In the seemingly never-ending list of reasons why your milk supply could possibly be dwindling, there’s actually some good news…It’s very difficult, almost impossible, if you will, to “dry up” overnight. Milk supply concerns arise all across the board, but here are three popular scenarios you may encounter. It should make you feel much better to know that this is all very much within the realm of normal (as I say all the time!) and that, truth be told, it’s actually very difficult to wean that quickly.

1. “My breasts aren’t leaking anymore and they even seem to have gotten smaller!”
   This just means your body is adjusting. The lack of leaking does not mean lost milk supply, but rather that your body knows what to do now. Truth is, some women never leak and that’s still completely normal. If your breasts have gotten smaller, same thing. This is very common around the 3-month mark when you essentially get back to your old normal self, yet your supply is finally (and hopefully!) matching the needs of the baby.
2. “Ugh. I just got my period!”
   You’ve missed it for a long time, huh? Well, it’s either back with a vengeance or so scant that you have to hold your underwear up to the light to try to figure out if you just got it or not. Either way, you may have noticed in the days prior to getting your period that your baby is very fussy at the breast or frustrated once s/he latches on, pulling on and off, crying, etc. This is because your milk supply takes a temporary hit when your estrogen level rises, which happens as your menstrual cycle begins to appear again. No worries, though. Keep plugging away with the nursing and your supply will rebound within days. Dare I say it? Very normal!
3. “My baby is cluster feeding for HOURS in the late afternoon and evening and I think I just don’t have enough milk.”
   Your baby is cluster feeding during this time because your supply is at its lowest point of the day. This is very normal, and to be expected. Supplies peak between 1 and 5 am and then drop in the late afternoon/early evening (sometimes extending into primetime), so it totally makes sense that your baby may be feeding for hours, switching on and off a million times, often frustrated. Once again, keep plugging through. I promise you that it does get better!