A couple questions...

[marine_wife0520]

I just read the do not bash post and it said low dose birth control can lower your supply, how so? What other method of birth control can you use? Just condoms?

And the other question was it said something about not feeding baby infant cereal? Why is that?

Sorry if I sound clueless but with my daughter i was naive and ignorant and only breastfed for about 6 weeks and just gave up instead of learning more. This time I'm determined to make it work for us!

What other things are supply killers?

[goddess_alyson]

Quoting marine_wife0520:

I just read the do not bash post and it said low dose birth control can lower your supply, how so? What other method of birth control can you use? Just condoms?

This is from www.kellymom.com:

Progestin-only contraceptives are the preferred choice for breastfeeding mothers when something hormonal is desired or necessary.

Progestin-only contraceptives come in several different forms:

• the progestin-only pill (POP) also called the "mini-pill" (Micronor, Errin, Nor-QD, Ovrette, Microval, etc)
• the birth control injection (Depo Provera)
• the progesterone-releasing IUD (Mirena, Progestasert)
• the birth control implant (Norplant, Implanon).

Milk supply: For most mothers, progestin-only forms of contraception do not cause problems with milk supply if started after the 6th-8th week postpartum and if given at normal doses. However, there are many reports (most anecdotal but nevertheless worth paying attention to) that some women do experience supply problems with these pills, so if you choose this method you still need to proceed with some caution.

If you're interested in one of the longer lasting progestin-only forms of birth control (the Depo-Provera shot lasts at least 12 weeks, but effects may be seen up to a year; the Mirena/Progestasert IUD and the Norplant implant can last up to 5 years), it may be a good idea to do a trial of progestin-only pills (mini-pill) for a month or more before deciding on the longer-term form of birth control. If you find that you are among the women whose supply drops significantly due to progestin-only birth control, you can simply discontinue the pills - rather than struggling with low milk supply for several months until the shot wears off or you get the implant or IUD removed.

Do note that the Mirena/Progestasert IUD delivers its hormone directly to the lining of the uterus, which only leads to a slight increase in progesterone levels in the blood stream (much lower than that found with the progesterone-only pill). As a result, there is much less chance of side effects from the progesterone than from the Depo-Provera shot or mini-pill.

Milk composition: At higher doses than normal this type of pill can affect the content of breastmilk. At these higher doses it has been shown to decrease the protein/nitrogen and lactose content of the milk. At regular doses, this does not seem to be as likely.

And the other question was it said something about not feeding baby infant cereal? Why is that?

Cereal really doesn't have any nutritional value.  It does have ADDED vitamins and minerals.  These additives are sometimes hard for little baby bellys to digest.  If you decide to start your LO on solids (recommended after 6 mo.) it's best to start with something natural and easy to digest.  Such as avocado or banana.

Sorry if I sound clueless but with my daughter i was naive and ignorant and only breastfed for about 6 weeks and just gave up instead of learning more. This time I'm determined to make it work for us!

What other things are supply killers?

Antihistimines (sudafed, benadryl) can lower your supply taken in moderation shouldn't effect at all but if taken for extended period of time it will lower your supply.  Menthol, peppermint, oregano, sage, parsley can all lower your supply - you have to use alot of these to lower your supply.  I say this as if your supply is already well established.