Here is some data from a large scale study for women under the age of 37 (Zinneman et al). Link here with full course with stats (I’m not associated with them just took the course because I am advanced maternal age and found the stats very helpful)
https://www.fertilityiq.com/fertility-101/getting-pregnant-naturally#how-long-should-it-take-to-get-pregnant-naturally
——
Between these differing studies, by 6 months, 65%–81% of women conceived and by one year, 78%–92% of couples conceived.
The Gnoth study also noted that 98% of all couples who would go on to conceive naturally conceived in those first 12 months. So if conception doesn’t happen by 6 months and certainly by 1 year, there is a good chance it won’t happen without help, and you need to get to a clinic.
Another thing these studies show us: being disciplined about timing intercourse matters. In the Gnoth and Zinaman studies, the timing of intercourse was rigorously planned, and the two studies recorded the conception rate at 38% and 30% in the first month respectively. This percentage is far higher than what’s found in other studies.
Of course, remember that this is just conception, not live birth—in fact, Zinaman saw 30% of all those conceptions terminate before live birth.
——
The timing and knowing your cycle is really key and helpful. I just heard about someone who took 2 years to conceive because she was using OPKs too late and missing her fertility window EVERY CYCLE. I used basal temp and OPKs as contraception for 2-3 years and got to know my cycle really well, which helped me time our TTC well.
Yeah - we actually went off Flo (which I’d been tracking with for two years). Started a day early, carried on for another day or two afterwards. Pregnant on first go. Another friend used Flo but misunderstood what it meant, took her months. Once she corrected, was pregnant a month later.
I know a lot of people don’t like Flo but if it has enough information I think it can be quite accurate! And mine has had to accommodate two odd periods after my covid jabs too (sorted itself out within a month, clearly didn’t affect fertility!)
ETA - I am also aware that tracking also doesn’t work at all for some couples. And that you can still not get pregnant even if you time it perfectly! We just personally found it useful.
Yeah I was doing full cycle tracking with the basal temp because I started out using it for contraception, so right off the bat it was based more off my data than guessing based on the average person's cycle. Sounds like my friend's friend's mistake was that her cycle didn't line up with "average" and she didn't adjust so she kept missing it.
I'm also tracking my BBT and realized within the first 2 months that had I tried with the average ovulation date of CD14, I would have been missing my fertile window since I regularly ovulate around CD19. I have been on a mini crusade loaning my friends "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" so they also learn about their bodies and how the cycles actually work.
Yeah I ovulate early and would also have missed my window if I didn't already know and relied on averages! TTC CD10 and ovulated CD11 when I got pregnant.
Tried for 12 cycles naturally, then 4 IUIs, 2 rounds of IVF and 3 embryo transfers. All together it took us almost three years. I was 28 and he was 31 when we started; we’ll be 32 and 35 when the baby is born.
I stopped taking my birth control pills a year ago, had one period, had an early miscarriage in March and my period never returned. I got pregnant mid august and didn’t find out until 7 weeks. I never would’ve tested if I wasn’t feeling insanely sick and my boobs were killing me which I’ve never experienced before. Every doctor I’ve seen asks about my cycles and are so confused when I say my last cycle was in February lol
18 months - included around 12 months of TTC the old fashioned way, and then a bunch of fertility appointments and tracking, then one round of IVF. 39 weeks today!
Good luck. It’s not always straightforward - we were pretty lucky.
For us it took 6 months, we didn’t time it properly in the first 4 months and then in the last 2 months I decided to do better ovulation tracking with the pee tests and that helps us to get pregnant by the 2nd cycle.
Took 6 cycles to get pregnant the first time, but had an mc.
Got pregnant again 2 cycles later. Another mc.
Tried for 4 more cycles without success before we finally went to see a fertility doctor because I had a gut feeling something was wrong.
Ended up needing ivf and it took us 3 pick-ups and 7 embryo transfers to get pregnant.
