Quick straw poll - how long did it take you to get pregnant?

[Keepthechangeyoufilthyanimal]

Just curious really - DH and I have been TTC for 3 years in November (long story - fertility issue on his side which we knew about so we did expect this)

I know it's just the way it is, but every single person we know who has had a baby or is pregnant either had a surprise unplanned pregnancy or fell pregnant within a few months if trying.
Our latest friend to fall pregnant took 5 months which is the longest of anyone we know in RL.

It is a bit disheartening TBH especially because I think people are now starting to realise we are having problems as we have both always been openly broody, have a decent house and jobs, married for 2.5 years etc - from the outside it must seem like there is no reason for us to not have had a baby by now!

I know it takes most couples a lot longer than a few months and we just must have a group of fertile friends!

So...how many months were you trying?....GO!

2.5 years, two miscarriages, and one round of ivf for dd.

one month for dc due in five weeks.

I am one of those annoying people who took bloody ages and was utterly stressed and miserable the first time, and then got pg instantly the second time.

Stories like mine feed into the whole "oh you have to relax and stop trying and stop stressing" bollocks that people often say to women who are having a hard time conceiving. Grrrrr. I will never ever say that to anyone.

I had lots of warnings from friends that it takes longer than you expect, especially once you're over 30 - most were 6 months plus - & when I popped into dr's (about having IUD removed) they said not to even consider coming to see them unless been trying for a year.

On that note started TTC in new year expecting abit of time to get used to concept of being a mummy but it took less than three months. Was a but a very nice one. Baby due before end of the year.

My mother took 6 months with me (1st) & 2+ years with sis.

Loads of luck and fingers crossed for you, no need to despair as there are so many different situations for everyone.

Dandelion - congratulations :o Your post just took me back 2.5yrs, DS was our second IVF after just over 4 yrs ttc amd it took me about 36 weeks to allow myself to believe it! All the very best for your pg :)

Congratulations Dandelion!

Geordiecherry a close friend swears it was acupuncture that did it for her too. For me my problem was regulating my cycle - I once went over a year without a period - and I found that a low-carb diet worked miracles

• within 3 months of going onto it, my periods regulated. I hadn't lost a great deal of weight but it obviously agreed with me. Within 6 months of it

I got pregnant. I was 33/34 when we first started trying, and 35 when my periods regulated. Am 37 now.

OP a trend I've noticed amongst friends is that of those of us who've been unlucky enough to have a miscarriage first time round, after a long time of trying, most of us got pregnant in a much shorter time afterwards (this is of those of us who have not had recurrent problems). It's like it took my body a go to cotton onto what it was supposed to be doing. So if you do find yourself in that sad situation, it doesn't necessarily mean it'll take you another 3 years.

I got pregnant on cerazette, it was a bit of a . I'd been smoking, drinking, flying on planes, ibuprofen, eating soft cheese etc etc.

I was terrified of telling my best friend who'd been trying for three years and been doing everything right, no drink, smokes, peeing on those ovulation stick things but nothing seemed to happen. But it turned out she was pregnant too and just keeping it quiet until 15 weeks!

OP the other thing you might find is that people sometimes have a funny idea of what they classify as "trying". They might well say "oh, we'd only been trying for 2 months!" but the reality might be that she came off the pill 8 months previously and they've been having unprotected sex all that time but it's only in the last 2 months that they've been doing things like monitoring cycles, tracking ovulation signs. I've come across that. As far as I'm concerned, unless you're abstaining you're putting yourself out there as taking a chance on pregnancy as soon as you stop using contraception!

I am like sunny, in my late 30s and it was the first time... We feel very very lucky too. I would like a second one (after I have given birth to the first one!) but I know it may not be so easy next time.

