Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

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

About five chances to get pregnant over your life - really?!

30 replies

StrandTest · 12/04/2011 12:56

My GP told me today that there has been recent research that says that women only have about five chances to get pregnant in their whole lives. When I questioned this, he said it was to do with timings of ovulation/having sex and said something like 'when couples have been together a long time, they don't have sex very often' so the chances of it being at the right time are minimal'.

Really? Five chances of timing it right in your whole life?? Surely if you are trying to concieve, you'd have sex more often and try to do it mid cycle? And that's before OPKs and temperature charting, etc.

Does anyone have any idea which study he was referring to? That CAN'T be right, can it?

OP posts:
iskra · 12/04/2011 12:58

Sounds bizarre to me.

So I have 2 more chances at the age of 27 Hmm

FruitShootsChocolateThieves · 12/04/2011 12:58

That can't be right...how would anyone have more than 5 children?

suzikettles · 12/04/2011 12:59

It does certainly sound like a load of bollocks.

MmeSurvivedLent · 12/04/2011 12:59

Sounds like bollocks to me.

I have been pregnant 5x so I can just stop using contraception now, can I?

juneau · 12/04/2011 12:59

What a load of b*llocks!

FrameyMcFrame · 12/04/2011 13:00

That sounds like nonsense to me. I've been pregnant 5 times and I hope to become so again (3 MC, 2 DC) Obviously I've used up all my chances already then according to this researchHmm

reallytired · 12/04/2011 13:00

I have a friend who has decided to let God plan her family and she is currently expecting number 9.

I'm afraid I think your GP is doing the medically impossible. He/she is talking out his arse.

iskra · 12/04/2011 13:01

Google tells me that a fertile couple has a 25% chance of getting pregnant each cycle. I'm no statistician, but the two statements don't mesh for me.

I accept that long term couples might not have sex as much - but to assume that all your unprotected sex over your lifetime only takes place in established sex once a month relationships seems odd as well...

Original poster
StrandTest · 12/04/2011 13:01

Well, that's what I said - surely you must see people here who have lots of children? (Not a very nice area, many large families) and he said something like 'they're often the result of new relationships, when couples have been together a long time they don't have sex much'

I'd be the first to admit we're not having sex as much as we did when we were first together, but when we actually get round to TTC our second...we'll, erm, have sex more often. It's not rocket science, is it?

OP posts:
Mamaz0n · 12/04/2011 13:02

ahh yes i saw this study......on the toilet door in pizza hut.

what a load of rubbish.

Im eldest of 10 children and my mum had 3 miscarriages. it is shite

TrillianAstra · 12/04/2011 13:02

Maybe if you don't have sex very often and you are not trying to have sex at the right time, then you would only get pregnant accidentally 5 times over your whole life.

Mamaz0n · 12/04/2011 13:02

and we all have the same parents, they have been married 31 years next month

BikeRunSki · 12/04/2011 13:02

Really? I realise that I am extremely lucky, but pg first time at 37 after 1 month trying; same again at 40 with v longstanding DH.

CheeseandGherkins · 12/04/2011 13:03

Sounds like bs to me, I've had 6 miscarriages, a stillbirth and have 3 children, I guess that would make me lucky according to that? Lol. Wouldn't believe a word of it.

ShowOfHands · 12/04/2011 13:03

No clue. I'm sure you could invent a statistic based on the fact that your chances of conception are never more than 25%, somehow link it to the average number of months an average woman is sexually active throughout her life and work out how often you'd expect pregnancy to be achieved. But then how would you control for things like bfing afterwards and that affecting fertility or contraception usage.

Doubt it's a statistic that would ever mean anything at all.

Original poster
StrandTest · 12/04/2011 13:03

He said ABOUT five chances. Obviously that doesn't mean that if you've been pregnant five times, you won't ever concieve again.

OP posts:
socka · 12/04/2011 13:03

reallytired Grin

Sounds like tripe. The massive amount of (protected) shagging I did in my youth would surely have given me many many chances Hmm

Original poster
StrandTest · 12/04/2011 13:04

Trillian, I think that's what he might mean. If you weren't actively trying to time it right, you might get the timing right five times over your fertile years?

OP posts:
MmeSurvivedLent · 12/04/2011 13:07

Like the way you quickly warned me of the risk of stopping contraceptive usage. Don't worry, I wasn't planning on that.

:)

Trillian
I have never properly TTCed, always been accidents. 2 babies, 3 m/cs.

TrillianAstra · 12/04/2011 13:09

You clearly have more sex than this Doctor thinks you should be having Mme! :o

freesias · 12/04/2011 13:09

must tell dh that and we can now throw caution to the wind as having had 8 dcs and 4 mc ,in 18 years of marriage , we've well and truly exceeded the odds .

TrillianAstra · 12/04/2011 13:10

Mamazon - just out of nosiness - are your parents defintiely finished, and do your kids have any aunts/uncles who are younger than them?

MmeSurvivedLent · 12/04/2011 13:10

:o

I wish.

Mamazonhereggsclucking · 12/04/2011 15:14

Trills - yes definitly finished. Dad can't even lay back let alone consumate.

Yes my Ds is 11 months older than my youngest Db, his uncle.

ClaireDeLoon · 12/04/2011 15:17

Was your GP drunk?