There are several factors that play into how long it takes for your body to return to it’s full fertile cycle; meaning that you ovulate, your uterine lining is prepared to nurture a fertilized egg, and you menstruate. Although it is unlikely that you would get pregnant if your period has not returned, it is still possible. So, be careful! If you would not welcome a new pregnancy, use birth control that will be compatible with breastfeeding.

Our Cycle Relief herbal tincture can provide relief from painful cramps and heavy bleeding during your period after giving birth.

The intricacies of the human body are almost magical, with no one system or function working entirely on its own. Within a mother’s body, the processes that lead to menstruation, pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding are all interconnected. Just a handful of hormones can dictate each of these functions, with different organs and actions responding in their own way. A fascinating and, sometimes, bewildering example of this is the relationship between menstruation and breastfeeding.

On average, breastfeeding regulates postpartum menses and a return to fertility long enough that babies are often spaced a couple of years apart even without other forms of birth control. Of course, averages don’t mean a whole lot for individuals—all of our bodies are beautifully unique. But even when the average holds true, it’s common and even recommended to breastfeed well into toddlerhood. Chances are, there are many of you who have been or will be faced with the prospect of tandem breastfeeding.

Yet even though it makes perfect biological sense for one child’s breastfeeding journey to coincide with their sibling’s, it’s not often depicted or discussed. So when a mama becomes pregnant before baby weans, they’re often left wondering what to do. Rest assured, tandem nursing is well within that “range of normal” that we so often look to. Today, we’ll walk through some of the concerns, benefits, and struggles of tandem breastfeeding. You’re not alone—and your nursling doesn’t have to be, either!

As a first time mama, I was so focused on preparing for birth. This life changing event was one I would approach with total preparation. I read all that I could, and did all that I could to prepare.

While preparing extensively for birth is a wonderful idea, I made the mistake of overlooking the crucial postpartum recovery period and what the first days and weeks with a newborn is really like.