How long did it take to get pregnant?

Smallllmin · November 2013

Hey everyone, I'm stalking from TTC/Babies on the Brain... DH and I are going to start TTC in December, and I'm wondering, have any of you become pregnant with irregular cycles? I have a 30-40 day cycle (with mid cycle spotting) and I am anxious that it's going to take forever (or be impossible) to get pregnant. So any success stories would be much appreciated!! H&H 9 months all!

cas889 · November 2013

It can take a healthy couple with good timing a year to conceive.

It took us only one try for our daughter, and five cycles for this pregnancy.

I highly recommend checking out Fertility Friend and charting your basal body temperature.

DanaerysTargaryen · November 2013

We were not trying. Got pregnant on our honeymoon. I have a 32-33 day cycle and outliers every 6 months of 38-40 days.

shanny&felipe · November 2013

For us it took two months after getting off birth control to get pregnant

Jwilliams777 · November 2013

I have VERY irregular periods. 30-40 days would be nice to me! lol I was about every 60 days. It took us 2 years. (with a 3 month break in the middle). HOWEVER... once you have been trying for a year you can talk to your dr about chlomid. As long as there are not any other problems, this will help you. I had periods abut every 30 days on chlomid and was pregnant by the 4th month.

30 days is still a pretty normal cycle. I would consider that irregular.

Jwilliams777 · November 2013

**Wouldnt consider that irregular**

cMichelle0423 · November 2013

I had a 40-55 day cycle. It took us 2 months with our first and whenever I told my OB this, he said women with my kind of cycle typically don't get pregnant or else have an extremely difficult time doing so. I had my son in February and had my first m/s in april the next m/s was in August, then we conceived again in September...

EmbracingChange · November 2013

Took me about 15 minutes.....

Seriously though I rarely have periods, like 4-5 times a year. I have no idea when I ovulate because I wasn't trying to get pregnant, but I have been without birth control for a year and a half.

Khedges07 · November 2013

We got pregnant after 4 months. My cycles are around 35 days long.
Good luck

)

shamyfowler · November 2013

Took us 10 months with DD, this time only 2. If you feel your cycle is irregular, I would definitely start temping. It will help you out so much and take all the guesswork out.

seells · November 2013

With DD it took us 5 months. (With charting) this time it took us a year. (Not charting and having horrible timing most months.) We weren't trying we were just letting things happen.

ThereBeDragons · November 2013

I've been on this road for 5 years.

Look, infertility happens. When it happens, it's terrible. But your life doesn't stop. Time keeps moving and eventually the situation resolves into a child or the decision to stay childfree.

It takes an average couple up to a year to conceive. So you just muddle on through your first year. If it happens- excellent. There was no need to worry. If it doesn't- then you already have a year of TTC behind you- and it's time to look forward to the next year and possible treatments or solutions. It might even be time to mourn an infertility diagnosis. But you can't live that first year fearing the next. This is one of the few times in your life (another being once you are pregnant and inevitably freaked out because you might miscarry) I'd really recommend living in the moment because there's nothing you can do to fix a problem before one occurs.

Enjoy having lots of awesome sex, enjoy sleeping in on the weekends, enjoy life. There's nothing you can do to beat a true infertility diagnosis before it's diagnosed- and it won't be diagnosed without spending at least a year of normal periods having sex and trying the old fashioned way. Don't borrow trouble.

wtfisup · November 2013

Contrary to most folks, I absolutely despised charting and tracking. I'm anxious by nature, and it made me a hot worried mess. We went through one cycle of that and I became so stressed by it that my period was two weeks late. After that, we decided for a more casual approach: we figured out our fertile window and had sex every few days during it. My cycles are also irregular, so just figured CD 10 - CD 22. We just threw sex in there a few times. Using that approach, we got pregnant on the second try, or our third cycle overall.