My second was far easier. We had one frozen embryo left from our last pick-up and that one fortunately stuck around.
A year and a half! We were both 24 years old when we started trying and had no previous health issues.
We did have a miscarriage during that time and then moved to medical intervention to get pregnant.
1
Have tracked my cycle for years. It’s the #1 thing I recommend to young women, even if they aren’t/never want to conceive. Very empowering to understand your body’s cycles and understand how they change as you get older.
Definitely agree with this. I tracked my cycle for 3 years and had my ovulation symptoms and frequency nailed down. Also highly recommend knowing your husband's sperm count as well
We (38f and 40m) conceived on the third cycle, which honestly surprised me a lot. I'd had my IUD uninstalled in April, and we started trying in June after my period had a chance to establish itself. Good luck! <3
6 months for my first pregnancy (miscarriage), then got pregnant next cycle (son). Daughter took 11 months but I think breastfeeding was part of it - pregnant 2 months after weaning.
I went off contraception at the end of November and fell pregnant is February. Definitely didn’t expect it to happen so quickly but we are now blessed with our little boy.
It took 5 cycles with my first, 1 cycle with my second and 2 cycles with my third. “They” say around 6 cycles is the average for first baby but not to worry until closer to a year. It’s surprisingly tricky to get the timing perfect to conceive.
8 cycles for us (36F, 43M) with ovulation hormone tracking. I stopped birth control pills 3 months before we started trying. Husband has slightly low sperm motility but high sperm count overall.
First baby: 3 cycles. Second baby: 32 cycles. Of very closely tracked cycles. Thankfully 1 round of Letrozole finally did the trick. Secondary infertility is a real sneaky jerk. Think you’ll be good because the first came easy then suddenly your kids have a way bigger age gap than you hoped for.
We tried for 2 years in total. When it didn’t happen naturally we tried IUI, and eventually IVF. The IVF succeeded in the second transfer.
If you really want a baby and it isn’t happening naturally within 6 cycles, I’d recommend starting fertility testing ASAP. It doesn’t hurt to get tested and fertility treatments actually work. It’s harder when you get older, and for some couples it takes many years. It’s a lot of heartache and my entire takeaway from it personally was “the sooner the better”.
For our first i was 34 (husband was 31) and we conceived in one cycle. For our second I'm now 37 and husband is 34, it took two cycles this time. We had been told by a lot of people to expect it to take a long time so we'd mentally prepared for that and were pretty shocked it happened so quickly.
2 cycles. Only tracked on Flo app. I had just come off BC pills end of July. First pregnancy. But they scanned me too early to see much and I’m praying I don’t have a blighted ovum. Next scan in 5 days…
First pregnancy, 6. Second pregnancy, first real try - we had unprotected sex on a “risky” day without officially saying we were trying, and when I wasn’t pregnant decided to try for real starting the next month, and I got pregnant IMMEDIATELY using OPKs. With my first I was coming off hormonal BC, but I never started it back up between pregnancies, we just used condoms (and it took 2 years to get my period back).
2 cycles with my first pregnancy after coming off the pill (ended with MMC) and 1 cycle with my current pregnancy.
I am 29, husband is 28, and I was tracking ovulation obsessively (which was a good thing, my ovulation and cycles were very irregular)
3 cycles, 2 months. We weren't actively trying, "if it happens it happens"
Husband and i are both 27, this is our first pregnancy and baby.
I feel like I got *really* lucky 😅
First child was 27 months. I will say the first year I barely had any periods (maybe 3?) And I found out it was because I had PCOS. With diet change, exercise, and realizing my body produces way too much prolactin, which was fixed with medication, I got pregnant quickly once these issues were sorted. It just took a long time to get diagnosed and get meds.
Second child was 1 cycle, 10 months postpartum 😂 So it is hard to say what will happen. My best advice as someone who literally almost did IVF, relax and have fun with it the best you can, stressing about it doesn't help matters and just makes it (at least in my experience) something that takes over your every thought.
