Worried: how true is the whole 'it either happens quickly or takes a LONG time' thing?

[Anonymous]

DC1 - conceived the first month that I wasn’t actively preventing it (no temping, charting, etc, and I’d been on the pill for so many years that I really had no idea what my natural cycle would be like)

DC2 - 7 or 8 months, about 5 of which were spent trying to time our activities properly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got pregnant with my first the second month we tried, 3 years ago. We've been TTC #2 for 6 months now (currently on our 7th) - I temp so I know we've been hitting the right timing. I know they SAY it can take normal couples up to a year of trying, but I can't help but worry...obviously this is anecdotal but pretty much everyone I know has either gotten pregnant in the first two or three months OR ended up in a long infertility battle and requiring assistance. I really hope this isn't coming off as insensitive, I'm just looking for a gut check: in your experience is it actually common that it takes longer but nothing ends up being wrong? Or should I be worried?

I think the trying for a year thing doesn't apply when you are charting and temping or using OPKs. The a year trying/20 percent thing i think only applies if you are not using protection.

How many months is it then?

Have you spoken to your doctor? Depending on your age s/he might suggest testing. Yes, it can take a year...but with charting and temping it's different. My doc said that if I wasn't pregnant in 6 months to make an appointment. But sometimes if you're under 30 they'll wait longer on that. I'd ask your OB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got pregnant with my first the second month we tried, 3 years ago. We've been TTC #2 for 6 months now (currently on our 7th) - I temp so I know we've been hitting the right timing. I know they SAY it can take normal couples up to a year of trying, but I can't help but worry...obviously this is anecdotal but pretty much everyone I know has either gotten pregnant in the first two or three months OR ended up in a long infertility battle and requiring assistance. I really hope this isn't coming off as insensitive, I'm just looking for a gut check: in your experience is it actually common that it takes longer but nothing ends up being wrong? Or should I be worried?

I think the trying for a year thing doesn't apply when you are charting and temping or using OPKs. The a year trying/20 percent thing i think only applies if you are not using protection.

How many months is it then?

Have you spoken to your doctor? Depending on your age s/he might suggest testing. Yes, it can take a year...but with charting and temping it's different. My doc said that if I wasn't pregnant in 6 months to make an appointment. But sometimes if you're under 30 they'll wait longer on that. I'd ask your OB.

Shady grove told me it is 20% even with good timing. A lot of good things have to happen for pregnancy to occur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got pregnant with my first the second month we tried, 3 years ago. We've been TTC #2 for 6 months now (currently on our 7th) - I temp so I know we've been hitting the right timing. I know they SAY it can take normal couples up to a year of trying, but I can't help but worry...obviously this is anecdotal but pretty much everyone I know has either gotten pregnant in the first two or three months OR ended up in a long infertility battle and requiring assistance. I really hope this isn't coming off as insensitive, I'm just looking for a gut check: in your experience is it actually common that it takes longer but nothing ends up being wrong? Or should I be worried?

I think the trying for a year thing doesn't apply when you are charting and temping or using OPKs. The a year trying/20 percent thing i think only applies if you are not using protection.

How many months is it then?

Have you spoken to your doctor? Depending on your age s/he might suggest testing. Yes, it can take a year...but with charting and temping it's different. My doc said that if I wasn't pregnant in 6 months to make an appointment. But sometimes if you're under 30 they'll wait longer on that. I'd ask your OB.

According to Taking Charge of your Fertility, it said after 6+ months worth checking out. Following this, I went to an RE about 7 months after we started (with vigilant charting, etc). Turns out I did have a problem! We did IVF a year after we began trying. I was 31.

[Anonymous]

It was true for me. Took one year to conceive my first, with charting and temping.

#2 - I didn't even get my period after coming off the pill before conceiving. Needed an early dating u/s.

[Anonymous]

It was true for me. Pregnant on the first try with my son, super easy pregnancy and delivery, no issues.

