Top tips please! Easy ttc need not apply: well done!

[FXXX]

Been ttc for a year now: nothing happening. All tips gratefully received- even promise to road test each and every one! Regular 28 day cycle. Just bought Angus castus and soy isoflavones today from Holland and Barratt. Any success stories on these please? Please please help! Feel that time is running out fast. No kids yet. Full of maternal love- maybe just biological clock?! TIA

Thanks Gherkins! Been using OPKs and they confirm the LH surge day 12/13. Have just ordered the TCOYF on Amazon. Will start to chart! EWCM maybe the culprit I fear as it is not as copious as when I was younger (sorry for TMI). Been on grapefruit juice for first half of cycle: no difference. Will just try drinking lots of water too. Teetotal and caffeine free for past six months anyway! Also seeing gp in a couple of weeks. Verging on the obsessive now!

erm a bit gross but try preseed lube, its supposed to help the sperm on the way. Bought it on amazon, also try a big financial commitment, deciding to start a new career or totally giving up..worked for me. Good luck know how fustrating it is when others just 'fall' pregnant so easily

I echo most people here, relax, don't try too hard, start trying on about day 9, if you get to O day then you are probs too late.

I tried for 4 years and finally got pregnant whilst waiting for my clomid prescription in the post, can honestly say the weekend we conceived we were doing it for the sake of doing it! At that point we had kind of given up.

Good luck x

Ok so im the person you hate as it did happen wihtin 2cycles. However, i never assumed it would and therefore was slightly obsessed about how i went about it in case i couldn't conceive was determined to try everything!
Had been on pill a long time so after 1st normal bleed i calculated my leutal phase as quite short only bout 8days cue panick. So researched this and B6 is meant to be good so started this. Took pregnancy vit which made me feel rubbish so switched to just folic acid. Also used ovulatoin sticks as didn't want to leave to chance. Also took temp every morning, i found this excellent way to track cycle. I know not case for everyone but mine was so clear when i ovulated, really obvious dip two days before positve opk. I didn't act as if i were pregnat tho as if it takes a while i figured not drinking etc would just depress me even more try and enjoy all that stuff while you can. ( can u tell i missed a wee wine over xmas?) I know for people who have been trying a long time will be annoyed that it happened so quick and im giving advice but thought id share what worked for me - or mayb i was lucky. Anyway best of luck.

Gee thanks for that folks... Just ordered the preseed!
Witches: so, are you saying that you ovulated BEFORE the OPKs detected the LH surge?

I wasn't trying for ages really, 4 months, but i fell the first month after taking vit B6 50 mg twice a day, had reflexology too that month and a holiday to centre parcs :)

Good luck xx

FXXX would recommend taking a holiday too. Not just literally either. Give yourself at least a couple of months off TTC. Rest, relax, have a few nights out with DH and I mean really good nights out. Just look on it that you aren't TTC, you are just not using contraception. It worked for us.

One other thing that worked for us was resigning ourselves to the fact that DC2 may never come and looking at fab holidays instead. Never did get that holiday

Jezebelle, Jilted and everyone else: thanks so much for your pearls of wisdom. I will try very hard to step back a bit and enjoy just being a couple for a while. Leave it in the lap of the gods so to speak! holiday booked since last summer for this coming Easter to the Caribbean ( never been before: so really looking forward to it. )- we're going for 2 weeks FX I can let go and go with the flow... This ttc malarkey twists your every waking moment. Thankfully DH hasn't tagged onto how desperate I am for a baby just yet- he's under the impression that we are having fun trying! He doesn't know about the opk madness. Don't want to stress him out or to take the romance out of our relationship. Don't know how long before he's in on the secret! Was hoping we'd fall without him finding out. Maybe there's hope yet...as you guys have so kindly suggested... We'll just put the ttc thing on the back burner, let nature take it's course, and if nothing else at least we've still got each other!

Hi

My tips:

I found the Clearblue Fertility monitor to be very helpful. You can buy them cheaply from ebay. It will pinpoint your 4 most fertile days.

