What made you decide to TTC?

[Goostacean]

Just that, really. Was there a key factor? Decision point? Was it a case of circumstances all coming together at the right time? Decided to act against your better judgment?

an aha moment I had following a ttc hiatus and realizing I very much want to try again despite risk of failing. I am ready and I want to be PG. hopefully stars align

Ha! I think there is an element of acting against our better judgement. In all seriousness, I think we are just ready. It's hard to explain. As a couple, we are in a good place, as individuals, we are good. Financially, I am not sure but I am told we never will be! Physically, all is well. We are both in our early 30s so also mindful that we don't time to run out for us. I am coming to understand that it is actually more difficult to get pregnant than sex education at school led me to believe.

My age- I didn’t want to leave it too late

My husband and I have children from previous relationships but not a child together and we're getting on a bit (I'm 35, he's 40)

Husband had promised me a child before I was 30. Child was actually born very shortly after I was 30 but close enough.

I wanted to have my first by the time I was 30. It was the right time career wise, we'd bought a house and we'd had a few years together as a couple. DS1 arrived a few months after I turned 29.

Mine is a bit unconventional
We were dog sitting for some friends of mine (not his friends yet, then) and DP (now DH) was just so amazing with the dog; so committed and gentle, that I thought it'd be a massive waste if he didn't get to be a dad. Never thought I was the maternal type, but I love our girls so much, and my instincts on DH were totally right!

Haha, I love that @LaPuflina! Mine’s unconventional too; the new company I’d just joined had a meeting whether they presented the results of the satisfaction survey within the team. I realised that my quality of life, intensity of work, etc. would only worsen for the next 3-5 years, and concluded I didn’t love the firm enough to postpone babymaking for that long..! Switched me from anti-maternal to broody almost overnight, weirdly.

*Pufalina, sorry

Haha, sounds similar to my reason for TTC number 2

Partner was tonnes older than me and didn’t want to leave it too late (decreasing sperm count and ability to be a fully active and involved dad). I would have been ok with waiting a few years but age was the driving factor, and of course being madly in love!

The realisation that my job wasn’t the bee all and end all! My career is built up enough at mid management level, I was always ready to push higher but after a period of significant stress brought on by Work my priorities shifted. DH is in a wonderful position career wise so it just makes sense for us to go for it!

For DS it was just as if everything came together and it felt right. In the year leading up to getting pregnant DH (then DP) and I bought a house and renovated it, went on a holiday of a lifetime, got engaged on that holiday, came home, planned and had a wedding 8 months later, honeymoon and then thought yep, let’s do it. Was pregnant a few weeks later.

This time there has been much hand wringing. DS is 5 and there is no way I could have had another (mentally wouldn’t have coped) until about 18 months ago. We TTC for a few months and the pressure was too much so we quit. We also had doubts about whether we wanted another at that time.

Then earlier this year after much back and forth over the past year we decided to ‘see what happens’ and to be honest I think I’d be happy either way. DS is at an age where life seems to be getting easier finally and DH and I have just had good promotions and have a bit of spare cash. The thought of going back to sleepless nights and nappies and stair gates does bring a bit of a sense of dread.

But on the other hand DS would be a great big brother. Plus I do feel for him at times as he is very sociable and loving. He would love a sibling. Also I think whilst there is nothing wrong with an only child I think it would be nice to have a slightly larger family.

So he we are. Seeing what happens.

I'm 26 OH is 27 and We both want a baby by the time we are 30. I have irregular periods so who know how long it will take so we decided to TTC now. On second cycle so far and it's not looking promising for this month despite having symptoms. Also everyone in the family is having babies and it's making us both incredibly broody! Our niece is the most perfect thing we have ever seen!

Interesting that a few people had 30 as a key age. For me the age thing was only a factor in that both my parents had serious health scares and I realised that I didn’t want to be an older parent when my child(ren) is/are in their 20s and 30s. Which has worked out so far, I’ve just turned 28 and DS is 8mo.

I've always wanted children as has DP. His biological clock starting ticking when we first got together. I was 23, he was 26. I felt too young and had just started a new job after a year of travelling. I wanted us to be married and more financially stable. We're now 32 and 35, engaged and I've worked my way up at the same company. Although we're not married, homeowners or financially comfortable, he is amazing with all of our nieces and nephews and I know he will be an incredible dad. Watching him made me so broody and I realised that there will never be the perfect alignment for it to happen. Millions of couples make it work with a lot less than we have and since we started ttc, I've realised just how much it means to me!

We’ve always known we wanted to do it at some point, thought I was pregnant this month and we were both surprised at how disappointed we were not to be, so figured it was a sign we were ready!

I'd been broody for years and for the past couple of years that had turned into major fantasies about bringing up a child and family days out and what-not. But I was waiting for OH to be ready. Two years down the line he gave me the go-ahead and I was a bag of nerves and excitement! 10 months later and three pregnancy losses later and getting more determined by the day, but goodness this journey is not for the faint hearted!