Started TTC #2 when he was 12 months. He's now almost 5 and I have never been pregnant again, unexplained infertility, had surgery, IUIs, iVF, all failed. No explanation, all tests normal. We are about to give up TTC soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got pregnant with my first the second month we tried, 3 years ago. We've been TTC #2 for 6 months now (currently on our 7th) - I temp so I know we've been hitting the right timing. I know they SAY it can take normal couples up to a year of trying, but I can't help but worry...obviously this is anecdotal but pretty much everyone I know has either gotten pregnant in the first two or three months OR ended up in a long infertility battle and requiring assistance. I really hope this isn't coming off as insensitive, I'm just looking for a gut check: in your experience is it actually common that it takes longer but nothing ends up being wrong? Or should I be worried?

I think the trying for a year thing doesn't apply when you are charting and temping or using OPKs. The a year trying/20 percent thing i think only applies if you are not using protection.

How many months is it then?

Have you spoken to your doctor? Depending on your age s/he might suggest testing. Yes, it can take a year...but with charting and temping it's different. My doc said that if I wasn't pregnant in 6 months to make an appointment. But sometimes if you're under 30 they'll wait longer on that. I'd ask your OB.

According to Taking Charge of your Fertility, it said after 6+ months worth checking out. Following this, I went to an RE about 7 months after we started (with vigilant charting, etc). Turns out I did have a problem! We did IVF a year after we began trying. I was 31.

This is my plan as well. I got pregnant at cycle 6 last time, but was about to schedule an appointment. Will do so again if we're still TTC after 6 cycles this time.

[Anonymous]

I have experienced both. A year, surgery and IUI for my DD and first try for current pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

Ok based on a 20% chance / cycle, here's the likelihood of getting pregnant on or before each cycle:

1 20%
2 36%
3 49%
4 59%
5 67%
6 74%
7 79%
8 83%
9 87%
10 89%
11 91%
12 93%


After 6 months of trying, 3/4ths of women would be pregnant. Not sure about everyone else, but this helps me calm down!

[Anonymous]

PP again.. laughing to myself trying to imagine what high schoolers first learning probability would do with this example?

Question: a woman has 20% chance of conceiving per cycle? What is the likelihood of conceiving within 6 cycles?

Answer: 1 - the probability of NOT conceiving or 1- (80% ^6)
= 74%

Question: Assuming her cycles are 28 days on average, what is her likelihood of conceiving within 1 year?

Answer: 1 year is 365 days / 28 days per cycle =~ 13 cycles. Thus 1-(80%^13) = 95% chance of conceiving.

Would love to see these on the SAT some day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok based on a 20% chance / cycle, here's the likelihood of getting pregnant on or before each cycle:

1 20%
2 36%
3 49%
4 59%
5 67%
6 74%
7 79%
8 83%
9 87%
10 89%
11 91%
12 93%


After 6 months of trying, 3/4ths of women would be pregnant. Not sure about everyone else, but this helps me calm down!

can you clarify if this is just having sex without protection or timed based on cervical mucus, temping, OPKs, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok based on a 20% chance / cycle, here's the likelihood of getting pregnant on or before each cycle:

1 20%
2 36%
3 49%
4 59%
5 67%
6 74%
7 79%
8 83%
9 87%
10 89%
11 91%
12 93%


After 6 months of trying, 3/4ths of women would be pregnant. Not sure about everyone else, but this helps me calm down!

can you clarify if this is just having sex without protection or timed based on cervical mucus, temping, OPKs, etc?

Based entirely on the “20% per month” probability. I don’t have a reference for that and don’t know what it’s based on.

[Anonymous]

the 20% per month is for women under 35, with well timed intercourse (meaning, you either know your body well enough to date ovulation based on CM/CP, use of OPKs, or by just plain having sex every other day for the entire month).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the 20% per month is for women under 35, with well timed intercourse (meaning, you either know your body well enough to date ovulation based on CM/CP, use of OPKs, or by just plain having sex every other day for the entire month).

I honestly don't believe this and my RE doesn't either.

Women who are ovulating regularly and have properly timed intercourse have a higher chance of getting pregnant each cycle than 20%.

Someone needs to do a proper study of this with 5,000 women. It wouldn't be difficult to do.

[Anonymous]

According to TCOYF, the odds of a "proven fertility" couple are no more than 25% each cycle, and lower for couples in their "mid-30's and older." Which is why, I assume, it recommends testing after 4-6 cycles of timed sex.

It took us 6 cycles, which means it's 50/50 whether we're normal fertility and unlucky with the odds, or sub-normal fertility and lucky with the odds.