For us it was 19 months, had started fertility investigations had a scan to see if I was ovulating and was told I would ovulate within 24-36 hours. At the same appointment I had a post coital test which showed I had thick acidic CM that was killing my husbands sperm. The nurse suggested a sodium bicarb douch! And gave us a prescription for clomid and oestrogen to start the next cycle. We never needed the meds as we go our BFP 2 weeks later. Was it the bicarb? .... Who knows. I'm now 21+ 2 and looking forward to a January baby.

I hope all works out for you OP ASAP. TTC is such a hard process and so draining. XxX

3rd month at 38. We consider ourselves pretty lucky though as we know an awful lot of people that have really struggled or taken a long time.

Age does not seem to be the dividing factor either - I have a couple of friends that have fallen pregnant for the first time in their early 40's and others that were struggling in their late 20's and in the end have been succesful with IVF (and a couple that sadly have not!).

11 months (m/c)
unplanned (m/c)
10 months (m/c)
following month success!

was on the pill for a few years, came off it, had a period a month after coming off the pill, didnt have a period again! So it took about 6 weeks

Hi 1st month every time for us. (5 pg in total, 2DD's, 2mc's & 21 weeks with DD3).

We are very aware of how lucky we are as we have 2 sets of friends who have been trying for over 2 years. They are both in their early thirties so it can't always be about age.

Goodluck!

Wow, some really mixed responses, which I expected obviously!
Some really nice success stories too which give me hope, and nice to know the people who have been successful quickly realised how lucky they are!

The one thing I have learnt as I have gotten older and been more informed about conception, pregnancy, fertility etc that I am trying to keep reminding myself of is that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to conception - there is little point in wondering about it too much, no two people are the same etc etc.

It feels like I've been waiting a lifetime as I suddenly came over all broody and motherly when I was 15, got together with my DH when I was 16 and have been obsessed with the idea of being a mum since then, but (sensibly ) waited for the right time, until we were settled, secure jobs, etc etc. We are now 12 years on!

Stopped being careful about contraception about 5 years ago, and had quite a few occasions over the years where I thought I might have been pregnant, having loads of symptoms etc, but as soon as I would POAS, symptoms would disappear.
DH's fertility issues (for want of a better name) decreased over the years, making the chance of conceiving naturally smaller and smaller to the point where we are now, where we will need ICSI to conceive but not sure we will be funded by NHS

I have told DH we need to have a really in depth discussion about where we are going to go from here. Not good I know but we don't talk about it too much because I know it kills him that he can't make us a family. He feels very guilty and blames himself (poor diabetes control on his part caused the infertility amongst other health issues)

Thanks for all the responses, really makes for interesting reading!

Thanks slimjim and secondsop !!

Im now 20wks pg. It took us 18 months. Had started investigations. I got pg after 4 weeks of acupuncture although I have no idea whether it made any difference. Good luck Op.

Agree with Queenofsiburbia we got told by lots of people how difficult it is once you're over 30. This, coupled with the fact that close friends of ours took 8 months was my excuse to convince DH to get going
I tracked my temps for a couple of months, read taking charge of your fertility, bought some ovulation sticks and got pregnant first month. I also had reflexology the week I ovulated (by chance) the reflexologist asked if I was about to ovulate, and I told her we were trying so she worked on my ovaries loads... And lo and behold I got pg! And that's despite being really ill with a stinking cold and far infection - not the best condition for it! Needless to say, I'm going back to see her at 40 weeks to get her to coax the baby out
Good luck op - really hope it happens for you soon x

A couple of posters here have sworn by acupuncture, like my friend.
I was about to try it to regulate my periods but found that a change of diet did for me.

I also had investigations to see why I wasn't having periods and they didn't find anything (I only have one ovary and tube after an operation years ago so am a bit fertility - compromised at the best of times) and they concluded it was probably because of my weight. I'm just glad they didn't conclude that first, without bothering with investigations. It looks like we are getting there in the end though, even without losing significant amounts of weight.

8 years - we both had tests and both have issues, we were told we were very unlikely to have children. he's now 6 and I'm expecting DC2