How do you calculate how long you've been TTC?

orange_roses · September 2011

I am so frustrated that I have a +OPK tonight and DH has been gone since Thursday for a 10 day trip. I knew it was coming and I was preparing myself that this cycle would be a long shot, but still it's frustrating to not even give it a good chance this cycle....

So when I think how long we've been TTC, I'll have to say, well we started in March 2011, got pregnant, miscarried, started again in June...but missed the September cycle...so I really have no idea how to calculate the total months we've been trying.... Is it since March? Or do you subtract the months you were pregnant/on hold because of M/C recovery?

E3A7AGGIE · September 2011

I start from when we first decided that we wanted a baby, and stopped avoiding. No need to make it more complicated than it is!

And by the way, sorry yout DH isn't there!!! I'd be frustrated about that too!!

o_so_in_love · September 2011

I count from the month we decided to have a baby and don't subtract the time that we were pregnant. This month makes 1 year for us.

DianaChristineB · September 2011

Okay, so my answer is totally complicated. We officially started ttc 15 months ago, but had a couple road blocks along the way. We have not been trying that whole time. I had to have laparascopic surgery a year ago so we took a 3 month break so I could recover from that. Then I got pregnant in May (it took us about 8 months, excluding my surgery recovery time) and miscarried in July. So I would say 15 months total tcc (since when we first decided we wanted a baby and stopped taking precautions) but more like 9 months that we've actually tried (some months we skipped due to surgery, being pregnant and my mc).

RN3180 · September 2011

I calculate from when I stopped trying to prevent with b/c. Seems like the most straightforward way to determine TTC time span.

ecleptic · September 2011

It's good to keep it simple- just starting from when you started trying and counting through. That's how long you've invested in the journey. If you limit it to months where there's actually a chance of conception- heck I've only had 3 cycles total. We have a functionally 0% chance without IVF/FET. But I've been on this road for two years and 8 months and I'll be on it for at least 3 years before I get my 4th chance. I'm not going to stop counting just because we're taking a holiday break again this year- the insanity of infertility treatments during the holiday season is just too much. It's enough that I'm still invested in the journey.

The only thing that the length of time since starting too TTC really impacts is if you can get insurance coverage for infertility/diagnostics- and that's a balance you'll want to weigh both on your own and with your doctor's help.

GracieBlue · September 2011

I also vote for just counting the time since you started ttc. My cycles are all over the place and 1 month does not equal 1 cycle. I tried to figure out the cycles but finally said forget it!

mikeANDjen448 · September 2011

I'm very irregular too.. some cycles are 21 days, some are 50. ugh. so, not with cycles but with months.....hmmm. We have been TTC since 5/2010 so 17 months for us Crying