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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

For those of you who are using/have used the withdrawal method?

36 replies

Ineedtosleep79 · 13/12/2022 21:33

Do you always avoid your fertile window or not and how long have you been practising the method for?

And has anyone ever had a slip up?

OP posts:
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Lolacat1234 · 14/12/2022 09:15

It's only a method to be used if a baby wouldn't completely ruin your life. We lasted 18 months withdrawing all the time and avoiding red days completely before being blessed with our now 3.5 year old DD. I was quite comfortable with the idea it might fail and it only meant our TTC plans were brought forward a year. Don't rely on it if you adamantly don't want to get pregnant.

Nottodaty · 14/12/2022 08:58

I have a beautiful now 13 year old conceived in my supposedly non- fertile window - we had been trying so very surprised the one month we missed the fertile time I ended up pregnant.

I guess that month the cycle shifted - so I would go with birth control if not actively trying.

Pictograph · 14/12/2022 08:56

We used this successfully for years - and then got pregnant quickly when we started TTC.

Tirrrrred · 14/12/2022 08:55

What the hell?

Maybe it's useful if you lived in the Stone Age?

Rainydays2 · 14/12/2022 08:53

Totally depends if the man has sperm in precum or not

spare123 · 14/12/2022 08:53

There's a word for people who use this method.

Parents.

TallulahBetty · 14/12/2022 08:52

It's not a method. FFS, they teach this to kids in school - how can GROWN UPS not know it?

heartbroken22 · 14/12/2022 08:45

I wouldn't trust it as your cycles can be longer/shorter due to vitamins/stress/health. You can't always predict when you ovulate and an unplanned pregnancy can be quite scary. Use proper safe methods of birth control.

Lcb123 · 14/12/2022 08:14

Yes have used but wouldn’t rely on it - fine if you’d be ok with getting pregnant but no rush

Sailawaygirl · 14/12/2022 08:07

@Ineedtosleep79 no I didn't track ovulation or avoid most fertility time. I thought I had an idea of when I ovulation but now we are ttc and doing it properly I well off! Also conceived quite quickly when we started to try.

ChloeN · 14/12/2022 07:16

@Ineedtosleep79 we did this for 2 years, so then obviously I was worried we would struggle to concieve but fell pregnant first month of trying. We would of been happy with a baby at any time during the 2 years though so I probably wouldn’t risk it if I really didn’t want to pregnant

Ansumpasty · 13/12/2022 22:28

We’ve always done this and it’s always worked. When I wanted to get pregnant, I got pregnant very quickly both times (one day of ‘trying’ resulted in a baby both times), so it can’t be because I’m not very fertile.
I do say, ‘be extra careful because I’m ovulating’ and it’s not a frequent thing during ovulation.
It doesn’t come without risk but OH has never slipped up and always leaves a few seconds of safety, iyswim

I wouldn’t go telling anyone to safely practice it, though!

Original poster
Ineedtosleep79 · 13/12/2022 22:24

Hi @Sailawaygirl I'm guessing as you didn't mind a happy accident, you didn't track your fertile window when you were using this method?

OP posts:
Muststopeating · 13/12/2022 22:24

Yup, 3rd baby (in 4 years) as a result and is now 18 months old.

She's awesome but my god I'm knackered.

I understand that hormonal contraception is not for everyone (me included) but there are safer alternatives.

ToffeeEl · 13/12/2022 22:20

Used it "successfully" for 12 months, tracking fertile window etc.

Currently 6 months pregnant, it's not fool proof apparently (and we're a pair of fools - though everyone's delighted at the news)

Sailawaygirl · 13/12/2022 22:19

We have used this for 10 years. Also with thought that a happy accident would be nice . But no pregnancy until we actually decided to conceive. It did take quite an effort from OH at the start though and full trust needed.

Original poster
Ineedtosleep79 · 13/12/2022 22:14

It really does seem to be like what I've heard as the "Vatican roulette" 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Ineedtosleep79 · 13/12/2022 22:10

Thanks everyone. Judging by the wildly varying responses it seems to me like it's mostly down to whether the man has sperm in his precum or not. I've read that some do and some don't.

OP posts:
Tandora · 13/12/2022 22:06

Used this method for years- didn’t bother avoiding my fertile window. Worked perfectly . Your partner must withdraw every time , but if they are reliable , it’s about 96% effective according to planned parenthood.

(I have been pregnant 4 times so no fertility issues- found it v easy to conceive when I chose to.)

Dacadactyl · 13/12/2022 21:49

We are 15 years into using this method alone. No slip ups. We don't avoid my fertile window (I wouldn't even know when it was) and we are particularly fertile people (pregnant first time)

BiscuitLover3678 · 13/12/2022 21:49

Fertile window can be diffirent every month. Only use it if you want more kids but want to Leah’s it up to nature.

KangarooKenny · 13/12/2022 21:47

NonagonInfinityOpensTheDoor · 13/12/2022 21:44

So why have you provided irrelevant waffle? How’s that going to help the OP?

Anyway, the method isn’t reliable, they teach this stuff in school.

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To show how using that method affected someone’s life. You don’t need to read my posts.

QueenSlug · 13/12/2022 21:45

We used withdrawal for 2 years only avoided sex during my period worked perfectly for us

NonagonInfinityOpensTheDoor · 13/12/2022 21:44

KangarooKenny · 13/12/2022 21:41

I didn’t say it was.

Show quote history

So why have you provided irrelevant waffle? How’s that going to help the OP?

Anyway, the method isn’t reliable, they teach this stuff in school.

AreOttersJustWetCats · 13/12/2022 21:42

PeppermintChoc · 13/12/2022 21:39

What’s that?

i got the new pregnant like this too. You could use natural cycles. I used this method when we knew we wanted a second but weren’t actively trying.

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BPAS provide abortions

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