Taking longer to conceive second time round

[Momo01]

I'm 33, and currently TTC cycle 5 for DC1. We conceived cycle 2 for DC1 but it seems to be taking longer the second time. I know 5 months isn't long at all, but I'm very impatient and I feel very emotional every time AF comes

Potentially relevant: I'm still breastfeeding LOTS, but have been having regular periods so assume I'm ovulating. I did OPKs last month for the first time, and think I got a positive around day 17.

Anyone else been in similar shoes? What helped in the end? I'm thinking of doing the SMEP...

Thank you.

Anybody?

Still in your shoes I’m afraid. Ttc#2 for over a year now, was breastfeeding for a fair chunk of it but with regular periods.

Haven’t been to see anyone yet, but when I started using OPKs I realised I’m ovulating very late in my cycle, so luteal phase is rather crap. Don’t know if I have this the first time round as we were much more relaxed about it then.

Rather a tmi question, but are you managing to dtd fairly regularly? SMEP recommends every two days, which I’ve not always found easy with a toddler!

Thank you for your reply. I only started using OPKs last month, and i ovulated on day 18, and got period on day 33. My cycle seems to have got longer since my first!

We didn't do SMEP last month, and instead DTD every other day over the week prior to ovulation. It's hard finding the energy for more, isn't it. We're going to have to SMEP this month, I think 💪🏼

SMEP is every other day from CD8 until positive OPK, then every day for 3 days, day off, then another day. I was reading some old threads earlier where posters were doing it DAILY from end of period! 😮

Was in this position over 20 years ago. Got pregnant with my first child at 35 in the third month of trying. It took about a year of trying with the second, and I got pregnant when my first one was 18 months.

Like you, I was still breast-feeding, and having regular periods. I checked that I was ovulating.

I think what made the difference for me was that my daughter started sleeping better and I wasn't so exhausted.

I do think tiredness is a factor. I'm still up multiple times in the night with my 17-month old and am just exhausted most of the time...

Took me 7 months for my first DS, who was natural, took me 2 years with my second, with 6 months of Clomid as I found out I had PCOS :(

I wasn't up multiple times, just one, but it was a long one. My daughter used to wake up about 1am, I'd go in to feed her and then she would climb all over me as I lay trying to get us both to sleep, poking various body parts and saying things like 'Mummy nose, mummy eyes'. We'd fall back to sleep about 4am and the alarm went off an hour later.

In desperation we tried controlled crying. On the second night she slept through, I started getting a decent night's sleep and I was pregnant within a month!

Ds2 was conceived after clomid. DS1 had no problems.

Went back on the pill between DS and when l came back off, my body didn't kick in and l didn't ovulate.

I did however have "periods".... except they weren't really. The lining of my uterus would build up and then come away as it got too heavy, so l thought my body was back to normal

I fell pregnant first cycle with dc1. Took 8 months for dc2. For me i think it was a combination of breastfeeding (even though periods had returned) and coming off the implant that made it take longer. Who knows though, maybe it was just sheer luck the first time!

@PrettyPurse Hey! Can I ask how did you know you weren't ovulating? I came off my pill in March, the next few months had mid-month twinges when I thought I was ovulating.. Nothing since though. I get regular periods but they're very light over a couple of days, so I'm a bit worried my body isn't ovulating! Probably should invest in OPKs 😓

I'd also like to how I'd know I'm not ovulating. I did OPKs last month and thought I saw two lines, but it's like at the optician's, so hard to say whether the two lines are equally dark or which is darker etc. 🤔

Mom you can buy digital OPKs. I had clearblue ones that flashed for ovulation as I’m useless with lines. I think you can also ask your GP to test ovulation but not sure what threshold is for that to be done.

Also about a year into trying for a second and don't know if I'm ovulating either. My GP is useless and won't offer me much help so I'm in limbo now, can't afford to go private either! My periods are also really stop start too so I think there is something amiss but no idea what it is

@Wrigleys123 sorry you're in limbo, that's not good that the GP can't help. What have they tried? I'm thinking of going to the GP, do I need to aim for a particular point in my cycle?

I had blood tests after a year of being off the Pill. Saw the gynecologist and he said the good news was that l had plenty of eggs... the bad news was that l wasn't releasing them. I said but I'm having periods so l must be. That's when he explained the above.

We've been trying for dc2 since June last year. Ds took 2 years 7 months of trying. It's heartbreaking.

First month for DC1 (33), over 2 years for DC2 including failed ivf (35-37)

For me one word : thyroid

I'll try and dig out an old thread where I detailed this as it's late now

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/3042399-Infertility-tests

The last post is me, def worth reading. So easy to check but in my experience GPs don't know what they're doing with this so you need to

Also I've heard multiple times that a baby can trigger thyroid disease whichever is the one I mean here, hypo or hyper?

Momo, I think you will become pregnant but at the moment your body isn't ready for it, you have a very small child to look after so your hands are full.

Try to relax and not concentrate on becoming pregnant, it will happen at the right time.

Momo I think you can see the GP at any time to be honest, you might have less help than you would if it was your first child in my experience. I did manage to get a scan to check my ovaries and now waiting for a gynae appointment but the whole process is very slow and like banging your head against a brick wall. One GP I saw who is very old bless him, started telling me about the correct sexual positions to conceive with. I'm sure he meant well but at that point I gave up hope with the GP

Just feeling glad to have my DD at the moment and relieved I didn't leave it too late to try with her.

Sorry I missed your post owl so sorry to hear about your failed IVF that must be really tough. I will have a read of that thread now.

Sorry to say ds1 had to be completely weaned before I conceived ds2 (took 8 months). My periods where back, I was ovulating so didn't think it would mater, ds1 was also down to 1-2 feeds a day. Ds2 conceived immediately on stopping breastfeeding (ds1 was 2 and I was ready to stop anyway). I know most people can conceive when bf but not me.

Might wean ds2 earlier (15 or 16 months) as we want a 3rd

@Bobojangles I've tried googling impact of continued breastfeeding on fertility once your period is back, but research seems particularly sparse. Which I interpreted as it not being a thing, but perhaps it is.

I'm trying to wean DD, I really am, but she's extremely strong-willed and I'm exhausted fighting her on this.

@Wrigleys123 thanks but it's all a distant memory now! I have DS who I fell pregnant with the month after the ivf, naturally, and he's absolutely wonderful so no regrets at all. Semi wish I hadn't spent all that money only to get pregnant the next month naturally, but maybe the ivf drugs gave my last good egg that little boost it needed?!

Def get your GP to check your thyroid though, and demand the numbers, not just an 'OK or not OK'

I was so surprised they seem to not know much about this, and it's so easily fixed