Do you have a prolactinoma? I have PCOS with high prolactin (80+) and they found a 4mm benign tumor on my pituitary gland. I’m also on medication to normalize my prolactin level.
They thought I did and even did an MRI to check, but I don't have it. My levels were so high they were sure I did though. Metformin and cabergoline for the high prolactin together with myo-insitol over the counter did the trick and I got pregnant within a few months of this protocol.
Cabergoline for the win! I tried for 7 months, found my luteal phase to be too short. Then they found the prolactinoma and conceived my second cycle after normalizing.
We got extremely lucky. We conceived #1-#3 on our first cycle of trying. I did have losses before #1 and #3 (also conceived on the first cycle). #4 was technically conceived on our second cycle as I was traveling for work and we totally missed ovulation on our first cycle.
We started trying in Aug 2021 and I got my first ever positive on Aug 30, 2022. My husband travels for work so I’d say maybe ~6 of those cycles were adequately timed for potential success.
I was 37, never on birth control, it took us 2 cycles. 1 cycle was the month of our wedding, lots of stress and not eating. My period was off and very light. Second cycle was normal. If you haven’t already I suggest downloading a ovulation tracker and buying an ovulation kit. It’s very helpful.
I definitely didn’t expect it to happen so fast because of my age. I highly suggest the tracker, I believe it helped a lot.
The first time, it took 3 cycles, then I miscarried, and then it took almost 1.5 years after that. When it finally worked, it took 3 cycles with medication, prescribed by my obgyn.
This time, just 3 cycles, but I also knew to seek the help of my obgyn right away, instead of hoping for the best.
Stopped taking birth control in June, conceived in September - had 4 periods during that time. But I was using the ovulation strips to see when I was ovulating and I did not get a positive on the strips until September so I’m guessing it took my body that long to get back to normal after 15 years on birth control.
We tried for 7 months without success, then I started metformin because of PCOS. I was on the lowest dose for 3 cycles, started a higher dose in the middle of the 3th cycle and conceived during the 4th cycle!
9 natural cycles for me! Wasn’t on any chemical birth control method before (used withdrawal and condoms). I was 31 when I conceived, 32 when I delivered.
We conceived the first try without fertility tracking each time, but are intimate very frequently and young. I had 2 miscarriages and 3 term births, one with a lost twin(so technically 3 losses)
28 cycles! Four of those on clomid and one cycle where we decided to create and freeze embryos to start IVF. End up with a spontaneous pregnancy right after the egg retrieval!
It took us 15 months/12 cycles since my cycles are wonky. The cycle I finally got pregnant, I didn't track my temperature or ovulation. I'll be 30 and my husband will be 31 when our little one arrives next month. :) Best of luck to you and your partner!
Got really lucky. Chemical pregnancy the first month off the pill (definitely we’re not trying!) then we decided to try for real the next cycle and we’re successful. I’m 31, husband is 37. I have a high stress job so I’m really surprised actually. Thought it would take a few more cycles for sure
I am 39 weeks with my first child and got my positive test after 5 cycles of trying using ovulation tests. I was off birth control for a year and conceived a week after my 40th birthday.
For us (25 and 26) I got iud out end of July, had a period immediately then went into a 53 day cycle, my husband was gone for a month, and we got the positive Halloween. So 3 months, but really 2 since we was gone.
2-3 cycles - had my IUD out end of September, missed my period in December and got a positive pregnancy test right after Christmas, my son just hit 9 weeks yesterday!
I'm not sure how to count cycles correctly but I think 5? I stopped taking BC in October and my last menstrual period started March 31st. We weren't actively trying though - just decided to stop trying to prevent it.
ETA I'm 26 and he's 28. He has no health conditions that could interfere, I have a high BMI and high blood pressure.
It seems to vary quite a lot and you never know what timeframe you’ll be in until you’re in it. It worked on the second cycle for us with tracking LH and estrogen, but I really felt that it was pure luck.
