[Phoenix Blue]

My period has returned this week. DD is 7.5 months. I've had quite a drop in supply in the last few days.

But I've also dropped the number of BF about 10 days ago, from 8-9 per 24 hours, to 5 per 24 hours. DD is on 3 good solid meals a day, and was a pretty shocking sleeper. So I've been teaching her to start to self settle, and stopped feeding to sleep in the middle of the night. We're on more of a structured routine.

So is it period, or the drop in no. of feeds? I dropped feeds gradually, and I would think at this age, 5 BF is quite enough to keep my supply.

She is feeding upon waking (6-7am) then around 11am, 3pm, before bed about 7pm, then a dreamfeed 11pm, then sometimes an extra feed in the night if she won't settle without it. She's taking both breasts and I'm really trying to encourage her to suck for longer as I feel so empty!

TIA

Kate

[lucky 2]

If she continues to thrive and breastfeed then I'd imagine everything is fine, as in you have the milk she needs.
The WHO recommends building to 2-3 meals from 6-8 months, you are doing that (at 3) but I'd not add any more right yet according to those recommendations,
In relation to how many feeds per 24 hours a 7 month old baby should need/have, there isn't any guideline here.
There are recommendations for adding food to the milk only diet but none for taking away milk feeds, I'm thinking only of a breast fed baby, breast feeding means that baby is in control of feed frequency and intake.
The idea is that you gradually increase food offered and bfing continues, when or where is up to baby (and mother if she wants to change what baby is doing).
If you think she needs more milk than she is taking then try offering > 2 sides at a feed, ie 3 or 4 or more sides.
The good thing is that the emptier or softer your breasts are, the faster they produce milk so if you need to build supply you keep your breasts as soft as possible as often as possible, ie keep emptying them of often as needed.
All the best.

[Leeloomina]

Yes I find that my supply drops rather drastically just before the period starts. I will have to offer DD at least 3 sides per feed and in the evenings she feeds hourly because there just wasn't much milk there. My supply usually returns by day 3 or 4.

You can temporarily increase the number of feeds in the daytime as per PP's suggestion, just to bring up your supply.

[greenthumbs]

I think so. My period just returned (lucky me, after 16mths!) and I have found after my second period, DS is now switch feeding by swapping every 10-15 seconds between breasts and sometimes even hitting them and squeezing them. They never get engorged or even feel remotely full anymore and definitely have a sag and emptiness to them.

My GP also mentioned that period return may affect supply.

So in my experience it completely affected it. But I guess it could be different for everyone.