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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.

How many cycles did it take for you to conceive?

142 replies

FlyOnTheWall89 · 23/11/2021 09:59

There seems to be so many people who become pregnant in the first 3 months of trying.... or it takes much longer. Intrigued by actual statistics from you ladies on here.

How many cycles did it take you?

(I am trying for baby number 1 and moving into the 8th cycle of TTC)

OP posts:
Dollywilde · 24/11/2021 14:42

And, to add a second point, from month 13 onwards there are only 10 women left in the 'not pregnant' box, of which 5 will conceive in the forthcoming year and 5 won't. So even at the 1 year + mark you still have a 50% chance of conceiving naturally in the following year, which seems pretty good odds - ok not ideal, but definitely not in the 'it's never going to happen' camp.

FlyOnTheWall89 · 24/11/2021 14:55

@Dollywilde this is indeed a more positive POV. But I am getting so impatient haha.

OP posts:
Shortmamashortcycles · 24/11/2021 15:03

It's also worth noting that even though individual cycles have lower chance the later it gets, they have a cumulative effect - you don't need to conceive every month, you just need to catch once (to count in these statistics, as I know only too well that a BFP does not equal a live birth.)

Point is, statistically you have a much greater chance of having conceived at some point after 24 cycles than you do after e.g. 6 cycles. Not that statistics helps much when you're on cycle 10 or 15 etc.

Dollywilde · 24/11/2021 15:25

@FlyOnTheWall89 Oh, completely fair enough. It's easy to say once you're on the other side of it. I don't think anything anyone could have said would have helped me feel positive about TTC after a certain point. It's a bloody slog and people who haven't been there really have no idea how it takes over your life! Fingers crossed it happens for you asap Flowers

cunningplan101 · 24/11/2021 15:29

@Dollywilde Those are good points. But also, looking at a spread of 100 women is different from looking at the chances of each individual woman each month. When looking at it from an individual woman's point of view, the average woman has a 30% chance of getting pregnant each and every month.

So it's a bit like if you flip a coin. You choose Tails, and then you are unlucky enough to get Heads four times. It's unlikely, but it could happen. Now, on the fifth flip, you might be feeling like you are definitely going to get Heads again because you've already lost four times - it's hopeless. Or you might feel like you'll definitely get Tails next time, because you've already had all those Heads. But your actual chance of getting Tails is still 50%, for each individual flip.

So if you get:

Month 1: Not pregnant
Month 2: Not pregnant
Month 3: Not pregnant
etc

Your chance for Month 4 (for the average woman), is still 30%, the same as the first month.

Some women will get lucky on the first roll of the dice and get pregnant in month 1. For those who didn't get lucky, they roll again with that same chance they had in month 1 - so some more get pregnant. If an average woman reaches month 6, they've just been less lucky than the women who got pregnant in months 1-5, and in the next individual cycle, they have the exact same chance as the previous month and as in month 1: 30%.

And if they reach month 12, they may still have just been really unlucky, and just need a few more rolls of the dice, and each roll will still have that 30% chance.

Of course, for each individual woman, we don't know the exact percentange chance for them each month: it depends on age, underlying conditions, partner's age and health, environmental factors, etc. If a woman is younger and has no underlying issues, the chance is likely greater than 30% and so more likely to get pregnant with each try and less likely to reach 12 months. If older and e.g. the woman has PCOS, then it's lower than 30% chance each try so the woman is more likely to reach 12 months. But for most women, it still comes down to luck.

Chanel05 · 24/11/2021 15:31

8 months after coming off the pill.

I had a mmc.

Another 8 months after the mmc.

I'm now ttc #2 and on cycle 3, but expecting it to take a while anyway.

Alwayswonderedwhy · 24/11/2021 15:36

2 pregnancies both on the first cycle. Very lucky.

Chanel05 · 24/11/2021 15:38

I'll add also that DH and I had private fertility tests and at the time of them, both our tests came out that our fertility was excellent (this was two years ago but still early 30s so hoping for much the same) so it really is down to luck.

cunningplan101 · 24/11/2021 15:39

But also, yes, as @FlyOnTheWall89 said, your cumulative chance does 'improve' each month. The same way as, though you have 50/50 on a coin flip each time, you're unlikely to really flip six Heads in a row.

I know what you mean about how it can totally take over your life. And the worst thing is then we get told - oh, but if you'll relax, it'll happen! Hmm

FlyOnTheWall89 · 24/11/2021 15:44

@cunningplan101 a really good thorough explanation - thank you. You are right - it is sometimes just kick, especially when you know you’re having sex at the right time. Just need to tick the box that we are both without any problems. We are both early 30s, slim, active, eat well - yes we have busy jobs, but I don’t think we are overly stressed, so maybe we just need to wait and trust in timing.

OP posts:
ronswansonstache · 24/11/2021 15:52

According to my tracking app, it was cycle 47 that worked for me! Honestly, I'd given up. And had just turned 40!

No idea why it took so long, conceived naturally

RollneckJumper · 24/11/2021 15:56

13 cycles at aged 36

cunningplan101 · 24/11/2021 15:56

I got pregnant my second month of trying at 39. Sadly that pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 10 weeks. I'm now on month 4 of trying since the miscarriage.

If I hadn't had the miscarriage, I would be due in Feb and might be thinking: 'oh wow I'm really lucky', or, 'oh wow I must be really fertile'.

Or if I just happened to time things differently that month I got pregnant, then maybe I would have gotten a BFN instead and, with 4 months of trying since, I would now be entering month 7 and wondering if a BFP was possible for me.

While in reality, I was just lucky the second month and unlucky since.

BrilliantBetty · 24/11/2021 16:56

12

BrilliantBetty · 24/11/2021 16:59

But then after 12 months trying with one baby and staring fertility investigation, fell pregnant accidentally after a one off not during ovulation time, when baby was 4 months. Go figure.

Mammyofasuperbaby · 24/11/2021 17:03

1st - 2 cycles
2nd - don't know how many cycles but 12 months, ended in mc
3rd - 3 cycles, ended in mmc
4th - 3 cycles, ended in mc
5th - 2 cycles

Mammyofasuperbaby · 24/11/2021 17:05

I have PCOS too so I've been pretty lucky to conceive quickly even if they don't stay long and ne er make it to term

SantiagoSister · 24/11/2021 17:17

This is a really interesting thread to read through, thanks all. I conceived on my first cycle trying last time, and this is my first month TTC again so hoping for another bfp and was wondering how likely it could be!

Dollywilde · 24/11/2021 17:25

@BrilliantBetty pretty much exactly the same story for me except DC1 was 12 months old. We'd started investigations when I fell pregnant with her as well. I'm 15 weeks now with this second pregnancy and still mystified how it happened tbh!

sjxoxo · 24/11/2021 18:17
  1. Used OPKs and the fertility lube whatever it’s called! Preseed or something? X
Nikkic2123 · 24/11/2021 21:50

6th cycle, 1st cycle, 5th cycle, no on 6th cycle

ohfook · 24/11/2021 23:14

9, 1 and 7 respectively.

PugMumm · 25/11/2021 08:48

I was lucky I suppose. We conceived on my second cycle after coming off the pill. My first month coming off (September) was getting my body back into a normal cycle so I sort of count this as first cycle. Good luck x

whatsthecraic91 · 25/11/2021 09:10

#1 - 17 cycles
#2 - 1 cycle!

dutchessmom · 30/11/2021 20:57

3 years and nothing yet, but I'm in the middle of my 1st cycle.

Good luck to everyone going through this

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