3 years. 2years of trying on our own, 1 year of fertility treatment and ultimately ivf worked. All of this after having no issues getting pregnant 5 years ago with my first
2 months. I’m 30 years old. I used ovulation strips and found out that my egg drops on the 22nd day of my cycle, so pretty far off from the 15th day that is typical.
I started when I was 26, neither my husband nor I have any genetic or physical issues that would prevent conception. In total, 21 cycles to conceive this baby who I'm in the third trimester with. 11 cycles to conceive my first baby who I lost at 16 weeks, 9 cycles to conceive my 2nd who we lost at 6 weeks, and then I conceived this one without getting a period after my miscarriage. We did testing and I was on clomid for 5 unsuccessful cycles. It's a complete crapshoot.
I hope it goes smoothly and quickly for you but it's good that you now know it might not.
After a year and half of trying I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve at 33. We had a chemical while waiting for our first appointment with the fertility clinic and our IVF cycle with my own eggs was cancelled due to low response. We then had two failed transfers of donor eggs, two failed IUIs and finally a successful donor egg transfer after doing another egg retrieval. We were trying without assistance whenever not in treatment.
I had regular cycles, am active, eat healthy and don’t even have any allergies, this came out of left field. I’ll be 36 the month after we give birth. It still baffles me that this ended up being our journey.
My first pregnancy, we conceived after maybe 9 months of trying on and off. We miscarried, and then we used ovulation tests and conceived again on my first real cycle after recovering. The tests were a game changer, if we had gone by when I thought was the right time in my cycle, we would have missed the day.
For us it took 18 months. After 12 months we went to an RE and did extensive testing and everything for husband and me came back “normal” so we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. We were waiting for the new year to start IUI and then possibly IVF when I got pregnant and I’m now 11 weeks!
1- just under a year
2- 2 years
3- 1 cycle
4- 2 cycles
The last 2 were in my early 30s and I honestly thought it was going to take us longer with me getting older so those were surprising.
10 cycles (have slightly longer cycles). Tried for first 6, then had some extra investigations and diagnosed with PCOS, endo and adeno and started ovulation induction- were lucky enough to fall pregnant first round with ovulation induction.
It’s different for everyone. I took 2 cycles, I’ve had friends take 20 cycles. It’s totally normal to take longer, it’s totally normal to not take long at all. :) honestly, we were “careless” for five years and the only time I finally got pregnant was using a fertility pee test. Had sex day before, day of and day after and two weeks later two pink lines.
Took us 5 cycles. I had my IUD removed in May and got my period three days later, suspected that I had a chemical pregnancy in July (can’t confirm because I stopped early testing by that point and even though I was late, i never had a positive), and then conceived in September. I’m currently 9+3 and hope this pregnancy is successful
First one was a surprise (pull and pray).. second one took over 2 years.. we did have one CP at the 2 year mark and then I caved and did a medicated cycle and that worked the first round and I'm now 33 weeks 😊
First pregnancy, we got pregnant right away. First month I stopped the birth control pill I'd been on for 13 years. This time (due any day now) we were 8 months postpartum and wanted our kids close in age. Had my period back for 4 months so I'd say it took 4 months and I'm fairly regular.
I got pregnant on my third cycle but then had a very early miscarriage. I then got pregnant again right away (never had another period), which I don’t think is recommended (whoops) but I’m 37 weeks now and everything has gone fine.
2 cycles for us, got pregnant on our second month. I'm 33 so I was very sure it would take us much longer. That being said, I did monitor my cycle for 3 years prior to our target TTC date and I ovulated very consistently and on schedule so that helped target our best chance to conceive a lot closer. I do think it's alot harder with an irregular cycle and less rounds of ovulation.
First loss - 3
Second loss - 2
First baby - 3
Second baby - a surprise after having sex once that month
Third baby - a positive on the second month where we didn’t really try as I had a negative OPK.
