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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

TTC September/October 26

448 replies

ThereWereNoUsernamesLeft · 31/08/2026 11:43

I couldn't see that anyone's started a thread for September yet. Seeing as it's tomorrow thought I'd start one now. Seems AF arrived for a few of us at the same time so looks like we'll be in sync over the coming months.
How is everyone doing?

OP posts:
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34
misslomi · 02/09/2026 13:02

Silverglass · 02/09/2026 12:45

Having sex before ovulation, preferably a day or two max before, so the sperm is already there to meet the egg. Think it’s pretty standard now as I think most people are having sex pretty regularly throughout the whole fertile period and not only once at ovulation.

i think it also has you trying every day once you find your peak but other research suggests every other day and just day of peak and day after as the only consecutive days as otherwise you’re gonna get really burnt out and the conception chances don’t change noticeably.

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Oh okay thank you. We normally do every other day from period ending till peak, and then that day and the following 2.

Silverglass · 02/09/2026 13:16

misslomi · 02/09/2026 13:02

Oh okay thank you. We normally do every other day from period ending till peak, and then that day and the following 2.

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Sounds like you’re following it p much exactly already 🙂

TTC September/October 26
SugarPlumFairyPop · 02/09/2026 13:29

Joining from the August thread - AF came today so back to cycle day 1. This will be second month of TTC, but I've actually got a thermometer for BBT this month rather than just relying on Flo app/CM. Wishing everyone the best of luck for this month 🤍

Maomee · 02/09/2026 14:00

misslomi · 02/09/2026 12:39

We were 😔that's weird, but hopefully means its on the way? When I skipped mine I felt nothing, no symptoms at all. Hopefully your body sorts itself out soon!

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Yeah my cramps ramped up a lot today and I think it's finally starting, 4 days late which isn't earth shattering but is pretty weird for me. Oh well onto the next cycle then I have my hycosy next month if nothing happens. Best of luck this cycle to you and everyone here 💛

misslomi · 02/09/2026 14:10

Silverglass · 02/09/2026 13:16

Sounds like you’re following it p much exactly already 🙂

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Need to nail that final intercourse though, we are normally sick of the sight of each other by that point 😂

misslomi · 02/09/2026 14:11

SugarPlumFairyPop · 02/09/2026 13:29

Joining from the August thread - AF came today so back to cycle day 1. This will be second month of TTC, but I've actually got a thermometer for BBT this month rather than just relying on Flo app/CM. Wishing everyone the best of luck for this month 🤍

Where did you get the thermometer from? I've never done BBT but maybe this is the month to start! Tell me everything you know 😃

Vimto1991 · 02/09/2026 14:13

Olivia2024 · 02/09/2026 11:50

I posted recently in this forum about a test that I thought was positive and sadly I got my period after so maybe it was a chemical or a dodgy test :-( today I took my son to school for his first day back and his best friends parents were there at the gate and told me “they had some news” how does everyone deal with everyone else’s happy news when you’re deflated yourself? I can’t even talk to my friends about this as everyone is pregnant. Sending baby dust to us all. Anyway I’m thinking to try SMEP this month - anyone else tried this?

Sorry to hear about your potential chemical.

Yeah that’s a difficult one. My best friend is pregnant and sharing all the happy stages and news and it’s difficult when you’re still trying. I’m just trying to seperate my happiness for them and my sadness for me and remember other people can have happy times whilst I’m struggling. I felt the same when I lost my dad in regards to other people being happy on Father’s Day, etc.
im dropping my dc off at her first day tomorrow! Hoping it goes well for her but I feel so sad. Especially when she’s my only and it feels like the first and last time I’ll experience all of this.

cross my fingers this cycle is your cycle!

Fairiebee · 02/09/2026 14:55

I have a question. I'm on CD14 and I just had a smiley face on a clearblue test. That means that I am covered if I have intercourse today right? I have never done a second test after a positive. And I wonder if it's possible that my ovulation happens in 2 or 3 days after the positive.

misslomi · 02/09/2026 15:16

Fairiebee · 02/09/2026 14:55

I have a question. I'm on CD14 and I just had a smiley face on a clearblue test. That means that I am covered if I have intercourse today right? I have never done a second test after a positive. And I wonder if it's possible that my ovulation happens in 2 or 3 days after the positive.

