When to Remove Nuvaring if I want to conceive in January?

[missludgatecircus]

hi! Looking for some advice on conceiving after removing a Nuvaring.
I've been on the Nuvaring for approx two years, and previously did not use any hormonal contraception - cycles were about 28-29 days and very regular.

My husband and I would like to TTC starting in January 2019, and my original plan was to use my last Nuvaring in October (I change it on the 1st of month each month) and come off for Nov & Dec to get a sense of my cycle, but still use condoms to prevent pregnancy. Then start TTC properly in Jan.

But I've read in several places that fertility returns nearly immediately (8-28 days) so not sure if I should keep the Nuvaring in for November and December, and then just go for it in Jan.

One other factor, we would absolutely love to have twins, and I know its a slim chance but I know that you are more likely to hyperovulate the first month after stopping hormonal BC, so should I try to make that first month January?

Any advice/insight very welcome, thank you

I think you're trying to control something that can't be controlled way too much. Ttc is unpredictable. You have a max 25% chance each cycle. It is very very very average for it to take a year to conceive.

For example, I came off bc in November (copper coil) 2015 in order to ttc from March 2016. It took over two years for us to get pregnant (I'm now 11 weeks). Nothing was found to be wrong with either of us. It's pot luck.

Fertility returns to normal because you can ovulate at any point - that doesn't mean you will. After any hormonal bc it can take up to a year to get regular cycles. It's easiest to conceive during regular cycles because you can more easily predict when you will ovulate.

You have no say over twins. Twins make a much higher risk pregnancy, which no one wants...

Hi kate
Thanks for responding.First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy - it must be so exciting - how are you feeling?

Re the timeline - I hear you - I know it is fundamentally out of our control...where does the 25% chance statistic come from? My husband seems to think conception is either "instant" or impossible, which also factors into when I'm stopping contraception. We don't really want to start TTC before January, just in case it works! Haha.

Did you have regular cycles/know that you were definitely ovulating during your TTC years?

You really can’t predict when you’re going to conceive - you may get lucky, my first I got pregnant on the third cycle, my second I got pregnant on the first cycle and my third I got pregnant on the 5th cycle but then had a miscarriage and got pregnant 3 months later (currently 37 weeks).
It took my friend over two years to conceive their first and then 3 months for the second but she had a miscarriage at 12 weeks and is still trying to conceive her second.
It really can’t be predicted!

Have to agree with other posters TTC is unpredictable. I think the trouble is as teenagers and young adults it gets drummed into us contraception contraception contraception and the minute you don't use contraception you'll get pregnant and you don't want an unwanted pregnancy so use contraception. In reality it's only when you start TTC you realise actually that's not what happens for a lot of people. Some fall lucky first cycle others like me find themselves at the 5 year point having had various tests with no diagnosable reason found undergoing a round of IVF thankfully that did result in a BFP and I'm 10 weeks tomorrow but I'm still none the wiser as to why IVF worked but nothing else did. Good luck hopefully you'll be one of the lucky ones that catch quickly then will it really matter if that was Nov or March.

Google and there will be plenty of info about conception rates - get your husband to read those.
What's your reason for wanting twins so much?
Would it really be a disaster if you got pregnant (though it's statistically unlikely) in December?

I will get him to read a bit, although to be honest he is such a skeptic about everything I'm not sure it would have much of an effect. Maybe if it was in the BMJ or other clinical journals...i will have a search.

No, getting pregnant in December wouldn't be terrible although an august baby wouldn't be our preference, we have several friends in the medical field and have heard plenty of "anecdata" about poor care by doctors etc, plus the whole youngest in school issue.

We are super keen on the idea of twins for several reasons - I'm already 37, (he is 34 next month) so a bit concerned about being able to conceive once let alone twice (for two children). Plus we have enough resources financially and with family help that having the intensity of twins would be manageable, I know its overwhelming otherwise. I know I'm fantasising and trying to control what is ultimately uncontrollable but thought it would be interesting to hear other women's experiences.

It really depends on your fertility and your partners and you both combined. Some people get pregnant together easily and some it takes time. Or for example couples that do not get pregnant with each other for years and then they split and get pregnant with others straight away. You just never know until you try. I would not wait though at 37 if you know you want kids. I would go for it NOW!

