TTC 8 months and going mad

[Desperateforababa]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has some positive stories to share. My husband and I have been TTC for 8 months and zilch. Everyone I know has got pregnant almost immediately so it feels like a really long wait. Have had some initial tests done and the only thing they flagged was my lining was a bit thin (probably because of being on the pill for years) but it's borderline. I'm 29 and was really hoping to get pregnant before my 30th in March next year. Any support, suggestions or others in the same boat, very welcome!

Same boat sadly, 8 months of patience wearing thinner by the second, but at least we can share the frustrations! Let's hope for some wonderful luck for this/next cycle!

Are you tracking ovulation? That’s where I went wrong for longer than I care to admit. I was DTD at completely the wrong time

Yes - been tracking since day 1! I wonder whether it's the stress (i suffer from anxiety) that is making it take a while. Just feels like it's never going to happen! I should get my period on Sunday and feel no different at all so not holding out any hope.

So nice to have someone on the same boat! Do you have any reason to believe it will take longer or do you think you've just had a few bad rolls of the dice? I'm worried about having light periods and a thin lining but the doctor didn't seem too concerned.

Stress seems to have affected my ovulation for the last couple months (our wedding and honeymoon June and July) and before that was my periods resettling after being on the pill, I think we weren't active enough then. This cycle we're doing every other day and I'm using ovulation tests but haven't had a peak lh surge yet, so probably no ovulation yet. Stress really can affect it but it's hard not to be stressed when it seems like everyone is getting the news we're waiting on!

@Desperateforababa hi op. If you are concerned about your thin lining and light periods there are things you can try.
sometimes it can be due to reduced blood flow to uterus etc. i think I had this for first 6 months of ttc.

Took me 11 cycles to fall and the last 3 I worked hard on making my lining thicker and my periods improved. I mc that pregnancy. Fell straight away and had a chemical. But only cycle 3 and I’ve got a BFP again. And I kept taking the supplements and my periods were meant more flow and just seemed healthier red.

anyway below is what I done which you could try.
Vitamin E 400 CD1 until ovulation.
Larginine 4000-6000 CD1 until ovulation (this is like 4-6 large tablets so a lot to take in a day but I split it into morning and afternoon)

there are some studies on taking the above for uterine lining if you wanna research.

anyway I’m certain it’s helped make a cushioned lining for my eggs 🙂

and also I purchased a fertilily from boots. The conception cup thing to hold the sperm as close to cervix for me. Believe these two have been the two main things for me which meant I’ve gone from 10 failed cycles to like 3 pregnancies in like 4/5 months!

good luck!

I have secondary infertility (well 1 and 2 took 5yrs then 15 months so that wasn’t easy either) this time for baby 3 we have been ttc for 13 months and I’m stressed so can totally sympathise. I have pcos and endo

Hi Indianna

That's really good to hear that you got there in the end! You can read some quite scary things about thin lining so glad to hear you managed without fertility treatment. I do take the Vitamin E (and think this has helped) but maybe I will give the L'Arginine a go as well.

Will also look into the fertility kit you mention.

Congrats on your BFP - hope it's a smooth and uneventful pregnancy!

Hi there, sorry to hear - it sounds like you've been in for a rough ride! I guess you can try to reassure yourself that it's happened before and it will happen again. Easier said than done though!

It's really hard. I'm a year in and assumed I'd have a baby, be pregnant or be getting tests for infertility now, ie be a step forward somehow. But I miscarried in April so I'm back to square one, even with a large endometrioma my doctor won't do tests as she says clearly my fertility isn't affected as I got pregnant. I'm going insane obsessing over this.
Hoping it happens for you soon!

Hey @Desperateforababa! A positive story for you! We started TTC in January and went through 8 cycles. I’ve had mysteriously really light periods for the past 18 months (like one day medium, three days pathetic excuse for flow!). One doctor early last year said I had a thin lining and another this year said it was fine. I’d tried vitamin E, pomegranate juice…AF stayed the same and I was looking into some private tests. But this month, we got our BFP and I’m now 5 weeks pregnant (still early days, but I had never seen a hint of a second line before)! The only thing we did different this month was DTD every night in fertile week. And the only vits I took were folic acid, vit b12 and omega 3. Good luck 🍀

I feel like I should just be grateful for what I have but I’m desperate for another. I had a massive infection after my second so wondering if that’s affected things. I’m just at the point where I’m fed up of it all now and I feel cheated as my last pregnancy was during lockdown and I was just terrified all the time and at appts etc alone

Aw Zoe - that sounds really tough! It's the lack of control right? I'm such a planner and it's not knowing when it will happen that I struggle with! If you've got pregnant once, it will happen again - you can probably go back to your doctor in a few months if you want to get things moving. Or if you're able to, you could have a few tests privately (but they are a couple of hundred pounds).

Ah this is great news and so reassuring!! Huge congratulations! We started trying in January too so here's hoping it's also our time for a BFP! Wishing you the smoothest of pregnancies.

For those of you who got your BFPs, did you "know" before you took a test? I torture myself every month with possible symptoms but wonder if most don't get any until a bit later anyway?

Thank you @Desperateforababa ! I really hope your time comes this year! It’s a slog for sure, especially when everyone around you seems to fall pregnant first month trying (we were surrounded by those too!). And the questions about when you’re going to have kids. Errr we are trying!!

On whether I knew.. no but kind of. I took a cheapie at 8dpo because I was just desperate to POAS and nothing. But that night I had my usual Friday wine and really wasn’t going down well, prompting a 9dpo test where I saw the faintest second line. If it wasn’t for the wine though, I wouldn’t have guessed/tested again!

So this happened... now feel a bit silly for worrying so much. I know the thin lining thing caused me a lot of concerns so if anyone is worried - I was getting to 5.8mm on ovulation and it has not stopped me getting pregnant. It's apparently very common if you've come off the pill in the last year or so. I have also had no symptoms. Very early days and not counting my chickens but very relieved I can at least get pregnant.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Oh OP, amazing!

Aww what a lovely end to stressful time for u! Congrats a good solid line!

How wonderful! @Desperateforababa congratulations!

TTC for 8 months it’s day 1 today and I’m broken, feeling lonely and don’t know when or if I can access any NHS advise or testing yet. I only really know people who have got pregnant quickly and so am feeling very alone and confused.

It took us 1 year to conceive the first time and 3 months the second time.

Keep at it ( pardon the pun ) I know it's hard but hang in there and keep the faith 🫶🏻

Bethany, please try to not worry. Since being pregnant, I have spoken to so many people in pregnancy yoga or bump and baby classes and I think the people who get pregnant super quickly are the outliers. Most of the people I spoke to took a while and it is genuinely a dice roll each month. Unless you have a specific concern (unusual periods etc), I would keep at it and you will get there. Try not to stress, not because I think it affects TTC, but you will feel silly when it all works out!

I know it's really annoying to hear because I used to find it annoying but it really can take up to 2 years 💙