Ooh I am not sure, I've used the OneStep ones and once I get the 'peak' (I use premom app) I tend to have sex that night and the following 2 days.

LavenderSweetPea · 02/09/2026 17:07

Hey, can I join? First month TTC and I'm CD13, but no positive OPK yet, I usually ovulate late. Just looking for some company really from you ladies while I wait!

Froggiehop23 · 02/09/2026 18:25

Olivia2024 · 02/09/2026 11:50

I posted recently in this forum about a test that I thought was positive and sadly I got my period after so maybe it was a chemical or a dodgy test :-( today I took my son to school for his first day back and his best friends parents were there at the gate and told me “they had some news” how does everyone deal with everyone else’s happy news when you’re deflated yourself? I can’t even talk to my friends about this as everyone is pregnant. Sending baby dust to us all. Anyway I’m thinking to try SMEP this month - anyone else tried this?

Ive been in this situation too @Olivia2024 and it was all i could do to keep my face in a smile.
I went home and had a wee cry and my husband was upset as well. They are really close friends and due dates would have been days apart.
All in all the pain eased over time so be kind to yourself. And its ok to celebrate their joy when grieving yourself.

Original poster
ThereWereNoUsernamesLeft · 02/09/2026 18:38

Maomee · 02/09/2026 14:00

Yeah my cramps ramped up a lot today and I think it's finally starting, 4 days late which isn't earth shattering but is pretty weird for me. Oh well onto the next cycle then I have my hycosy next month if nothing happens. Best of luck this cycle to you and everyone here 💛

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Sorry to hear you've had a wonky cycle, hopefully you don't need to hycosy but I've heard it can help even if nothing's picked up with clearing microblockages in your tubes. Do you mind me asking how long you had to wait to have it scheduled after your first appt with the fertility clinic? I'm assuming they'll offer me one as well. I'm on cycle day 3 today so think it's maybe optimistic to think I'll be offered one for this cycle.

I'm really struggling now tbh, we have our first fertility appointment tomorrow and I think it's all becoming a bit real that things aren't going as planned. If I didn't have a chemical in January I would have been giving birth this week. Instead we're going to start the process of finding out why it's just not happening 💔😓

OP posts:
misslomi · 02/09/2026 18:45

Maomee · 02/09/2026 14:00

Yeah my cramps ramped up a lot today and I think it's finally starting, 4 days late which isn't earth shattering but is pretty weird for me. Oh well onto the next cycle then I have my hycosy next month if nothing happens. Best of luck this cycle to you and everyone here 💛

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Sorry lovely I missed this. Glad to hear that you think its on the way! Fingers crossed for this month 🙏

Maomee · 02/09/2026 20:31

ThereWereNoUsernamesLeft · 02/09/2026 18:38

Sorry to hear you've had a wonky cycle, hopefully you don't need to hycosy but I've heard it can help even if nothing's picked up with clearing microblockages in your tubes. Do you mind me asking how long you had to wait to have it scheduled after your first appt with the fertility clinic? I'm assuming they'll offer me one as well. I'm on cycle day 3 today so think it's maybe optimistic to think I'll be offered one for this cycle.

I'm really struggling now tbh, we have our first fertility appointment tomorrow and I think it's all becoming a bit real that things aren't going as planned. If I didn't have a chemical in January I would have been giving birth this week. Instead we're going to start the process of finding out why it's just not happening 💔😓

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Yes I have heard quite promising things about hycosy too. I do have symptoms that quite strongly suggest endometriosis which is one of the reasons I think they've put me through for this next although it might be typical for anyone trying after the initial tests are done. Our first appointment was in July and the hycosy is early October so not too long luckily. We are in a major city as well so it's quite lucky the wait isn't super long. I am dreading it a bit as at this point it's quite likely I may have a significant blockage or two and apparently that is usually what can make it more painful but I will do it wince it might help us.

Sorry to hear you're feeling down about the appointment and the significance of it. I can definitely relate to that, I was expecting it might take a while but not that it would reach a worrying time frame. It must also add an extra layer of difficulty knowing your chemical would have been a baby now if it had continued, I'm so sorry 💐I really think it's important to remember that it's actually quite normal for conception to take up to 18months/ 2 years especially once you're more into your 30s and older, and it doesn't necessarily suggest an issue but at the same time you're giving yourself the best chance by going in.

