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I had no trouble getting pregnant while nursing. I could not stay pregnant while nursing. Could have been a coincidence, but as soon as I was done nursing I got and stayed pregnant.

There is a good chance you are ovulating without getting your period. So if you're ready, you could always just try to DTD often and hope for the best for a few months. Maybe re-evaulate in a few months and then decide if you want to wean.

I remember with my first I was no where near ready to wean at 13 months. But by 18 months I was done! So as they quickly change/grow in the next few months your feelings on weaning may change.

I am still nursing my 15 mo and we are actively trying for #2. My period returned in October. We were down to 2x/day, but with teething issues its creeping back up, and she is not a sleeper.

What may help is dropping down to 1 session in a 24 hour period. Sometimes that will prompt ovulation. Good luck!

I can't give you a definite answer but my period came back at 13.5 months and was a bit wonky at first. I got pregnant our first try when my daughter was 20 months and miscarried but it was a blighted ovum which may or may not make a difference. I got pregnant again right after she turned 2 and I am 4 months along now, everything is going well and we are still nursing, although my supply is super low.

My best friend tried for 18 months while nursing and miscarried twice but her first cycle not nursing she got pregnant and stayed pregnant.

I also have friends who needed to wean to get their cycle back and others who didn't and went on to tandem nurse so really it is just crazy different from one person to the next.

I got pregnant with my second and third while still nursing, but my period had returned a few months prior both times. I think dropping nursing sessions helped- I was only nursing 1-2 times a day when I got pregnant (both babies were 12-13 months).

I got pregnant while nursing twice. After my first we never prevented and I never got my period back but got pregnant about 11 months pp. After my second my period came back around 14 months pp. So it can happen. I will say, even if you do get pregnant while still nursing, nursing while pregnant can be super uncomfortable to painful. So I would suggest that you go into it with the expectation that your nursing relationship will be ending either way and just wait until you are ready for that. But hopefully you'll be able to get pregnant and continue nursing. Good luck!

@pachamama it seems that my supply dipped a bit when I dropped to 2, and I imagine supply will decrease going down to 1. But may be enough to do a nighttime session?? I have also started giving bottle with WCM either before or after nighttime feed

I'd like to offer just my experience.

My period didn't return until 2 weeks after I cut out all nursing sessions. I wasn't ovulating at all while I was nursing either, I would track my BBT so I'm almost 99% certain. I weaned my daughter at 14 months because we were TTC for 6-7 month prior with no luck just because I wouldn't ovulate.

Sure enough though, I got my period right away, and then I got pregnant that very next cycle! I will also add, it took my almost 1 year to get pregnant with DD1 with PCOS issues, but I didn't have any issues at all trying to get pregnant this 2nd time around, but I needed to wean 100%.

I got my period back while I was nursing 2x a day. I got pregnant immediately after my period came back. You could ttc for a few months and if nothing happens consider weaning.

I had the same issue at 15 months. I was breastfeeding 3-5 times a day and didn't really want to stop breastfeeding until closer to two years old. I visited a reproductive acupuncturist for treatment to encourage ovulation. After the second session, I did ovulate (confirmed with OPK) and got pregnant. So I didn't even get a PP period. Had a miscarriage that time, but got a sticky pregnancy two cycles later. And I'm still breastfeeding my 2 year old at 25 weeks pregnant. Now breastfeeding is painful, though, so only once or twice a day; I make colostrom now.

Best of luck!

As others have said, everyone is so different. Personally, I can get pregnant while breastfeeding but staying pregnant was a struggle. My period returned at 10.5 months postpartum, while kiddo was still nursing 6-8 times per 24 period. My cycle was regular right away, and I got pregnant immeadiately. But I had 3 early losses in 3 months. I got pregnant again when my daughter was 15.5 and had dropped down to nursing 2-3 times a day. I'm 12 weeks now, and kiddo still nurses at bedtime and usually once during the night.

I got pregnant while nursing a newborn.
It totally depends on your body.

I'm no expert but I've never stopped nursing to TTC. I only stopped nursing my 2 toddlers with my 3rd pregnancy when I found out my LO wasn't growing. I was probably 30+ weeks at that point.

I've had one successful pregnancy while nursing and one miscarriage so I really think it can be luck if the draw.

Are you assuming egg quality issues generally because of age or for some other reason? I had PCOS (depending on which doctor I talked to) which impacted egg quality with the excess testosterone. My doctor theorized that nursing was actually helping my egg quality (as evidenced by the fact that I was getting a period which I hadn't been getting naturally pre pregnancy at all) since it produces extra estrogen. I just found out I was pregnant last week on the same day I fully weaned my 16 month old (she was nursing 2-3 x a day before that.) Good luck with your decision!

I could have written this exact post, my son is also 13 months and we would love to start trying for a second but he is nursing obsessed and I'm struggling with weaning him. He nurses much more than your son and I have no sign of a period, I may start trying to track my cycles. Thank you!

I don't think you need to stop nursing. I was in your shoes last Spring. I went back to work at 1 year, and cut our nursing sessions down to 3 times a day: morning, after daycare/work, and night. It wasn't until 13 1/2 months that I got my period back, but my doctor said it was entirely possible I was still ovulating and able to get pregnant. We were already ready to start TTC. The timing didn't work out for the first couple of cycles because of work travel , but they were regular (for me) 29-31 day cycles. Around this time we went down to twice a day. I got pregnant on my 4th cycle (3 periods), and was still nursing 1-3 times a day (more when he was sick and on weekends). I finally stopped when DS was 18 months old and I was around 3 months pregnant. It was getting really uncomfortable for me with the over-sensitive nipples. He also developed impetigo on his face and I was worried about it being transmitted while I was pregnant.

I got pregnant with my second at age 35 (33 for my first) and although I don't know about my egg quality, I don't feel that my age contributed to my period returning later. I think some women just produce higher levels of prolactin while nursing. Good luck!

@pachamama I have read the same thing that @cityliving suggests regarding cervical mucus to determine if I am at least ovulating. I am not sure if we will really start trying until I wean this kid. He is nursing as I type this, oy. I had really hoped to not force him to wean but he is not giving up the boob and I am not getting any younger! It breaks a little piece of me but I also know that I have become his comfort or maybe a human pacifier , all things I swore I wouldn't do. Good luck!