is likely to dry up completely during pregnancy. This may not be until the second trimester, but for some, it can occur very early on. This article provides some useful information.
*If my supply is affected will it mean the end?*
The drying up of breastmilk, if it occurs, does not necessarily mean that breastfeeding must end. An older baby is likely to continue to dry nurse; some happily, and some will need encouragement. This is a personal choice of what is right for you and your baby. Nursing for comfort can still be a very valuable and precious breastfeeding relationship.
We need to be mindful though that there is always the possibility, that things don’t turn out well. You could lose your supply, and your baby could be the one that doesn’t respond well to that. Ultimately, it is something you need to be aware of and consider when you are making your decisions.
*Will my supply recover?*
This is something else that is, unfortunately, a total unknown and individual reaction. For some, a failed treatment will result in later recovery of supply when the hormones are out of her system. For others, the changes may be more permanent in nature.
Likewise, for a cycle that ends in loss. It is not unknown for the milk supply to have stopped as per early pregnancy hormones and then come back as the cycles return to normal after the loss, but equally, this could be a more permanent loss of supply.
*What if things don’t work out?*
When things don’t work out, it can be heart-breaking, whether that’s a failed cycle, or a cycle that ends in loss, it’s hard to accept.
Continued nursing can often help us to cope with this and be a huge comfort - at least we haven’t lost everything.
For many, their main worry is whether there will be any impact to their breastmilk supply as a result of undergoing treatment. We want you all to be prepared for what might happen on your journey, so it’s only fair to point out that unfortunately, it is true. It is vital to be aware that many of the medications needed, whilst carrying no risk to the breastfed infant, do pose a risk to breastmilk supply.
We see many enquiries asking whether others have seen an impact to their supply. We understand the instinct to seek experiences in search of reassurance, but unfortunately there is absolutely no way to determine whether there will be any impact on your own milk supply or not.
As with other medication side effects like rashes, headaches etc, reduction/loss of supply is totally individual. You might find 10 people who say their supply didn’t dip and yours will, or vice versa. Similarly, it is impossible to know whether any such reduction will be a small dip, or a huge loss, it’s just completely individual and no matter what anyone else says happened to them, anything could happen to you.
*Can I prevent my supply from being affected?*
In normal everyday breastfeeding scenarios, low supply is something that once identified, can be investigated, and often, with appropriate breastfeeding support, it can be overcome, or a robust feeding plan put in place. However, this is not the case with low supply due to hormonal factors; whether medication related, or pregnancy related. Reduction due to hormonal factors cannot be counteracted with the usual methods, and hormonal loss of supply can be permanent.
*What do I need to be aware of?*
The risk that medications pose to supply is one of the main reasons that it is considered safest to wait until a baby is older than 12 months before having treatment. At this point they are not as nutritionally reliant on your milk.
A younger baby can be at serious risk where milk supply is affected, as a reduction of supply can often go undetected for some time.
In terms of supply, it is important that young babies are closely monitored for any decrease in wet nappy output. It would be helpful to consider regular weigh ins during treatment to ensure there is no dip in centiles, and also to monitor baby’s behaviour - looking for signs such as baby not seeming to show satisfaction after a feed.
If you are considering treatment with a younger baby, please read our page titled 'precautions around age' before proceeding.
On the flip side of this, it is reassuring to know that for an older baby, no supplementation with formula or other milk would be necessary. A baby over 12 months *can* get all the nutrition they need from a healthy and well-balanced diet, so there is no need to worry from a nutritional point of view about any supply reduction.
*Is my supply low?*
The mind is a funny thing. As soon as we start thinking that our supply might be affected, we start looking for signs, and we notice things that we might not have done! Add into that, that we are often stressed when undergoing treatment and you practically have a recipe for paranoia!
Babies continue to have developmental leaps that affect feeding behaviours even when we’re having treatment! It is also true that a baby can pick up on signs of stress in their parents, and that could add to fussing behaviours, however, we must accept that for someone who has supply concerns whilst on hormonal medication and/or pregnant, this may well be genuine low supply.
However, what does low supply mean for you? Assuming your baby is eating and drinking well, and has a healthy balanced diet, then there should be a limited impact. After 12 months, supplementary milk is not considered necessary for nutritional purposes.
Nursing offers so many more benefits that just milk, so try not to stress about how much milk they are getting and focus on how much comfort and joy they are getting - isn’t the fact that they love nursing one of the reasons you decided to carry on?
Please note - The above paragraph was intended for those following the recommendation to wait until after 12 months to start treatment - for those with a younger baby, please refer to the webpage with information designed for those with babies under 12 months, titled 'precautions around age'.
*My consultant has told me to wean because my supply might be affected*
This is perhaps one of the oddest reasons for being told to wean. Yes, a supply might be affected, but that does not mean your baby needs to stop. As we said above, nursing offers so much more than milk, and many of us carry on because of the love our little one has for breastfeeding.
Yes, your supply might be affected, but it is rare for an older baby to be as distressed by this as they would by a premature, forced weaning.
Even if your supply is affected drastically, continuing to offer the breast still puts the choice of nursing into your baby’s control - they can choose to suckle for comfort, and that usually means a great deal to them, and is, in itself a reason not to stop. Also, your supply might not be affected! There’s nothing to be gained by stopping ‘just in case’.
*What if treatment is successful?*
If treatment is successful, then pregnancy poses a further risk to supply. Again, this is very individual, however breastmilk is likely to dry up completely during pregnancy. This may not be until the second trimester, but for some, it can occur very early on. This article provides some useful information.
*If my supply is affected will it mean the end?*
The drying up of breastmilk, if it occurs, does not necessarily mean that breastfeeding must end. An older baby is likely to continue to dry nurse; some happily, and some will need encouragement. This is a personal choice of what is right for you and your baby. Nursing for comfort can still be a very valuable and precious breastfeeding relationship.
We need to be mindful though that there is always the possibility, that things don’t turn out well. You could lose your supply, and your baby could be the one that doesn’t respond well to that. Ultimately, it is something you need to be aware of and consider when you are making your decisions.
*Will my supply recover?*
This is something else that is, unfortunately, a total unknown and individual reaction. For some, a failed treatment will result in later recovery of supply when the hormones are out of her system. For others, the changes may be more permanent in nature.
Likewise, for a cycle that ends in loss. It is not unknown for the milk supply to have stopped as per early pregnancy hormones and then come back as the cycles return to normal after the loss, but equally, this could be a more permanent loss of supply.
*What if things don’t work out?*
When things don’t work out, it can be heart-breaking, whether that’s a failed cycle, or a cycle that ends in loss, it’s hard to accept.
Continued nursing can often help us to cope with this and be a huge comfort - at least we haven’t lost everything.