How long for changes in nursing routine to affect fertility?

[Peachthief]

My DD just turned two, so we are thinking of TTC #2 in a few more months.  The problem is that I *still* haven't got my period yet!  I'm thinking of nightweaning and/or cutting back on nursing, but I'm curious how long it will take after a change in nursing habits for my fertility to catch up.  Ideally I'd like to keep nursing as much as possible, but I know that some women have to wean completely in order to get pregnant.  I was hoping to not make any changes until her 2 year molars are in, but that looks like it will be a few more months, and I'm starting to think I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too.  It seems like my body is trying to ovulate periodically (cervical changes) so I'm hopeful that it wouldn't take much, but I'm not really sure what to expect.  Any thoughts, experiences or advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Sarah

[Jaimee]

Well, after my first I got AF back at 8 months pp but it wasn't regular or fertile until after dd nightweaned and started sleeping through the night when she was 2 years old.  Right after that, two cycles later I conceived and m/c early and then conceived ds two cycles after that.  So for me, it was necessary to cut back on nursing, but not to stop all together.   I know plenty of women that didn't have to stop/cut back at all and a few that had to wean completely before their cycles returned.

After my second, AF didn't return for a year and my first cycle was infertile, but my second cycle resulted in the pregnancy I'm in now!  So there is great variation even within the same individual pregnancy to pregnancy!  

It's a very personal decision, certainly, but if you feel strongly about wanting to TTC as soon as possible, then nightweaning would certainly be a logical first step.   You could also try some tweaks to your diet and exercise routine to see if that will help.  Are you over or underweight?  How much B6 are you getting in your diet and vitamin?  Have you considered charting your temps and cervical fluid?  Even though AF has not yet returned, you could start temping as soon as you are in a patch of fertile CF and see if you could catch that first ovulation.  Then you would know how long your luteal phase is and see how much regulating your cycle will need before becoming fertile again (if any!).

Good luck!