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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for your conception tips?

46 replies

MoodyBroody · 03/10/2016 13:43

Age: 26
TTC: 12 months
1 M/C @ 8 weeks in June
Irregular cycles so possible PCOS - awaiting endo referral.

Any tips on how we can improve our chances of conceiving?

OP posts:
Oysterbabe · 03/10/2016 13:49

I got pregnant on honeymoon, the one month when I didn't temp, didn't bother with OPKs etc and just had lots of sex.

I would say just have lots of sex. I think you can get too bogged down with all the paraphernalia and fertile weeks and actually miss ovulation if it happens early or late. Just have sex at least every other day throughout your cycle.

Mrsemcgregor · 03/10/2016 13:54

I had been ttc my second DS for 6/7 months. I have a very short LP so only about 8 days between ovulation and period.

Anyway, tried some special fertility lube stuff from boots (sorry can't remember it's name) and it worked first time, had sex 3 times around ovulation and I am sure it got the sperm to the egg quicker and gave me more chance!!

Good luckSmile

BoopTheSnoot · 03/10/2016 13:57

You can buy ovulation testing kits that will give you an idea of your fertile days

Original poster
MoodyBroody · 03/10/2016 14:04

I've tried the ovulation tests a few times around the time when I thought I was ovulating (EWCM) but have never got a positive OPK. I have read that women with PCOS shouldn't use opk's though?

We DTD on average 3x a week, sometimes 2x, sometimes 4x.

Was that pre-seed Mrsemcgrgor? I've read about that.

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 03/10/2016 14:08

Best tip I got and used?

Get pissed, relax, have fun and forget about it

I spent a few months trying to conceive dd. I went out to a wedding party and got bladdered that night. Dd was conceived that night

FoodPorn · 03/10/2016 14:12

Lots of sex, especially mid-cycle. At least every other day - every day.

NotCitrus · 03/10/2016 14:13

Get really distracted by something else, ideally a bit tipsy most evenings, master the fun quickie. Every other night.
In my case, give up on kids, work 6 days a week for 6 months, 12 hour shifts, and then find out the flu is in fact being pregnant.

Allegedly female orgasms help conception so ensure your partner is assisting with that!

CallarMorvern · 03/10/2016 14:20

Look for cervical mucus that resembles egg white, then do the deed as soon as you see it. Took us a 3+ yrs to conceive, but after getting this advice from a mw, we conceived 2mths later. Also don't assume you ovulate mid cycle.

FoodPorn · 03/10/2016 14:21

Forgot to say 2DC, 1st conceived in 1st month of trying and 2nd in 2nd month.

Read "Taking Charge of your Fertility" to understand signs of fertility/infertility and window of conception (for most people it's something like the 5 days leading up to the 14th day of your cycle). Cervical mucus is a good sign of fertility/ovulation.

CallarMorvern · 03/10/2016 14:21

Also, I lost weight lo-carbing, which I think helped.

Popularcontrarian · 03/10/2016 14:26

If you've even mild PCOS, inositol will help dramatically with your cycles and ovulation. It can be bought on Amazon. amzn.to/2dDNeHT It works very similarly to Metformin in reducing insulin sensitivity and realigns your hormones. Grapefruit is very high in it so try drinking that.

Other things that will help are to:

Reduce the amount of refined carbs you eat.

Move about a bit more (not just horizontally Grin).

Get your husband/partner to eat walnuts and tidy up his diet. Stop smoking is a big one for men.

I bet you money that you'll ovulate within days of taking inositol. Check out PubMed or similar for articles on it. There's loads of emerging research on it.

Rrross1ges · 03/10/2016 14:30

I'm sorry about your miscarriage, I really hope that your friends and family are looking after you.

I took 3 years to conceive first time round and I attributed our eventual success to Delia Smiths Christmas cake (long story). A couple of years later friends of ours were having trouble conceiving and I mentioned the cake so they made one. They had a baby the next September. I think my theory holds water because a lot of babies are conceived on honeymoon just after the consumption of wedding cake, which is basically a ruinous expensive Christmas cake!

So get your baking tins out and cook yourself a conception cake. And if it works come back and tell me!

MrsNuckyThompson · 03/10/2016 14:38

Acupuncture. Seriously, find a good reputable therapist in your area who specialises in fertility issues. Worked wonders for me.

Original poster
MoodyBroody · 03/10/2016 14:56

I like that plan- Rrross Fruit cake is my favourite!

Is inositol similar to Agnus Castus Popular? As I was taking that in July but it in August but it just made me bleed so I stopped. Could've been something to do with the aftermath of my m/c?

OP posts:
BroomHandledMouser · 03/10/2016 15:03

I found out when I was most fertile and made sure we had sex in that time, plus normal days too just in case!!

Both times, after we'd had sex, I'd lie there with a pillow under my bum to help...ahem....the little swimmers get to where they needed to go Blush

Oysterbabe · 03/10/2016 15:05

If cake is the answer I could definitely get on board with trying for another about now.

Popularcontrarian · 03/10/2016 15:10

No Moody, it's totally different to Agnus Castus. It used to be considered a supplement, but then they discovered our bodies make it so it's not regarded as a supplement anymore.

However, studies have found that for some reason women with PCOS are deficient in inositol and supplementation really helps.

Here's a page I found that summarises some key studies: sites.google.com/site/miscarriageresearch/supplements-and-miscarriage/d-chiro-inositol

And sorry to hear about your miscarriage, sending you Flowers and hoping you get another BFP soon

rainbowstardrops · 03/10/2016 15:20

When I was trying to get pregnant, every time after dtd I'd lay on my back, legs leaning up against the wall with a pillow under my bum to help the little blighters get to where they were supposed to be going!!!

I'd heard that you shouldn't get up and go to the loo etc straight after. DH used to lay like it too - was very funny but it worked for us! Grin

facepalming · 03/10/2016 15:25

Took me a long time with my first. I had a polarity treatment and hey presto!

Original poster
MoodyBroody · 03/10/2016 15:55

Thanks Popular - I'm definitely going to try inositol then. After my m/c I read how metformin reduces the risk massively in women with pcos but I've been waiting for my referral for 8 weeks now so am slowly losing hope.

OP posts:
Tobebythesea · 03/10/2016 16:07

Honeymoon baby here as well. I also have PCOS.

Lots of sex, DTD when you have egg white mucus, ovulation tests, conception vitamins. My next step would have been looking at basal temperature.

I wish you the best of luck and I'm sorry for your loss.

Tobebythesea · 03/10/2016 16:09

Oh, and legs in the air cycling after sex. Probably had no effect whatsoever but it made us laugh. And pre-seed.

Popularcontrarian · 03/10/2016 16:23

It's way too early to lose hope! And you're still very young.

I'm convinced inositol helped me get pregnant with my little one. Shortly after I started taking it my cycles shortened massively.

I recently had a mc too and hadn't been taking it, but I'm back taking two teaspoons a day and hoping for to get pg soon :)

Sparrowlegs248 · 03/10/2016 16:24

I'd almost given up, after 22 months. Dtd twice, much earlier in the month, (days 8 +10) and made a conscious effort to try not to leak the important stuff out! So, missionary, (tmi) dh stayed in position for a while then I laid in bed for ten minutes. Didn't go to the loo.

That was dc1. Pregnant with number 2, dtd once, while on the mini pill......

Good luck.

weeblueberry · 03/10/2016 16:26

Book a holiday for nine months from now.

In all honesty though DTD every day for the week you're pretty sure you're ovulating if you're both actually physically together. At 2x a week you could very easily be missing your ovulation days altogether.