what is considered ttc?

APHRODITE1445

i would love some feedback about what is considered ttc. we have been having unprotected sex for 18 months, but for some reason my husband thinks we have only been trying for 6 & does not want to go get any testing done. what constitutes ttc? thanks!!!!

MrsFelts

Were you just doing the deed whenever you felt like it? Or were you doing it around the time you believed to be ovulating looking for it to result in a pregnancy? In my opinion you have to be consciously trying to get pregnant. I don't consider not preventing, trying to conceive. Of course that's just my opinion.

bostonbluejay

I think having unprotected sex (if you're hitting your fertile window) constitutes as TTC.  I mean, that's how many of our parents and grandparents did it right!?  That being said, and especially if that hasn't been working for you, you may find that you are able to discover a lot about your cycle through charting/temping.  

I personally would recommend charting for a couple of months.  This may give your husband more time to mentally prepare himself for testing and the charts may prove helpful to your doctor should you need to go forward with testing.

You may even just discover that you are ovulating at a completely different time than you thought you were and have just been missing your window.  

  

noryang

I think it depends who the potential parents are. The minute I went off the BPC I considered myself TTC. But then again I was on BCP for years so using nothing sure felt liek trying. We aren't charting (yet) but are definitely monitoring CM are BDing often in the appropriate window.  However, my 16 year old niece simply failed to use BC so I consider her to have been TTC too! Of course, she got KU. Figures - doesn't it?

psychgirl33

I would say that TTC is when you have sex and hope that a baby comes out of the deal. 

But for testing purposes, I would say when you have been trying for a year or more and have been intentionally trying to time sex during your fertile phase over the course of that year and have actively acquired knowledge of your reproductive system and cycle (ie-temping, using OPKs, checking CM and/or CP, or something of the sort).  Unless of course you have a good reason to suspect that you will have fertility issues (such as a previous diagnosis)  HTH and good luck!

SeptemberBride'08

When I first started TTC all it was for us was going off BCP. I was pretty much told my entire life that when you stop using birth control methods you get pregnant. So we went on our merry way for about a year. No baby. I didn't think anything of it but in reality, most people go off of BCP or whatever, have sex and get pregnant.

Sure if you are temping, CM checking and what not that adds another layer but just because you didn't know about it before or weren't doing it means that 12 months disappears from trying to make a baby in the only ways you knew how to. Again for most people, this is the only way they know how and it works. We all know the stories of went of BCP and month 1-3 got KU or we were "barely" trying and got KU.

So yes to me 18 months of TTC in whatever method you knew about is enough to raise concerns and justified a call to an RE to just get things checked out. Best of luck! 

TrendyTina

I have a friend who thought she was TTC for OVER A YEAR! All she was doing, though, was keeping track of the days her period started and using some kind of iphone app to predict when she should ovulate. She missed her window every time because she was ovulating later than the app told her. She went through a battery of tests and everything came back fine. The first month she wised up and used a digital OPK, she got a BFP. 

Try charting and temping and see what happens. GL to you! I hope you get a BFP really soon!  

brookelynpaisley

Hmmm, good question. If you ask my mom, not preventing is the same as trying. While I probably used to agree with that, I realize there's a lot more to it.  I am more in the camp of if you're actively timing sex in an attempt to get pregnant, that's TTC. TTC in my eyes now is making efforts to have one's body in optimal condition for a pregnancy and to be knowledgable and proactive about your cycle and in helping conception to occur.

If you're looking for someone to take sides on the discussion between you and your husband, I think I'd side with you. If it's been 18 months with no luck, you'd think that eventually the odds would have been in your favor. However, I would chart for a few cycles to determine if you have any issues. The more armed with information you are when you go to your doc, the better the plan of action will be.