Have sex 3/4 days in a row around ovulation.

Look for changes in cervical mucus.

Acupuncture

Preeseed - only a litte bit.

Pregnacare conception or Solgar prenatals.

Legs in the air for about 20 mins after sex. Also pelvis floor exercises at same time.

I would be careful taking agnus castus if you don't need it as it can screw up your cycles.
Try evening primrose oil before ovulation - good for EWCM and regulating cycles.

Took me aa year to conceive 1st time but I wasn't aware about ovulation, signs, timing, gadgets. In pgs 2-4 (1st 2 ended in MC), I conceived quite easily and all of the above helped. So, good luck!

Thankyou sh ! Will try some of your tried and tested tips. Thank you so much. Hope some of your luck rubs off onto me! x

Sh: sorry to learn of your mcs. x

When TTC DS1 and nothing after 6 months (I know that is nothing compared to yourself and what some people go through) I used my Persona to get pregnant rather than prevent it IYSWIM and it worked first time.

Wishing you lots of love and luck.

Um hope i don't get this wrong... i think that when you get a positive on an ovulation test (i used cheap ebay ones) it indicates that you are going to ovulate and that the surge is present. I pretty much tested from day 7 as some members of my family ovulate early but I was standard round 14. But if you do the temp thing as well it just backs this up. Must stress not everyone gets the signs before but my temps were very clear and meant didn't need to try examine Cervical mucous and the like. I began having sex( every 2nd day month fell pregnant) from the point my temp dropped as as far as i can gather before ovulation is best, still a chance after but much smaller. I also did the classy lying with legs in air and pillow underneath, had forgot that part!
Sorry for the book. I hav a few friends in your position and always remember them when I say a prayer for my wee bump. Good luck again x

Have sex in the morning on the days when you have the stretchy mucus.

If you know when you ovulate then start having sex 5 days before that point and have sex every other day (maybe every day if you like) until 4 days after ovulation.

Don't go at it like a rabbit and have sex three times a day every day - I have been told this is detrimental. Every other day is fine. Having regular sex is the main thing!

Also, reduce stress (if possible) as stress is so damaging to so many areas of health.

I bought this book from amazon called The Fastest Way To Get Pregnant Naturally.

Another vote for Taking Charge of Your Fertility - really great. You could well not be ovulating when you think you're ovulating.

Maybe get your hormone levels checked. Too much stress hormone can stop your girly hormones working properly.

Reflexology (I used it - dunno if it helped but can't hurt).

Don't drink. Don't let DP drink either. Not going to help so you may as well stop.

Lots of sex.

Best of luck!

I'm really sorry to hear you've had no luck so far - I really can sympathise with you. I tried to conceive for 2 years with no luck, it can get quite obsessive.

I'm 35 years old (been TTC since 33), I'm very aware that the fertility treatment cut off in the NHS is 38 so I decided to go see my GP (since you need to have been trying for 2 years before they will even look at you).

My GP referred me to a consultant and that was it - it was out of my hands. I just kept doing what I was doing really, exercised, watched what I ate etc. One night I got home from work, had a bad knee (due to running) and decided to take Ibruprofen - I always do a pg test before I take anything like that and there was my BFP! I went downstairs, checked the post (when I had calmed down) and there was the letter from my consultant for my fertility appointment!!!!

I'm putting it down to one of 3 things:

1. It was out of my hands, I was waiting for my letter from my consultant so I had stopped 'thinking' about it.

1. That month (and probably the first time), I had sex AS SOON as my period had finished (I usually liked to wait a couple of days).

1. I had started running.

When I went for my 12 week scan, the sonographer pointed out a possible cause for my fertility issues... a big massive fibroid the size of a grapefruit!!! I'm 30 weeks now so am carrying baby and big fibroid!!

I also think I may have possibly had endometriosis too but they have to go in and have a look for that, that was going to be my next step.

