Not falling pregnant

[HMum19]

Hi, I just wanted to gauge some advice from other TTC people around my TTC journey so far.
I came off contraception in May 2025 and since then have been ‘loosely’ trying for a baby, I wasn’t really tracking anything religiously, it was more of a ‘if it happens it happens’ no pressure situation, I really wanted it but was happy to just go with the flow initially. I fell straight back into 28 days cycles and into a text book regular pattern. I am pretty sure I have been ovulating but wasn’t taking OPK/bbt to know for sure, but would get the tell-tale signs of ovulation.
Come September time when I realised it wasn’t happening (I know still early in the TTC journey) I decided to start taking it a bit more seriously and I ordered ovulation strips. I used them a few times but I was finding them a bit confusing and stressful. I didn’t ever catch my peak on the tests, but I was only using them once a day and I gave up on them for a little while, just wanted to go back to the no stress on it. I wanted to trust my body’s natural tell tale signs of ovulating (cervical mucus etc) - as side note, I suffer with anxiety and can spiral quite easily, become over fixated and just didn’t want to spiral down that road.
So we continued with this set up until the end of my last cycle when I have decided to start tracking properly with bbt and OPks again. Luckily I have been able to confirm that I am ovulating around the time that I thought I was so that’s great news. However it has not happened for us despite timing sex perfectly and make sure to get lots of baby dancing around the right time.
I know this might not sound like a long time of trying in comparison to other people, but all in all it’s been around 8 months of no contraception and having plenty of sex. It’s becoming really disheartening and we are just pining for it now. I have entered into that spiral that I knew I would, becoming obsessed and tracking every symptoms and convincing myself I’m pregnant every month just to see a big fat negative.

I have a 6 year old from a previous relationship, but even though I have had a child I’m not ruling out that it could be me that is having the issues. At what point can I go to the doctor for help? Would it be recommended that my partner has a semen analysis also?
thanks in advance for any advice offered xx

Sorry it hasnt happened for you but yes, you can start asking for some basic fertility tests now. I would firstly have your partners sperm tested as you have had a child before in a previous relationship. If that comes back normal then get some basic testing done for yourself. I dont think I read how old you both are but if your over 35 then after 6 months of trying you should seek further assistance, if your under 35 then its usually after 12 months its recommended to seek further assistance.

The ovulation tests don't confirm ovulation, they just advise when hormones peak.

You say you're seeing a big fat negative every month - are you doing pregnancy tests every month without period being late? That may be adding to your anxiety (although I can see that some people want all information available in case of chemical pregnancies).

Do get initial fertility testing done as a first step, you will then have some information (maybe not answers but if it rules anything in or out it might help).

It is recommended to see a doctor if pregnancy does not occur after 12 months of trying. And yes, both partners should undergo testing, as male factors contribute to around 40% of infertility cases.