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!