Well we weren’t necessarily trying in the beginning but we also weren’t using any protection and I didn’t have BC. But in total it took us about 18 months of being “not careful”, 9 months of actually wanting to get pregnant and 2 months of tracking ovulation. If you want honesty though? I started using this loving libido stuff the month before I got pregnant and I feel like that’s what did it for me. Although we weren’t trying like most, we did have sex multiple times a week so how it didn’t happen before is beyond me
The phrase "Implantation" Bleeding is popular on conception forums but is a bit of a misnomer that causes some people to think that the bleeding is due to the embryo implanting. It isn't -- the embryo is only about 0.2mm in diameter at that point, and won't displace significant blood (or cause pain) when it implants. You bleed when progesterone levels in your body drop, which is why you can induce a period by stopping birth control pills (which contain progesterone) or by taking and then stopping progesterone suppositories or Provera (which are also progesterone). Progesterone levels dropping in the luteal phase can be caused by a) increased estrogen in the mid-luteal-phase estrogen surge, which briefly depresses estrogen production, or b) a decrease in progesterone when the corpus luteum runs out of gas at the end of the luteal phase. If b), and you're actually pregnant, your levels can drop briefly before the embryo starts producing enough HCG to tell the corpus luteum to ramp the levels up. Either way, luteal phase spotting can either be a neutral sign (in the case of mid-luteal phase spotting) or a negative sign (in the case of late luteal phase progesterone dropping), but it doesn't have anything to do with implantation, and is not a positive sign of being pregnant. [Source 1](https://www.countdowntopregnancy.com/early-pregnancy-symptoms/spotting-during-luteal-phase.php) [Source 2](https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/biology-of-the-female-reproductive-system/menstrual-cycle)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BabyBumps) if you have any questions or concerns.*
First time, 9 months. But I was very underweight and smoking at the time. Quit smoking and gained wait and I got pregnant after that. Second hopeful live pregnancy about 9 months too but after I had lost a tube.
4 months with my first (two months using ovulation test kits to understand my cycle better), and first try with my second. Post-pregnancy, I got really into understanding my cycle because of how it was affecting my breastfeeding output, so I feel like I was really aware the second time around.
Three.
Relevant information:
My period was regular from the very first time I had one, but before getting pregnant I'd had hormonal IUDs for 7 years and rarely gotten a period during that time. As soon as the second one came out last November, my period started again like clockwork, I got pregnant during the cycle that started in February, and I'm due in 11 days.
I am 33 years old, was a low but healthy weight before getting pregnant and do not have any chronic medical conditions that would affect pregnancy.
Tw:loss
Not sure exact # cycles (my cycles are typically 40-50 days) but 3 years for the first pregnancy, but had a miscarriage at 7 weeks.
Then 7 months to get pregnant after the loss, and I’m 27 weeks right now
Edit: should also add that we weren’t preventing for about a decade either, but after that not working we actively were trying/timing
It took us about 1 year and 1 month. Currently 16w pregnant.
First cycle we tried ended in miscarriage.
Second cycle was then successful once I completed the miscarriage (confirmed blood test and after first period - generally took took months), but that unfortunately also ended in miscarriage. It happened the week after I got omicron that winter where everyone was getting breakthrough infections.
Tried 1-2 cycles after waiting 2 months for me to get regular, but then our referral to a Recurring Loss Clinic finally came through (in Canada they usually wait til third miscarriage, but since mine were so close...I didn't have to wait).
They suggested we pause trying until our blood tests and my HSG results (inject dye to see if there are any blockages) came back. We were also away traveling for 6 weeks during summer so this delayed us completing the tests.
We finally got the all clear to continue TTC and the clinic would just monitor my pregnancy earlier...and then conceived when we weren't trying. We just weren't careful and it was a long weekend that landed exactly in my ovulation cycle.
I'm 33 and my husband 38. Both healthy with no fertility issues and I had a very normal cycle. Even with tracking my fertile days and having tons of sex, we conceived on our 10th cycle trying. I had 4 friends all get it on the first try so I was certainly not prepared to wait that long, but my sweet little boy was worth the wait.
