You make breast milk on a supply and demand process. The more frequently you empty your breasts, the more milk you will naturally make.
At 6 months, you can experience a dip in their milk supply. This is because your hormones after giving birth return to baseline around this time, and so it’s normal to see a dip.
If your baby has been sleeping longer stretches, and you were not emptying your breasts during this time, your dip may be larger, then the mother who’s been emptying her breasts more frequently despite her baby sleeping. If your baby has started solids, it’s normal to see a dip in supply. Once baby starts taking in more solid food, they will decrease their milk intake. It’s still important to make sure that breast milk continues to be their main source of nutrition until 12 months. You’ll want to offer breast milk before solids so that baby doesn’t miss out on all the good nutrition from breast milk.
Babies are curious human beings! As they start being interested in the world around them, they will get distracted and not want to drink as much at the breast. Really distracted babies will often nurse less during the day and more at night to make up for these missed feedings.
Around six months is also the time for the return of your period. A drop in milk supply happens due to the fluctuations in hormones and drop in blood calcium levels. You can take a calcium-magnesium supplement pill 3-5 days before your expected period and continue through your period. This can help with the temporary drop in supply. You could also increase your iron intake by eating iron-rich foods, and make sure to stay hydrated!
The good thing about all of this… it’s all just temporary. As long as you’re emptying your breasts frequently, your breasts will continue making milk for your baby.
Months 5-7ishhh are said to the hardest for most mothers and babies… so try not stress because stress can cause a reduction in the release of oxytocin and prolactin (hormones that make milk).