(Note: I'm not saying that's for everyone, but if tracking/temping is too much, it's not the only way to get pregnant.)

curlylocks3 · November 2013

wtfisup said:
Contrary to most folks, I absolutely despised charting and tracking. I'm anxious by nature, and it made me a hot worried mess. We went through one cycle of that and I became so stressed by it that my period was two weeks late. After that, we decided for a more casual approach: we figured out our fertile window and had sex every few days during it. My cycles are also irregular, so just figured CD 10 - CD 22. We just threw sex in there a few times. Using that approach, we got pregnant on the second try, or our third cycle overall.

(Note: I'm not saying that's for everyone, but if tracking/temping is too much, it's not the only way to get pregnant.)

And just to be clear, you probably just had a fluke long cycle. They happen to many people and its highly doubtful that charting, by itself, caused the degree of stress needed to delay ovulation for two weeks.

katekat8721 · November 2013

cas889 said:

It can take a healthy couple with good timing a year to conceive. It took us only one try for our daughter, and five cycles for this pregnancy. I highly recommend checking out Fertility Friend and charting your basal body temperature.

Ditto all the above. Your cycles are not that irregular and I'm sure you'll be fine. Go into it expecting it to take six months to a year, so after the first month you won't be disappointed.

It took us over two years + IVF to get pregnant.

SGC29 · November 2013

It took us about a year with our first child, 9 months with our second, and just 2 months this time around. I have 28 day cycles but my O is typically all over the place.

I highly recommend temping and charting or at the very least picking up some OPK's.

wtfisup · November 2013

curlylocks3 said:

Contrary to most folks, I absolutely despised charting and tracking. I'm anxious by nature, and it made me a hot worried mess. We went through one cycle of that and I became so stressed by it that my period was two weeks late. After that, we decided for a more casual approach: we figured out our fertile window and had sex every few days during it. My cycles are also irregular, so just figured CD 10 - CD 22. We just threw sex in there a few times. Using that approach, we got pregnant on the second try, or our third cycle overall.

(Note: I'm not saying that's for everyone, but if tracking/temping is too much, it's not the only way to get pregnant.)
And just to be clear, you probably just had a fluke long cycle. They happen to many people and its highly doubtful that charting, by itself, caused the degree of stress needed to delay ovulation for two weeks.

It's possible that it was just irregularly long, but when I'm experiencing that degree of anxiety and panic attacks, loss of sleep, etc., it's not uncommon for it to mess with my cycle. It wasn't a normal level of "this is stressful," but an all consuming thing. Of course, TTC also meant going off of my prescription beforehand.

TigerLily12345 · November 2013

I went off the pill in July. First two cycles were roughly 35 days, and we were using condoms. I'm not even sure I was ovulating as my charts were unclear.

Stopped using condoms in September, but it was a long cycle. BFP on CD45.

spacepotatoes · November 2013

I went off the pill at the end of July last year. My cycles were irregular afterward, ranging from 35 to 81 days. Temping and OPKs saved my sanity. We conceived once in late May, after 6 cycles and nearly 10 months. That ended in a loss (chemical pregnancy). After the loss, my cycles were actually shorter and more regular and we conceived this baby on the 3rd. So, in total, 9 cycles and 13 months.

At the one year mark, we did start seeing an RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) to consult and begin testing. My DH got a semen analysis and I was set to do my bloodwork and HSG once my period came in September. We got incredibly lucky not to have made it to that point. If you do, however, please do go see an RE. Do not take fertility meds from your OB. Do not take them without the proper testing first and do not take them without proper monitoring. Drugs like Clomid are not candy, they have serious side effects and can do lasting damage.

Like PPs said, it can take a healthy couple up to a year. Long or irregular cycles don't automatically mean you'll have problems. Do what you can and are comfortable with to ensure good timing and try not to worry.

Good luck!

KingLED · November 2013

Jwilliams777 said:

I have VERY irregular periods. 30-40 days would be nice to me! lol I was about every 60 days. It took us 2 years. (with a 3 month break in the middle). HOWEVER... once you have been trying for a year you can talk to your dr about chlomid. As long as there are not any other problems, this will help you. I had periods abut every 30 days on chlomid and was pregnant by the 4th month. 30 days is still a pretty normal cycle. I would consider that irregular.

