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Conception

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Withdrawal method

17 replies

Heygirly6670 · 05/10/2024 21:44

Hi everyone, I’m just looking to vent and listen to anyone else’s stories. Me and my boyfriend have been using the pull out method for the whole four years of our relationship I’ve never really even tracked my ovulation until recently. Recently I have been getting really anxious thinking that I am infertile as I don’t think I could be this lucky I really want to have a baby and if I found out that I couldn’t it would break me. I jusy wanted to hear if anyone else used the pull out method for that long and then got pregnant without any issues when they’ve started to ttc. I’m hoping that he’s just really good at it and that I’ll have no issues.

OP posts:
ClementineSatsuma · 05/10/2024 21:50

Well, we were having timed intercourse, using OPKs and trying really bloody hard to fall pregnant and it still took us 20 months!
I know it does happen, but I feel chances of falling pregnant with pull out method are quite low, People (understandably) go on about how it is not a fool proof method, but I can imagine it would work as contraception for most.

YouLookinSusBro · 05/10/2024 22:02

Yep. Used withdrawal and tracked ovulation for several years, never had an accidental pregnancy. Feel pregnant easily when required - 5 times and never more than 3 months trying. Twice, first month.

I'm old now and wouldn't want an unexpected pregnancy and CBA to track so I have mirena. It worked well for a long time though

USaYwHatNow · 05/10/2024 22:17

We used withdrawal method for 5 years without tracking my cycles (PCOS so playing a dangerous game 🤣).

Only really got into cycle tracking with OPK and BBT when I wanted to check I was still ovulating (about 6 months before I conceived).

I got pregnant with cycle tracking the first time of trying, miscarried at 6 weeks. Then had a break and got pregnant with my now 2 year old son the first time we tried again. Am now 6 months pregnant with a happy surprise as I lost count of where I was in my cycle 😬😬

Caele · 05/10/2024 22:22

About 9 years using withdrawal I think. Then got pregnant after 8 months of trying.

didistutter56 · 05/10/2024 22:22

I’ve been using the pull out method for 14 years, two partners. Never fallen pregnant without actively trying, first time took one time only whilst ovulating. Don’t worry.

Cornucopia55 · 05/10/2024 22:23

I trained in health research and did a deep dive into the evidence on this a while back. Withdrawal done correctly is actually very effective for 90% of men, and unreliable for the 10% of men who leak sperm during sex before they've ejaculated. The trouble is that you don't know if your man is one of the leaky ones until you get an unplanned pregnancy!

As with so much in health research, an overall "this is not effective" result can hide the fact that something can be very effective for some groups, but not for others. Odds are that your partner is not a "leaky" bloke, and there's no reason to think you won't be able to conceive.

Leonarda89 · 05/10/2024 23:40

Have used withdrawal method only for 8 years, never fell pregnant accidentally. Both pregnancies fell pregnant on second month of trying. I was really anxious that it would hard too but really lucky that it must just be really effective for us

Echomama · 06/10/2024 07:10

Used this method/ staying clear of ovulation week for 6 years then got accidentally pregnant....

TiggeryBear · 06/10/2024 07:49

DP & I have used this method successfully (& almost exclusively) for approx 14 years. We have 2 DC (both conceived 1st month of trying) I do believe that we have been rather lucky with our non-conception success rate, but it has worked for us 🤷🏼‍♀️

Chloeeb · 06/10/2024 08:18

We did this method for years and then fell pregnant on our first month TTC😊 I had the same panic but try not to worry!

DreadingWinter · 06/10/2024 08:19

Used this method for two months one DD and three DGC as a result! Never tried that again.

MeinKraft · 06/10/2024 08:22

It worked for us for and i had two children, although i think you need to have a proper talk with your partner about when he’s going to stop pulling out if you are secretly hoping this method will fail.

Peonies12 · 06/10/2024 16:04

Firstly “I’ll have no issues” - there’s as much chance your partner will have issues as you will. We used pull out for a few years, and then got pregnant within 4-5 months of actually trying, so very normal. You really need to have a proper conversation with your partner though as it sounds like you want to get pregnant and he may not be in the same opinion.

MocktailMe · 06/10/2024 18:47

The perfect use stats of pull out are actually really good. The problem is a lot of blokes aren't able to do it properly, and they warn you off it so so much as a teenager because realistically a young lad who is inexperienced isn't probably going to be able to do it right.

If you've got a bloke whose practised and knows what he's doing then the odds of getting pregnant using it are really very low, especially if he doesn't leak first which some men do and physically cannot help or even know it's happening.

Compare that to some teenage experiences I had where the guys only managed to pull out halfway through ejaculation, by which time the other half had already got where it needed to be!!! All these types of 'pull out' are counted into its success rates, and that's why it comes out so low.

Pull out VS TTC are totally different ways of having sex.

More to the point, I think you need to talk to your bf about TTC, as it seems like you are hoping for a pull out fail to get pregnant, and since he knows what he's doing that seems unlikely. I do appreciate that trying to have a baby seems a lot scarier than ending up with a happy accident when you were already basically ready, but most of us don't fall into that camp. Seems like half end up pregnant and unprepared and have a scary start and the other half of us have to take the blind plunge into trying for a baby and trusting we feel ready to do it.

It would be lovely if everyone fell accidently pregnant around the exact time they started to feel ready, but it doesn't seem to happen often.

mumtum2023 · 06/10/2024 18:51

Been using that method for 12 years (with same partner).
Took a year both times to fall pregnant when we wanted children - have a gynaecology health issue that makes falling pregnant difficult.

SallyWD · 06/10/2024 19:11

Ok, this is very irresponsible but DH and I have been using the withdrawal method for 22 years!! Never had an accidental pregnancy. I've only got pregnant when we were trying. He's very skilled at pulling out in time.

Heygirly6670 · 06/10/2024 19:56

I’m not wanting to fall pregnant anytime soon maybe on the next year or two but I was just worried about what the future held as it is my fear of being infertile if it happened now it wouldn’t be the end of the world but also not actively trying to conceive but I just wanted to hear other people’s stories to try and get it out of my mind until I have to worry about it. Thank you all for your advice and personal stories :)

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