Another thing to bear in mind if you do have hycosy is that you usually can't try in the cycle leading up to it as the dye they use might impact an early pregnancy. Some clinics let you try following the procedure but some say don't start again until after your next AF. The silver lining of my period coming late this month is that it means my October ovulation should be bumped to after the hycosy now as previously it was expected just before it.

Best of luck for tomorrow and let yourself be emotional if you need to, there's a lot of strength in letting yourself feel your worries. Thanks for the kind words 💛

Vwhite · 03/09/2026 04:44

Hi joining this month after mmc to twins in July and not ovulating last cycle fingers crossed this month currently cd14 today we have an appointment with recurrent miscarriage clinic on the 18th sept and earliest we can find out if we have been successful this cycle is the 16th edd if successful will be 14 days before our daughters birthday 🫣 fingers crossed for everyone this month

DancingThroughLife02 · 03/09/2026 06:00

Joining from the August thread.

AF due in about 4/5 days which puts me at around 10/11. I was hoping to test this morning but I had to get up urgently to pee at 5am and completely forgot!

I’m back at work this week and it’s a busy week in schools so I’ve not really been keeping track of symptoms.

Best of luck to all of you lovely ladies 💐

MochaLove · 03/09/2026 06:12

ThereWereNoUsernamesLeft · 01/09/2026 14:04

It's probably area dependent but it's all moved really quickly for us. We had our GP appointment at the end of July and she did the referral that same day. She told us that couples she referred 5 months ago were only just getting their appointments through so I mentally prepared for Dec/Jan. We actually got a call within a few weeks and they booked us in for our first consultation which is in a few days so all in all a month from the referral to the first appointment.

They sent us a check list of all the bloods we needed so check that carefully as the GP actually missed some off. I'd already gone in for my CD2-5 blood test and some initial baseline ones so I just got the other ones done when I went back for my CD21 test. All of the blood tests came back within 24 hours and everything was normal. They also referred for an ultrasound. She said the wait was about 6 weeks but I've not heard anything for that yet. Annoyingly, my husband came to the July appointment as I'd made it clear when booking in that it was for both of us but she woudn't also do his referrals when she did mine. She said he had to wait another month for a seperate appointment so he's only just had his referral done a few days ago and now on the waiting list for a sperm analysis.

I did think about maybe paying private but then I thought it's probably not going to change anything getting the results slightly faster when we're already being seen by the clinic so soon. They can still see you even if you haven't got all of your results back. Don't be afraid to chase them and follow things up.

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Ahh ok, thanks for all of that info. That’s really good that you’ve not had to wait too long! Really not sure what to expect from my GP appointment especially as it’s only telephone, hopefully they won’t just tell us to carry on TTC for now because we’re only just coming up to the year. I’m not sure how much longer I can just carry on TTC with the cycle of hope and disappointment each month. Having done a bit of research, my local fertility centre has just opened a new clinic which is speeding up referrals apparently. So fingers crossed we won’t have too long to wait either as long as the GP makes the referral 🤞🏼

Fairiebee · 03/09/2026 08:22

DancingThroughLife02 · 03/09/2026 06:00

Joining from the August thread.

AF due in about 4/5 days which puts me at around 10/11. I was hoping to test this morning but I had to get up urgently to pee at 5am and completely forgot!

I’m back at work this week and it’s a busy week in schools so I’ve not really been keeping track of symptoms.

Best of luck to all of you lovely ladies 💐

Good luck to you too! It's a good thing that you are busy and distracted. Keep us updated for the test tomorrow.

Original poster
ThereWereNoUsernamesLeft · 03/09/2026 14:58

Maomee · 02/09/2026 20:31

Yes I have heard quite promising things about hycosy too. I do have symptoms that quite strongly suggest endometriosis which is one of the reasons I think they've put me through for this next although it might be typical for anyone trying after the initial tests are done. Our first appointment was in July and the hycosy is early October so not too long luckily. We are in a major city as well so it's quite lucky the wait isn't super long. I am dreading it a bit as at this point it's quite likely I may have a significant blockage or two and apparently that is usually what can make it more painful but I will do it wince it might help us.