Clomid is nothing to play with. You need to have a lot of monitoring if you ever take it and that pretty much always means seeing an RE and not just your regular OB. If you're still not pregnant after a year of trying, ask for a referral to see an RE.

VTKatie · November 2013

I have VERY irregular cycles. They are 45-75 days for the most part, I had one or two that were 90+ days. We stopped using protection in October with the assumption I couldn't get pregnant naturally, and 3 weeks later, I got my BFP. It's just good timing with a little bit of luck. Our next pregnancy could take a month or 3 years. Just be patient!

mtrhomegirl · November 2013

honeymoon baby on the way so pretty much the first try for us after getting off birth control:) Very blessed!!!

spinsoffresonance · November 2013

I have no idea if my cycles are regular or not, been on the pill since I was 16. When TTC DD, I had 3 cycles off the pill, 32, 30 and 28 days. Got pregnant on the second month trying. With this pregnancy, I had 1 period at 9 months post partum, we HIO during what should have been my fertile window assuming a 28 day cycle and got a BFP. I'm still shocked that worked! Some of my friends have been trying for over a year though. It takes on average 6 months for a healthy couple to conceive and up to a year is considered normal. So really you won't know how easy/hard it will be for you until you start trying. good luck.

sparklingdiamond · November 2013

I have PCOS and didn't have cycles on my own at all for the first year off birth control. Then I finally had irregular cycles after taking Metformin and doing acupunture. It took us two and a half years, but it finally happened!

Temping and OPKs are what really helped!

wolson1988 · November 2013

2 months for us and I had super irregular periods after getting my IUD out. With DS1 it took us 2 years.

yvanehtnioj · November 2013

I have nice 27-29 day cycles and it took us 3 months & 5 months.

ashlugo · November 2013

It took us 2 years with our first, 2 months with our second and this baby was a BIG surprise. I have 35-45 day cycles. Good luck to you!

Smallllmin · November 2013

Thanks everyone! I know I shouldn't be concerned, but it just seems like it will take forever... Especially because my "normal" irregular cycles are ~35-40 days, and today I woke up with dark spotting on day 21... What the heck!

(

shanaynerz · November 2013

It took us about 1 year to conceive our twins, who we subsequently lost at 22 weeks. Then only 2 cycles to conceive our DD, and I'm pregnant again after 4 cycles. You have a 20% chance of getting pregnant every month and healthy couples can take up to a year to conceive. Good luck!

AnnaKaie · November 2013

I stopped taking my bc pill end of July. I am 10 weeks now. We didn't chart or anything. I didn't even want to think about charting.

allardr · November 2013

With DD first try, with this one 2nd try but we're lucky. It's quite normal to take up to a year. My cycle is slightly long like yours, still possible. Our strategy was just do it every other day, no counting days and guessing ovulation etc.

SimarikSmokin · November 2013

I just found out I am pregnant today. We just started trying this month I count my blessings I just made an appt So I wont know my due date. I am guessing end of july or first week august. Good luck to all the pregnant ladies Happy and Healthy Pregnancy.

SecondTimeinMSU · November 2013

Before DS my cycles usually were in the 36 day range but 40 days wasn't usual and I got pregnant quickly so try not to stress about the 28 day cycles thing. There are a lot of factors that come into play in your fertility but that shouldn't be a major one as long as you are getting regular periods. Strangely having a baby has re-set my clock since once my period returned after breastfeeding I was pretty much 30 days on the dot each time.

GoodSpirit8511 · November 2013

I had the implant in for almost six years. I had it taken out at the end of August and got pregnant in October.

GoodSpirit8511 · November 2013

As a side note I did not have a period at all for those six years. Once we decided TTC I used an app on my phone to help guide us!

Smallllmin · November 2013

Congrats! H&H 9mos

spacepotatoes · November 2013

GoodSpirit8511 said:

As a side note I did not have a period at all for those six years. Once we decided TTC I used an app on my phone to help guide us!

I'm glad that worked for you but generally, the apps are really only helpful if you are regular. If you tend to have long and irregular cycles, they are pretty useless.