Good luck - I know it's really disheartening but try and keep your chin up! x

Thanks for your kind words ladies.Your tips will be implemented i promise! Can't afford not to! Really grateful for your support. In RL this is not a subject I can be open about. Good luck to you lovelies who are now expecting. Sorry not to namecheck: quite impossible from the mobile. Thank you - it means so much more than you will ever know. xxx

Do keep us updated.

Another word of advice - be discreet with OH about ovulation. Timing sex around ovulation can make men feel pressured and used.

Hope all works out. xx

Thank you sh! He's in the dark at the moment- not sure how long I can keep it that way. But as I've taken all the expert advice here: going to try and not concentrate on the ovulation dates so much, just relax, and try and dtd when we feel like it. Will enjoy the single life a bit more, I.e. Go out more, to the cinema and theatre etc - like we used to in the early days. Maybe it will happen of it's own accord. Been religiously ( unbeknown to him ) timing sex for days 12,13,14,15 and 16 every month for a year. Digi OPKs confirmed ovulation at day 14. Thought I'd covered all bases: but nada. The remainder of the month I'd go with the flow and let him take the lead as to when he wanted it! Now, I'll listen to both our bodies for a short while and sod the poases! It'll be hard though!

give up.
I took 2 years (+IUI, hormone stimulation etc) to have DS2. Conceived DS1 relatively easily - no one could find a real reason for the problem the second time round.

I had 4 goes of IUI - nada.
Then gave up. Went into the last IUI session in a totally different mindset - ie that it was all a bit of a sick joke. Of course it worked and I got my BFP.

By this stage, I'd cut my work hours down - I think it's impossible to conceive if you're bloody knackered - which you are with a full time job and a toddler.

Fast forward to last year. Because of bfing, I didn't get my period until Easter, conceived in June, miscarried at the very beginning of Aug, then conceived again 2 weeks later. I am 40 years old and due in May.

I put this all down to a) not giving a sh*t about having another baby and b) having lots of sex (FOR FUN). I sort of thought a third one might be nice, but it would be about as likely as winning the lottery.

TTC pretty much ruined my life for about 2 years; I guess I don't want it to ruin yours.

get some tests done by the GP. Also keep a record of your cycle and try to pin point ovulation. even if you have a standard 28 day cycle you may ovulate earlier or later than you think. have sex regularly throughout your cycle.

relaxing won't do anything if you or your partner have an underlying fertility issue.

IVF worked for me.

We tried for almost 3 years for DC3, although I had two mcs in that time. Now just into second trimester.

The difference we made in the month I conceived was having sex later in the month. I'd been religiously making sure we dtd from about day 10 onwards until about day 16. However, the month we conceived DH had been away, then I'd been away for half-term with the dcs. By the time we got back I was sure that my fertile time had passed (ov symptoms had been and gone) but we dtd that night anyway (sex for fun!). Lo and behold, got a BFP.

I thought that I knew my cycles really well and was amazed at how late I must have ovulated. My theory? Have loads and loads of sex. When you think it's too late in the month to conceive have sex one more time just for luck.

Hope you get your BFP soon.

I also found buying clothes helped.

First time, I had given up and just bought myself 7 new bras. Got pregnant straight after and my boobs never went back to that size.

This time I had taken over 2 years to get back to a size 10-12, celebrated by buying some nice new clothes in my new size and got pregnant straight after.

Ok so no science in it but it seemed 'moving on' and not thinking "oh no point as my body may change" worked.

I am so happy that all you lovely ladies have had so much success. I really hope that I can reflect back like you guys and give others in my predicament hope. I will try and forget about ttc.Ms Lucy you are right, I will not let my life be ruined by this futile wishing. Dueling: we are seeing the gp in 2 weeks time, so fingers crossed.Prinpo: we will try to dtd when we are in the mood. I will not be buying any more OPKs. Charting can wait: otherwise that way obsession and damnation lies methinks. Please remember Kevin your thoughts and prayers. My heart aches when I think about being childless. I am happy for everyone who has or is expecting children...I wouldn't wish my yearning on my worst enemy.