How long did you try (or how long have you been trying)?

I just scanned the "who here is pregnant" topic - and it looks like a lot of you!

I've read that the average is about six months, and that 80% of couples have concieved within 9 months of trying. This will be our third month trying. Just for fun, let's see if the averages hold true - for those who got preg while intentionally trying to concieve - how long did it take? Or for those lurking in here while trying (like me), how long have you been trying?

well with 1st wasnt on pill at all but not ttc either it was 18 months after I stopped the pill.  With 2nd  we were trying and again stopped taking the pill took about 8 months for cycle to finally regulate then another 10 months to get pregnant.  Looking back now I wonder why I didnt look into how long it was taking.  I was doing ovulation cycles, temps and even scheduling doing the deed on the calender.  With my 3rd told husband that after 2nd wasnt going back on any birth control.  She was born in dec '99 and got pregnant in Aug 02.   I was charting my cycle but so irregular that I didnt realize until I was 8 weeks along when I tested.  I also tested b/c having typical pregnancy symptoms

I guess I am lucky, or just seriously fertile!  I went off birth control for a month, had a regular cycle, then we started trying.  I never had my period, and was about 5-6 weeks pregnant when I took my HPT.  It was so surprising, because I just assumed that I would have a hard time. 

Good luck to all who are TTC or are soon to be Mommies! 

Sara

With the first we stopped trying not to get pregnant.  After a year of that not working, we started trying to get pregnant.  After another year we finally got pregnant.  So, I guess it depends on how you count it.

With #2, we started trying to get pregnant when the first was about 10 months old.  After a year, we sought medical help.  Semen analysis, HSG, Clomid, IUI, Ovarian Cyst, Laparoscopic surgery, Diagnosis of endometriosis... After all that, I decided I didn't really want a second child that badly after all.  We got pregnant with #2, unexpectedly, when #1 was 33 months old.  So, almost 2 years for her as well.

I wouldn't wish those years on anyone, but I'm very lucky to have come out of all that with a strong marriage and two beautiful girls.  There were certainly times when it could have gone either way.

i'm like riflchik-  three days of messing up my pill and bam!  pregnant.  i was on it for 8 years.  i must be fertile.  And, very very lucky.

We were trying for two cycles this fall, and then decided to make a cross country move, I moved first (2/7) and the husband will be here within a month, so we obviously had to put the brakes on, hehe. We are thinking we will get totally settled before starting to try again, but we will welcome any happy accidents if things naturally happen. I have been tracking my periods on mymonthlycycles.com so I get an approximate ovulation date from them, we will try this method for a few months, and if that doesn't work we will temp and chart. We were pregnant once before (an accident) 2 summers ago, but I miscarried at 7 weeks. My doctor said it was nothing specifically wrong with me or my ability to carry a pregnancy, but that it had been attached to my cervix and stopped progressing at some point.

good luck disease_of_ease!!  a similar thing happened to me; and this did not affect my current pregnancy AT ALL.  keep tracking and have fun :)  !!!  surprises are the best!

Thanks vanessa1031! A surprise probably would be nice, in this case at least! :)

From replies so far, I guess we're sort of an average group - statistically, not personally, of course! Thanks for sharing, disease_of_ease, juliemae, spukine, that makes me feel better to know that not everyone is successful the first month!

And riflchik and vanessa, thanks for shortening the average and giving those of us ttc hope that it will be less than 9 mos to a year!

I'm not getting any younger, I'm not technically in the high risk stage (over 35) yet, but I'm 33.5. We realized early this year that if it takes a year to concieve, we're getting to the borderline of elevated risk for pregnancies, so we better get crackin. So to speak.

Everyone I talk to as I start on this has different experiences, and a lot with experiences like disease_of_ease, juliemae and vanessa, with starts and stops along the way. It's a crazy thing, and seeing how much you want it once you decide to do it, I really feel for others who struggle with fertility issues or miscarriages.

