Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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

Anyone that’s taken longer than a year but conceived naturally….?

35 replies

PoppyPeaches · 22/03/2025 15:32

hi!
I’m going through a bit of tough time mentally with my journey TTC baby no. 1. It’s been 16m without even a hint of BFP, and I’ve had all the basic tests at the GP, and my husband has had his SA which are thankfully all normal. We have been eventually referred to the fertility clinic at the hospital and the appt is next month, which is a relief, and I hoping to perhaps be able to have a HyCosy or whatever else they recommend.

We will obviously keep trying whilst we wait for the appt and any testing etc, but I wondered if there was anyone out there that could share some positivity with a similar situation where they had been unsuccessful for many many months, and suddenly randomly got pregnant without medical intervention?

I am trying to prepare myself that we may eventually need IVF etc, but tbh I’m very nervous about that, and would love to know that there might be some women out there that felt hopeless like me, and then it suddenly changed for them! I’m also 36 next month so aware time isn’t exactly on my side which doesn’t help with the massive anxiety!

thanks so much for getting this far xx

OP posts:
RidingMyBike · 23/03/2025 09:32

I found it really difficult talking to friends who'd say things like "it took us three months to conceive!" as though that gave an understanding of what we were going through.

And also friends who'd managed to perfectly time babies to fit in with qualifications. The worst bit was when a family member had an unplanned pregnancy!

RidingMyBike · 23/03/2025 09:29

About 3.5 years. I have PCOS so very irregular cycles which made it really difficult (some years I'd ovulate maybe three times, which were impossible to predict!). Did some basic fertility tests but otherwise thought we wouldn't cope with the stress of fertility treatment so decided not to pursue that. Looked into adoption but I don't we'd have met the criteria. I wasn't overweight so the usual PCOS things you can change didn't apply.

Ultimately our problem was timing, and reducing stress was more helpful. I changed jobs so was around more. Very frustrating to realise you're ovulating for probably the only time in several months but you're 100s of miles from DH on a work trip!

My cycles became a lot more regular after having our baby, so I think a second would have been a lot easier to conceive!

Original poster
PoppyPeaches · 22/03/2025 17:50

thankyou to everyone that’s taken the time to reply to my post, it really means a lot! It’s encouraging to hear that you’ve all managed it eventually!
As time goes on I lose more and more hope, and I guess you perhaps hear more about the people that conceived really easily, as maybe they’re more likely to say? Ultimately I have an element of embarrassment and resentment in that something that is so difficult for me seems to come so easily to others.
hopefully my appt next week brings me the answers I want, and I will of course keep going on this crazy rollercoaster 🙃 thanks again xx

OP posts:
SparklyGlitterballs · 22/03/2025 15:56

Tried for about 2 years and finally got pregnant, only to lose it before 12 week scan.

Tried again for a long time and tests showed DH had extremely poor count and mobility. Told we'd probably not conceive again naturally. Had first go at IVF which was not successful. Stressed about how to afford a second go when I conceived naturally. Two years later I conceived again naturally. DCs are now 24 & 26. Never give up OP.

mondaytosunday · 22/03/2025 15:55

A friend tried for years and years. Turned out her DH had a low sperm count. She was just about to start IVF when she became pregnant, then two more followed easily.

Greenllama123 · 22/03/2025 15:50

Took me about 16-17 months. Had just booked a private fertility consultant appointment to pursue further options as NHS was going to take ages and then found out was pregnant 1 week before the appointment. Then 2nd time got pregnant within 2 months of trying. Hope you get good news soon

Mumofoneandone · 22/03/2025 15:50

Yes!! A friend was in that situation recently.
Also know others who have conceived naturally twice...after a failed round of IVF..

BigBoysDontCry · 22/03/2025 15:48

I was 34 so similar age to you.

BigBoysDontCry · 22/03/2025 15:47

About 3 years. We were working our way through the fertility investigations and were told I had one partly blocked tube but otherwise good to go. Got drunk at a party and was pregnant the next month. I think the stress of trying was a factor.

Had a bouncing baby boy... and another 13 months later....

Good luck OP.

MyUmberSeal · 22/03/2025 15:38

Took me 14 months, and I was 39. Keep going. You’ve got a good amount of time to not need to panic, especially as the tests have all been tiptop so far. Good luck. x