SheKnows Message Boards - View Single Post

May · #3 (**permalink**) 01-25-2007, 08:24 AM

(If you do an internet search including the words.. breastfeeding, menstruation, milk, taste.. it will bring up a bunch of info)

I did end up starting af 2 days after I posted this. So for 2 days ds was acting like he didnt like my milk so much. Now he is acting normal.
Here is some info I found on this...(come to think of it my nipples were kinda sore during this time too...)
Menstruation = end of breastfeeding?

Menstruation does not mean the end of breastfeeding. Your milk will keep its nutricious value, even during your period. The amount of milk during your period may drop a little, but this will return to normal after your period. The taste of the milk may differ during menstruation, and your baby may not like this. You may also have sore nipples during a menstruation.
--
Milk Supply
My menstrual cycle has resumed. Can that affect my milk supply? Each woman will respond to the menstrual cycle's resumption differently. Some do not notice a difference at all, while others report a drop in milk supply beginning about a week before a menstrual period and continuing a few days into the period. During this time, there is a steady decrease in blood calcium levels, and some women have had success stabilizing their supply by adding a calcium/magnesium supplement to their diet during this time. Calcium should be taken with magnesium in a 2/1 ratio (the ratio that is usually found in foods and supplements). Tums is not an adequate dietary calcium supplement and is also an antacid (calcium needs an acidic gastric environment for assimilation). As an aside, some moms notice that even though supply is stable, the baby acts as if the milk tastes differently during menstruation. If this is the case with your baby, keep an eye on healthy growth factors if she doesn't want to nurse as often or long as usual. Things should return to normal in a few days, but report any concerns to your physician or a lactation consultant.
--

Nipple tenderness occurs for some women during ovulation, during the days before a period, or at both times. Some mothers report a feeling of antisiness while nursing at these times, too. As with the drop in supply this is also hormonally influenced and therefore temporary. Some babies may detect a slight change in the taste of the milk just before a period, again, due to hormonal changes. These same babies may nurse less often or less enthusiastically during this time as a result.
--

I never knew before though that my breastmilk could change a little up to a week before my period. The more I learn the more I realize there is so much I dont know!
The last couple of times I had my period my supply seemed to suffer but ds never seemed to act funny about its taste. This time my supply is fine but he seemed bothered by the taste for a couple of days before af. Also my nipples were a little sore during that time.