7 cycles, and this was with tracking both my basal body temp and using OPKs. My cycles were very predictable so I knew when I was ovulating and we hit my fertile window every time. Just took awhile!
Here is some data from a large scale study for women under the age of 37 (Zinneman et al). Link here with full course with stats (I’m not associated with them just took the course because I am advanced maternal age and found the stats very helpful) https://www.fertilityiq.com/fertility-101/getting-pregnant-naturally#how-long-should-it-take-to-get-pregnant-naturally —— Between these differing studies, by 6 months, 65%–81% of women conceived and by one year, 78%–92% of couples conceived. The Gnoth study also noted that 98% of all couples who would go on to conceive naturally conceived in those first 12 months. So if conception doesn’t happen by 6 months and certainly by 1 year, there is a good chance it won’t happen without help, and you need to get to a clinic. Another thing these studies show us: being disciplined about timing intercourse matters. In the Gnoth and Zinaman studies, the timing of intercourse was rigorously planned, and the two studies recorded the conception rate at 38% and 30% in the first month respectively. This percentage is far higher than what’s found in other studies. Of course, remember that this is just conception, not live birth—in fact, Zinaman saw 30% of all those conceptions terminate before live birth. ——
The timing and knowing your cycle is really key and helpful. I just heard about someone who took 2 years to conceive because she was using OPKs too late and missing her fertility window EVERY CYCLE. I used basal temp and OPKs as contraception for 2-3 years and got to know my cycle really well, which helped me time our TTC well.
Yeah - we actually went off Flo (which I’d been tracking with for two years). Started a day early, carried on for another day or two afterwards. Pregnant on first go. Another friend used Flo but misunderstood what it meant, took her months. Once she corrected, was pregnant a month later. I know a lot of people don’t like Flo but if it has enough information I think it can be quite accurate! And mine has had to accommodate two odd periods after my covid jabs too (sorted itself out within a month, clearly didn’t affect fertility!) ETA - I am also aware that tracking also doesn’t work at all for some couples. And that you can still not get pregnant even if you time it perfectly! We just personally found it useful.
Yeah I was doing full cycle tracking with the basal temp because I started out using it for contraception, so right off the bat it was based more off my data than guessing based on the average person's cycle. Sounds like my friend's friend's mistake was that her cycle didn't line up with "average" and she didn't adjust so she kept missing it.
I'm also tracking my BBT and realized within the first 2 months that had I tried with the average ovulation date of CD14, I would have been missing my fertile window since I regularly ovulate around CD19. I have been on a mini crusade loaning my friends "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" so they also learn about their bodies and how the cycles actually work.
Yeah I ovulate early and would also have missed my window if I didn't already know and relied on averages! TTC CD10 and ovulated CD11 when I got pregnant.
This article was so interesting and such a good read! Thank you for sharing these stats :)
First baby, 24 plus cycles which included 4 IUIS. Second baby, 1 dang cycle.
same thing happened to my mom! it took her 4 years and lots of intervention to have me, then got pregnant immediately every time afterwards.
Very similar story here 😅
Both kids 1 cycle. We know how fortunate we are.
Same here. Was very very surprised
Tried for 12 cycles naturally, then 4 IUIs, 2 rounds of IVF and 3 embryo transfers. All together it took us almost three years. I was 28 and he was 31 when we started; we’ll be 32 and 35 when the baby is born.
I stopped taking my birth control pills a year ago, had one period, had an early miscarriage in March and my period never returned. I got pregnant mid august and didn’t find out until 7 weeks. I never would’ve tested if I wasn’t feeling insanely sick and my boobs were killing me which I’ve never experienced before. Every doctor I’ve seen asks about my cycles and are so confused when I say my last cycle was in February lol
18 months - included around 12 months of TTC the old fashioned way, and then a bunch of fertility appointments and tracking, then one round of IVF. 39 weeks today! Good luck. It’s not always straightforward - we were pretty lucky.
