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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.

Original poster

How many cycles did it take you?

52 replies

MAY324 · 11/08/2023 15:54

We have just started TTC. We’ve had a few friends who have babies and they seem to be in 2 camps: those who got pregnant month one or two of trying or those who have taken years and then needed help. How long did it take people to conceive their first? I’m excited but so nervous to start trying so would like to hear stories about people who were in the middle ground! I do know that everyone is very different so can’t predict if/when we will have one!

OP posts:
AnonyHB · 11/08/2023 16:07

First DD, first month. Now TTC again and no luck so far (3 cycles in). But think timing a bit of a problem for me, two of those months I’ve missed one of the main days in my cycle to DTD so not hugely surprised. The other month did it at right time and had a very odd cycle so wondering if did catch pregnant but it didn’t implant properly/was a chemical.

Iamcatmum · 11/08/2023 16:10

I agree you do only tend to hear the extremes of the time ranges. I think people enjoy telling everyone they conceived on the first month, and equally if it’s been a long time it also becomes something people are more likely to open up about (for support etc). A friend of mine did tell me it took her about 5 cycles, so there definitely are in betweeny people.

WedTheBed · 11/08/2023 16:16

7 months for both kids for me. Healthy 22 year old, and 24 year old. I wasn’t very educated weight my first, it wasn’t until about 3 months in when I was worrying about not being able to get pregnant that I read it can take a perfectly healthy couple up to 12 months to conceive. Every month you have a 20% chance of getting pregnant, and you can only get pregnant when you ovulate, and ovulation tends to last only a few hours, so timing sex a day or two before predicted ovulation is a good call to make. Sperm can live 5-7 days inside you. However, a man’s speed reproduction period is around 3 months, so having sex too much outside of your fertile window can deplete the sleek and make getting pregnant harder.

My SIL had 3 pregnancies, 2 of them they only had sex once before finding out.. the third time was still within a month but not sure which ‘session’ made it happen.

Invest in some ovulation sticks, start tracking, a really good way to tell us discharge. Clear, stretchy egg-white like discharge is the green light!

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 11/08/2023 16:17

DD1 - unplanned on the pill
DD2 - 13 cycles with a chemical pregnancy after cycle 1
DC3 - 1 time DTD and not seemingly near ovulation. DH and I had just officially decided to stop at two after continually flipflopping but here I am 6w pregnant.

deliwoman1 · 11/08/2023 16:26

Conceived DD after 4 cycles. Cycles 1 and 3 were early miscarriages and cycle 2 was a self-resolving ectopic. Started at 38, and DD born when I was 39.

TTC was hell. But here we are again a year later, on cycle 2 for DC2 😬🫠

NatMoz · 11/08/2023 16:28

I think for us it was 6 months then conceived but resulted in miscarriage, then next cycle pregnant again and now we have a 19m old!

HamishTheCamel · 11/08/2023 16:29

DC1 was on the 3rd cycle. Good luck OP!

Fruitandnuts · 11/08/2023 16:34

First baby currently 28 weeks pregnant took 15 cycles aged 39, i was worried about egg quality so researched vitamin's and supplements. Get some hormonal level checks, knowledge is power.

Scottishgirl85 · 11/08/2023 16:37

Several years and IVF.

HopefullMumto4 · 11/08/2023 16:44

1st - fell pregnant the cycle I came off contraception

2nd - the first month we tried

3rd - the 2nd month we tried

4th - just started TTC this last month

Rosieposie0301 · 11/08/2023 16:46

DD1 - 2 cycles
current pregnancy - 6 cycles

Wrenjeni · 11/08/2023 16:47

First time - first month
Seconds time-second month
Third time -over a year!

Mushroo · 11/08/2023 16:49

3rd cycle for me! Age 31

jumperoozles · 11/08/2023 17:05

First time - 3 months (ended in MC)
Second time - 1 month with DS
Third time - 2 months (currently pregnant)

lucya66 · 11/08/2023 17:06

Took us 6 months. using the fertilily cup was the first month I got pregnant.

Peony654 · 11/08/2023 17:15

About 4/5 months but that’s without any proper tracking.

orangedress · 11/08/2023 17:20

First time - was not tracking anything and was not really planning for one, so no idea!
In trying for second, had one chemical and one missed miscarriage. Now I'm in my very early days of being pregnant after having tried again since March! Fingers crossed!

mikado1 · 11/08/2023 17:25

First month X3 (lost the first pregnancy) so be prepared that it can happen!

HolyMoleyGuacamole · 11/08/2023 17:29

I got pregnant first cycle but had a missed miscarriage at around 11 weeks.

It then took us 1 year of constant trying to conceive our first child.

We had another baby 15 months ago and he was conceived on my 4th cycle.

HolyMoleyGuacamole · 11/08/2023 17:30

Forgot to odd that all pregnancies were with tracking ovulation.

Vikki7 · 11/08/2023 17:31

1st was unplanned, I was on the pill.
2nd, 5 cycles (twins but MMC at 7 & 9 weeks)
3rd, 7 cycles at age 34
4th, 10 cycles at age 38 (BFP 4 days before 39th birthday, now 19 weeks pregnant)

ToughFuss · 11/08/2023 17:31

2 years, 9 cycles. I have PCOS, and a few other factors.
Didn’t go back on contraception after my son was born, he’s now (nearly two) and nothing yet. 6 cycles in the last 8 months, which strangely have been the most regular (For me, still weird) I have ever been!

Sunshineclouds11 · 11/08/2023 17:32

First - 3 year. 1 year of that being IVF
Second - 3 month. Natural conception.

CatandSpoon · 11/08/2023 17:32

7 or 8 cycles each time

gothshot · 11/08/2023 17:34

The first month of trying. I was using the clear blue fertility monitor and I got pregnant the first week I was 'peak' fertility, very lucky.