Best to all for healthy pregnancies and good luck to ttc-ers!

the most important thing is to take care of YOU and keep positive.  eat right (but occasionally indulge), excercise and have fun with life.  it's so much easier to go through life happy then stressed all the time about things that aren't in our control.  What will be will be.  fall in love everyday with your partner everyday and give 110% of yourself in the things you love to do.  The rest will follow it's own course.  best to EVERYONE pregnant and TTC!!

I may be a little late in posting, but we're TTC!  Last month was our first "official" month of actively trying.  I have been off the pill since September 2007, and started using NFP (natural family planning - temperature charting and mucus discharge watching) to avoid pregnancy until our wedding (11/07) and honeymoon (2/08) were done. We went on our honeymoon and hoped to conceive then, but due to the travel stress, my cycle was delayed by 3 weeks!  So last month (March) was the first month we used NFP to TTC with a regular cycle. Got my period, a week ago, so shuchs, no luck yet. We'll continue trying again this month, but I have about 2 more weeks till I'll be fertile. (I have long cycles -- approx. 36 days).  I'm hoping that I'll be one of those "lucky" ones, but, we'll see.

Hi, brianneo, congrats on your decision! It's exciting, but the waiting and wondering can be tough. Good luck!

good luck brianneo!!  at least it's fun trying!!!  don't stress out!   :)

HI Gals,

I got of BCP in November and have been charting/temping and trying to figure out when my O day is!! After a couple months miscalculating, we finally got it right!! So in total about 5 months, but correctly calculated about 3.  Still not preggy, so we'll see. It makes me feel better about the average being 6 months. Let's hope next month is the one for us!

Good luck to everyone!

Good luck, girlafraid! I feel like we've got a little TTC club going.

I'm right in the middle of the 2 week wait - between O and expected P...

This is our third month trying, and it's nuts how much you "listen" in to your body and every little thing. I've been feeling under the weather for about three days, a bit nauseous and headachy. There was a bug going around the office two weeks ago, so it could be that. But every day I'm nauseous, I'm thinking...I wonder...!

• oooo finnsal!!!  I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! I'm still 1-2 weeks away from O.  We'll see how that one goes for me.  But vanessa1031 is right, it sure is fun trying!

Thanks, brianneo! I'm still a good week away from being able to do a HPT, but it's a busy week, so that's good. The longest time, I've found over the past couple of months, is not actually the O to P wait. I feel like the time between a period (that you were hoping wouldn't show!) and O actually feels longer. You know you're at least three weeks away from being able to confirm a preg if you're successful, and you don't even get to do anything about it except "practice" :)! Once you get near O, and after that, there's always possibility, so that's fun.

 

Ha ha, I hear about people who try to get pregnant for months, and I just can't believe it.

I had one mistake...ONE ACCIDENT!  It was the only mistake I have ever made in my entire life, and I have been sexually active for 13 years.  Well sort of, on and off, it is a long story.  I will go for 2 to 3 years, then have sex like once, then go for another 2 to 3 years with no sex.   Like my friend here at work says, when I have an accident, I make it good. 

cesty, your post just rubs me the wrong way.  I know people who have been trying to have a baby not for just months, but for years.  And there is nothing funny about it.  Infertility is gut wrenching.

Congratualtions on being so fertile.

I'm sure you didn't mean anything by your "ha ha".  I'm sure it's my own issues and experiences that made me take it more seriously than you meant.  I just felt compelled to post a comment.

My husband and i have been trying for over a year, I know people who took 3 or more...so...I'd say i am not doing so bad.

I appreciate the input, but this is definitely a thread about hoping to conceive, and wanting to.

And for me and lots of other women, it's about the fear that you're going to have trouble with something that does seem to come so easily to others, and something that you're afraid really seems to define you as a woman.

Let's focus on that.

kristicro - like I said up top, it takes longer than a year for lots of people. But a year, I think, is usually the timeframe where you can seek fertility help if you so choose. Earlier than that, and they'll just tell you to keep trying, or so I've heard. I like your attitude about it, best wishes.