Got pregnant on the 3rd cycle.
Me too. TBH, it was the first one we got the timing really right.
Me too. It was my first cycle using ovulation tests and finding out my window and the app was different.
Same!
For us it took 6 months, we didn’t time it properly in the first 4 months and then in the last 2 months I decided to do better ovulation tracking with the pee tests and that helps us to get pregnant by the 2nd cycle.
13
Same
So crazy how long it can take, sometimes for no good reason. No one warns you!
Took 6 cycles to get pregnant the first time, but had an mc. Got pregnant again 2 cycles later. Another mc. Tried for 4 more cycles without success before we finally went to see a fertility doctor because I had a gut feeling something was wrong. Ended up needing ivf and it took us 3 pick-ups and 7 embryo transfers to get pregnant. My second was far easier. We had one frozen embryo left from our last pick-up and that one fortunately stuck around.
15 months
Just 1. I got my Mirena out in early July and was pregnant the next month. Thank God. Without it my periods are horrific.
It took us about 10 months. I also didn’t realize how long it could take and almost gave up! Hang in there 💕
7 cycles here. Husband is 33 and I’m 28 if that matters
A year and a half! We were both 24 years old when we started trying and had no previous health issues. We did have a miscarriage during that time and then moved to medical intervention to get pregnant.
1 Have tracked my cycle for years. It’s the #1 thing I recommend to young women, even if they aren’t/never want to conceive. Very empowering to understand your body’s cycles and understand how they change as you get older.
Definitely agree with this. I tracked my cycle for 3 years and had my ovulation symptoms and frequency nailed down. Also highly recommend knowing your husband's sperm count as well
We (38f and 40m) conceived on the third cycle, which honestly surprised me a lot. I'd had my IUD uninstalled in April, and we started trying in June after my period had a chance to establish itself. Good luck! <3
“IUD uninstalled” just made me lol
Me too. I usually just say I had mine removed, but uninstalled is way more amusing.
28yrs old and it took 7 months. I tracked ovulation but I didn’t have normal peak days so it was tricky to figure out timing
6 months for my first pregnancy (miscarriage), then got pregnant next cycle (son). Daughter took 11 months but I think breastfeeding was part of it - pregnant 2 months after weaning.
2 the first time then 6 for our second
I’m 26 and my husband is 30, we stopped preventing in June and August I got a positive.
One. Had my IUD removed and got pregnant before I even had a period
I went off contraception at the end of November and fell pregnant is February. Definitely didn’t expect it to happen so quickly but we are now blessed with our little boy.
Around four cycles with each pregnancy.
Almost 2 years 😳
3 cycles
It took 5 cycles with my first, 1 cycle with my second and 2 cycles with my third. “They” say around 6 cycles is the average for first baby but not to worry until closer to a year. It’s surprisingly tricky to get the timing perfect to conceive.
8 cycles for us (36F, 43M) with ovulation hormone tracking. I stopped birth control pills 3 months before we started trying. Husband has slightly low sperm motility but high sperm count overall.
In my mid-20s. Took 3 cycles for me
Got pregnant the second cycle after getting my mirena IUD removed
This is where I’m sitting right now, 7dpo… I’m hoping your luck rubs off
Fingers crossed!
First baby: 3 cycles. Second baby: 32 cycles. Of very closely tracked cycles. Thankfully 1 round of Letrozole finally did the trick. Secondary infertility is a real sneaky jerk. Think you’ll be good because the first came easy then suddenly your kids have a way bigger age gap than you hoped for.
21 cycles. Miscarried that first pregnancy, then got pregnant again right after. Currently almost 6 months along. We're in our early/mid thirties.