Fertility drops very steeply at 35, so as others have said, I wouldn't hang around! Conception success is more like 10-15% per cycle by your late 30s.

Not to scare you, but a few links to get you started:

www.sfgate.com/health/article/Study-speeds-up-biological-clocks-Fertility-2843352.php

www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24128176

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160419232824/www.oeaw.ac.at/vid/download/pce/dec02/pm/PCB05-Leridon.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20160419232824/www.oeaw.ac.at/vid/download/pce/dec02/pm/PCB05-Leridon.pdf

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg156/chapter/Recommendations#initial-advice-to-people-concerned-about-delays-in-conception

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC188498/

www.countdowntopregnancy.com/tools/age_fertility_calculator.php

blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2011/07/probability-of-pregancy-by-age/#.W3bLcLgnbIU

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/predict-odds-of-getting-pregnant_n_1948517?guccounter=1&guce_referrer_us=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_cs=vafRxjpDNuYZHCNFfJw5mA

Image from the British Fertility Society

I wouldn't wait either. I didn't think it was going to take over two years when I started ttc at age 32.

Physics that pic you added... im 30 and have two children already. Obviously fertility declines with age and using my own experience dd1 conceived on the pill age 22, dd2 conceived first month of trying age 25 so, yes, "slightly harder" to fall pregnant second time around a bit older. But what that image says is that at age 31 there's a fixed percentage chance of me having three children. What it doesn't say is by what age I would have had all three. I don't think it's clear or helpful at all.

I found it very enlightening. Obviously, some women go on to have up to 20 children!! But if you want to have the family you want, it's a good idea to start ttc by a certain age. Ie, some women start ttc late 30s and want many kids. That might not happen!!

The heading says this is the age you should start trying to conceive of you want x children and the percentages of probability attached. It's statistical and is a bit of a red herring to apply to any one individual. An early ndividual mght have three kids in three years, or spread out over many (despite ttc the whole time.

What it means is you should t count your chickens.

@physicskate I don't count my chickens at all. Both my girls were conceived instantly (first on the pill and second first night of ttc). I don't use hormonal contraception because I can't tolerate it so it means for ten days of my cycle, to be extra careful, we abstain because I'm aware we're highly fertile. Will I be as highly fertile by 35,37,40? Who knows. Not everyone falls into a statistics category.

But that's not the point of statistics...

And good for you. If we all relied on the fact that one individual got pregnant the first month ttc, we'd all plan our lives and families around a falsehood.

That's what statistics are for: a broad overview of averages. An individual can be average or diverge hugely from the average...

Yep afraid I agree. You really can’t control anything, and if you’re 37, I would go for it straight away if it was me rather then wait for the perfect month to come along.

I’ve never seen that graph before physics that’s really interesting.

As for the twins factor- non identical twins tend to appear in families- the ability to ovulate two eggs at any one time runs down the female line in families. Identical twins are a fluke/random event.

I came off Nuvaring in Feb 2015.
I got my BRP in March 2015. I believe coming off the Nuvaring me very fertile for that first month just like you said!

I'm with the others. You're 37 you haven't got time to waste.

I left TTC until it worked better with my job and meant I would get Maternity leave - 2 years later and 16500£ on ivf - maternity leave really feels like a drop in the ocean and wish I'd just cracked on sooner.

I come from a super fertile family (both sister and Mum got pregnant on contraception and my gran had a baby at 46) so never thought I'd have any problems. however at age 31 and after a year of trying we had tests which showed I had diminished ovarian reserve and told running out of time by the consultants!

If having children is important to you just get on with it. If you don't mind if it never happens then sure wait until Jan.

Good luck

Oh and paediatric doctors change over jobs in September not August so that means you should wait even longer! Also no guarantees you wouldn't get a premature baby and end up with new doctors etc. Anyway - you cannot time these things by the on call junior doctor Rota!!

If you're ready please don't wait. I started ttc when I was 34, not a single BFP in 17 cycles, unexplained infertility and heading for IVF. It might take longer than you think or it might not, you won't know until you go for it. Good luck

If you are ready for a baby start trying immediately. TTC took 4 years to have our first. 2 months to have or second. It is absolutely uncontrollable.