Do I Need to Wean Before "Trying" for #2? If So, How?

Hi C.,
No, you don't have to wean before trying for #2. There are lots of mothers who continue to nurse while pregnant, although for some, their nipples are really sensitive while they are pregnant and they wean because it hurts to nurse. I can't provide you with any experience because I only have one child and I haven't been pregnant while nursing.

The www.kellymom.com site has a lot of useful breastfeeding information. Here's a link to the site on tandem nursing

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/tandem/index.html

If you decide to wean, here is the site on weaning.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/index.html

Generally, it's best to cut out one of the remaining feedings every few days. If you're going to wean, you might start out by limiting nursing to only after waking up and just before going to bed, then only one of those two feedings, and finally, eliminate the last feeding.

I understand how you feel. My daughter is 18 months old, and I'm getting pressured by my husband, mother, and mother-in-law to stop nursing. Neither my daughter nor I are ready to stop.

When my daughter was still nursing... (she self-weaned at about 2.5 years old), I got pregnant. (it was a miscarriage but not due to nursing).
My milk did NOT dry up. It took my milk, (with each pregnancy, I have 2 kids), about 1 year to completely dry up, post breastfeeding.
Then once my daughter HAD weaned completely, I did get pregnant with my now son... but my milk had not dried up completely by then.

You CAN still get pregnant, nurse, and be fine.
You CAN let her self-wean... with gentle ways about weaning and talking with her. Then in her own time, she will. That is what I did with my daughter.

Each woman/child is different. Do what is in your heart and what you feel is best.

Take care,
Susan

http://normalfed.com/Continuing/tandem.html click or copy and paste this link. it may have the answer for you. :)

I agree with the other responses you've gotten. You can continue to nurse your 19 month-old and get pregnant, other women have done so quite successfully. YOu don't know how your body will respond, however. Also, if you've had some preterm labor issues with your first pregnancy, or develop them with this second pregnancy and are still nursing, your obstetrician or midwife might encourage you to stop breastfeeding since the uterus contracts while you're nursing and this isn't good for a baby in utero with an irritable uterus. This, however, all depends on your body and your growing baby. Talk to your OB or midwife if you still have questions. There is no need to necessarily wean your daughter just because you are pregnant again. God bless you!(Also, this is great spacing between children if you do happen to get pregnant soon!)