TTC while breastfeeding?

[u/Difficult-Basil3606]

Does breastfeeding make TTC harder? My son is 13 months and is a little boob barnacle. He rarely takes solids and I’m struggling with weaning him. He maybe latches at night for less than 5 minutes 1-2x between 10pm and 5am and then frequent feeds during the day.

My periods came back in April and since then my cycles have been 41, 42, and 43 days. I don’t track much outside of apps and my ultrahuman ring, and because I’ve been told ovulation can be delayed we try every day from the first day my period ends until my cycle starts up again.

I’m currently on CD42 and my pregnancy test was negative. The pharmacist told me that pregnancy wasn’t likely while breastfeeding and that I’m either having periods and not ovulating at all, ovulating very close to when my period starts, or my prolactin levels are too high to conceive.

I’m just looking for some advice. We’ve been trying for 5 cycles now.

Thank you!

[u/mama-ld4]

This is so individual! I’ve gotten pregnant while breastfeeding twice so far and will be trying again in a few months. It didn’t have an effect on conception for me. My kids are constantly on a boob. I know others who’ve had to completely wean to become pregnant. It really just comes down to how your body is and reacts to the hormones. My periods come back quite early (between 2-4 months, despite breastfeeding exclusively on demand) and they regulate by 8-9 months. I’ve gotten pregnant at 16 and 17 months postpartum.