to think that if you don't conceive within about 3 months...

[DaftOne]

... It's likely that you're going to take a long time to conceive?

Posting here rather than conception as just want an open and honest conversation. Really don't want to upset anyone.

Totally anecdotal. It just seems to me that of the people I know, they either get pregnant immediately every time or they have long struggles on their hands. There don't seem to be many "in betweenies" who take between 4-10 months. I'm basically wondering if statistics are misleading, comprising of averaging out those who get pregnant immediately and those who take ages and ages.

(TTC 5 months now and a bit impatient... Can you tell?)

I don't see how this six month cycle would translate into actual births being six months or a year apart - surely pregnancy, breastfeeding, contraceptives, illness, etc would interrupt that pattern in the same way they'd interrupt a monthly cycle? I don't get it!

IWantAnotherBaby, I went looking for real world evidence to compare to the probability model you've described.

I could only find the following link. See www.ivfmd.net/fertility-treatments/when-should-i-see-a-fertility-specialist/

It's 85% rather than 93% after one year, but broadly similar.

Six months first pregnancy, immediately with second.

YAB daft

homehelpme
I think the difference is that in a true population, not every couple has an average 20% chance. Some couples have a much lower probability and some have a much higher. As more fecund couples leave the population who are tying to conceive, the 'average' probability decreases and the couples who are left are, on average, less fecund and more likely to need medical intervention to achieve a pregnancy whcih would explain why you see 85% after a year and not 93%. Iwantanotherbaby just assumed a constant 20%.

3 years, then 3 mcs one after the other with a couple of months in between each then conceived DD after another 6 months. Then another 4 years for DS but we weren't trying very hard. I think it was just stress and bad luck the first time round. First stress at DH being out of work, then the stress of worrying about not conceiving.

Also interested in what WillDoIt's post. My DCs are 12 days apart, me and my Db are 7 days apart and DH and his DB are 8 days apart.

DD was conceived within 4months of dp and I meeting but we had sex at least once per day sometimes at lot more. With no. 2 we tried for a year but with a young child and different shift patterns we're lucky if we manage twice per week. We've given up on no.2 for other reasons but that year ttc was hellish, I thought it was easy till I tried.

1st pregnancy took 9 months and only happened once we'd stopped having sex so much and I was occupied in my new job. It ended in miscarriage at 9 weeks but then I got pregnant straight away after 1 period with ds and again after my first period after having him, with dd 13 months later (no periods due to bf before then).
Tried again 18 months ago for 4 months and no joy then changed my mind. Was definitely ovulating according to the kit and had sex at the right time but not pg. for my quick ones it was unexpected I think my overthinking stopped it! Or my age!

I have absolutely no problem conceiving them, it's holding onto them that's the problem for me. DC3 just isn't happening and mentally I can't do it anymore so it looks like just the 2 for me.

I hope it happens for you soon OP.

Only ever tried to conceive twice, and have been with husband 18 years.
First time was pregnant within two weeks, second time was literally two weeks [shocked]

That has been my experience too amongst my friends.
Either people fell pregnant within the first month or two (three max) or they took a year or more and needed some help.
I can't think of many in betweenys.

It obviously isn't an exact science and certainly artificial hormones (pill) may well have some effect but I have seen similar patterns in many families. I have many friend who complain that they have too many family birthdays in some months.
In evolutionary terms it would obviously have benefits and ethnic background may have an effect. Also some times of the year depending on the seasons where you live would be advantage. Their are spikes of births in the Spring and autumn which we attribute to Christmas and Summer holidays but it would definitely have been an advantage to have a baby in the Spring pre civilisation and equally a mother would have built up good reserves during the Summer to take them through a winter feeding a baby born in Autumn.
It happens in other mammalian species why should we be different.
In planned families you may decide on a specific gap ie two years so if you conceived first time with first baby you will have calculated when you want to start trying for second to achieve two year gap so may well hit your superfertile month again first time.

I got pregnant on the 6th month so not true for me.

I conceived on cycle 6 (DD), cycle 1 (mc), cycle 3 (DS1), cycle 2 (mc), cycle 1 (mc), cycle 5 (DS2).

As you can see by this, my dc were mainly "in betweenies" and for me the longer i took to conceive, the more sticky they were.

Straightaway with all three (1 accident, 2 first month and 3 first month) so I fit your theory!!

I fit your theory.

We conceived first try with our first pregnancy (ended in mc).

We conceived first try with ds1.

When we started trying again I was a little nonplussed when it didn't happen straight away. I was convinced that there was something wrong with me after a bad birth with ds1. Then we conceived after just over a year of trying.

Not every egg a woman produces is euploid (viable). By the time a woman reaches her mid-thirties only 1-in-3 of her eggs is euploid. If one of these women is not having sex at the exact right time (her fertile window) each month then it stands to reason it will take her many months to get pregnant. A woman in her early forties produces only 1-in-6 euploid eggs and after 43 it is 1-in-10. You have to be having plenty of sex at the exact right times to have any chance of catching those golden eggs.

First time was pregnant within two weeks, second time was literally two weeks [shocked]
Argh. Just read my post back that should read first time within two months, second time literally within two weeks!!

1st month with each DC and 3mc. Now trying for 3rd DC and it's been 14 months but am now late 30s

1st DC took 3 months. 2nd DC 1 month 3rd DC conceived while in the pill. DH then had the snip

*on the pill, not in the pill!!

Sorry, I've already posted but looking back on posts I feel I should elaborate,
With husband for 18 years, only ever tried to get pregnant twice,
Together when I was 18, tried for baby at 25, pregnant within two months.
Had baby. Tried again when 'little baby' was now nearly 4 years old, and became pregnant with baby number two at the age of 30 within two weeks

Ds1 was a one off unprotected shag.

The next four were all first mth of trying, by trying I mean stopping using condoms. Never tried to have sex at the right time etc, just when we weren't too knackered.

We were clearly very lucky :)

I donated eggs the other year, my recipient had all but given hope, failed if etc. With my eggs she had twins :) so maybe I have good eggs?

I think some people are maybe a good genetic match as well?

God knows, it's just pot luck.

Good luck to anyone ttcing xxx

2yrs, 6 months and 9 months I took with my children, no real planning/pinpointing ov and pregnant on 2nd cycle with this one- luckily my cycles are like clockwork down to the hr almost and so by using opks we pinpointed it successfully and used softcups too-a lot of people swear by them. hth

^this time, it was after coming off lostrin 20 the month before our first try. tbh I thought it would take longer due to that!