Sorry to hear you're feeling down about the appointment and the significance of it. I can definitely relate to that, I was expecting it might take a while but not that it would reach a worrying time frame. It must also add an extra layer of difficulty knowing your chemical would have been a baby now if it had continued, I'm so sorry 💐I really think it's important to remember that it's actually quite normal for conception to take up to 18months/ 2 years especially once you're more into your 30s and older, and it doesn't necessarily suggest an issue but at the same time you're giving yourself the best chance by going in.

Another thing to bear in mind if you do have hycosy is that you usually can't try in the cycle leading up to it as the dye they use might impact an early pregnancy. Some clinics let you try following the procedure but some say don't start again until after your next AF. The silver lining of my period coming late this month is that it means my October ovulation should be bumped to after the hycosy now as previously it was expected just before it.

Best of luck for tomorrow and let yourself be emotional if you need to, there's a lot of strength in letting yourself feel your worries. Thanks for the kind words 💛

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Thank you so much for the info and for your kind words. Even though I know ttc can take a while it does help to have reassurance from other people whenever I start spiralling. We've just had our consultation, they basically said there isn't anything they can advise until we've had the initial testing done but after that they can go from there and next steps for me will either be hycosy or a laproscopy depending on the ultrasound results.

He said that it's a 6-7 month wait for a semen analysis!! I booked in for a private one instead, it was going to cost £335. My husband said are you sure that's a good use of money because what if the appointment comes through quicker. Well I thought there's no harm in calling up to find out how long the waiting list is and they basically offered him an appointment for 6 weeks time! So, I've cancelled the private one and that's £335 back in to my account which is good haha.

Good luck with your hycosy and let me know how you get on. He said if my ultrasound shows no abnormalities I can basically book one in for the next cycle. We're away in October so that would push it back to November. I don't mind though cause that means we're having an US this month, SA next month and hycosy in November which will give us another puzzle piece and something different to focus on each month. Hopefully yours isn't too painful, I've read online that you can take painkillers before and that will hopefully help you with any discomfort. ❤

OP posts:
Original poster
ThereWereNoUsernamesLeft · 03/09/2026 15:04

MochaLove · 03/09/2026 06:12

Ahh ok, thanks for all of that info. That’s really good that you’ve not had to wait too long! Really not sure what to expect from my GP appointment especially as it’s only telephone, hopefully they won’t just tell us to carry on TTC for now because we’re only just coming up to the year. I’m not sure how much longer I can just carry on TTC with the cycle of hope and disappointment each month. Having done a bit of research, my local fertility centre has just opened a new clinic which is speeding up referrals apparently. So fingers crossed we won’t have too long to wait either as long as the GP makes the referral 🤞🏼

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They should do you a referral there and then. We were told it's a 5 month wait for the first appointment, luckily we did get one in within a few weeks which was suprising. If your area has a high wait time I would push for the referral because either you'll be at a year by the time you're seen of you won't need it and you'll be able to cancel it before then. Either way it makes sense for you to be on the list and counting down rather than waiting unecessarily. Hopefully the new clinic will speed things up for you.

One annoying thing is for us to qualify for IVF you have to have been trying for 2 years but each miscarriage resets the 2 year clock, so if we have another one we'll have to wait another 2 years from then. The consultant said guidance is 2 years total but our trust is following old guidance. Resetting the clock after every loss just seems cruel.

OP posts:
misslomi · 03/09/2026 18:51

I am on CD5. Period is pretty much done, felt shit all week. How is everyone doing?

Selyak · 03/09/2026 20:01

misslomi · 03/09/2026 18:51

I am on CD5. Period is pretty much done, felt shit all week. How is everyone doing?

Just about done with my period too. Hope you’re feeling better soon. I’ve also been feeling quite shit this week too

misslomi · 03/09/2026 20:09

Selyak · 03/09/2026 20:01

Just about done with my period too. Hope you’re feeling better soon. I’ve also been feeling quite shit this week too

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Thank you 😊 normally my period is pretty uneventful but I've been cramping and nauseous this week. Sorry you've been feeling rough too, thank god we are nearly done!

LavenderSweetPea · 03/09/2026 20:19

I'm CD 15, still no positive OPK. Am I the only one who gets bored of waiting for the TWW to begin? At this rate you'll ovulate before me @misslomi @Selyak 😂

Silverglass · 03/09/2026 20:21

5dpo and just waiting til Sunday to test. Not got a lot going on this week so it’s feeling loooong.