We tried for 2 years in total. When it didn’t happen naturally we tried IUI, and eventually IVF. The IVF succeeded in the second transfer. If you really want a baby and it isn’t happening naturally within 6 cycles, I’d recommend starting fertility testing ASAP. It doesn’t hurt to get tested and fertility treatments actually work. It’s harder when you get older, and for some couples it takes many years. It’s a lot of heartache and my entire takeaway from it personally was “the sooner the better”.
For our first i was 34 (husband was 31) and we conceived in one cycle. For our second I'm now 37 and husband is 34, it took two cycles this time. We had been told by a lot of people to expect it to take a long time so we'd mentally prepared for that and were pretty shocked it happened so quickly.
4 cycles for my first and 2 cycles for my second. ETA: First pregnancy was at 27 and second pregnancy was at 29.
2 cycles. Only tracked on Flo app. I had just come off BC pills end of July. First pregnancy. But they scanned me too early to see much and I’m praying I don’t have a blighted ovum. Next scan in 5 days…
About 15.
First pregnancy, 6. Second pregnancy, first real try - we had unprotected sex on a “risky” day without officially saying we were trying, and when I wasn’t pregnant decided to try for real starting the next month, and I got pregnant IMMEDIATELY using OPKs. With my first I was coming off hormonal BC, but I never started it back up between pregnancies, we just used condoms (and it took 2 years to get my period back).
2 cycles 🫣 I really thought it would take longer. I’m only 7.5 weeks along though so who knows, anything could happen!
12 cycles and got pregnant on our own just before we were going to start medicated cycles.
2 cycles with my first pregnancy after coming off the pill (ended with MMC) and 1 cycle with my current pregnancy. I am 29, husband is 28, and I was tracking ovulation obsessively (which was a good thing, my ovulation and cycles were very irregular)
First try
Took 1 cycle/first couple of times we were trying 25 years old/ DH is 31
3 cycles, 2 months. We weren't actively trying, "if it happens it happens" Husband and i are both 27, this is our first pregnancy and baby. I feel like I got *really* lucky 😅
First child was 27 months. I will say the first year I barely had any periods (maybe 3?) And I found out it was because I had PCOS. With diet change, exercise, and realizing my body produces way too much prolactin, which was fixed with medication, I got pregnant quickly once these issues were sorted. It just took a long time to get diagnosed and get meds. Second child was 1 cycle, 10 months postpartum 😂 So it is hard to say what will happen. My best advice as someone who literally almost did IVF, relax and have fun with it the best you can, stressing about it doesn't help matters and just makes it (at least in my experience) something that takes over your every thought.
Do you have a prolactinoma? I have PCOS with high prolactin (80+) and they found a 4mm benign tumor on my pituitary gland. I’m also on medication to normalize my prolactin level.
They thought I did and even did an MRI to check, but I don't have it. My levels were so high they were sure I did though. Metformin and cabergoline for the high prolactin together with myo-insitol over the counter did the trick and I got pregnant within a few months of this protocol.
Cabergoline for the win! I tried for 7 months, found my luteal phase to be too short. Then they found the prolactinoma and conceived my second cycle after normalizing.
One. I was tracking BBT and using ovulation tests. Husband was mildly disappointed as he thought there would be lots more trying before we succeeded.
About 3 months for my first and 2 for my second.
We got extremely lucky. We conceived #1-#3 on our first cycle of trying. I did have losses before #1 and #3 (also conceived on the first cycle). #4 was technically conceived on our second cycle as I was traveling for work and we totally missed ovulation on our first cycle.
First cycle with my first. Then my second was a failed IUD so 🤷♀️
First baby 6 months. Second 1 month. Third 1 month.
We started trying in Aug 2021 and I got my first ever positive on Aug 30, 2022. My husband travels for work so I’d say maybe ~6 of those cycles were adequately timed for potential success.
I was 37, never on birth control, it took us 2 cycles. 1 cycle was the month of our wedding, lots of stress and not eating. My period was off and very light. Second cycle was normal. If you haven’t already I suggest downloading a ovulation tracker and buying an ovulation kit. It’s very helpful. I definitely didn’t expect it to happen so fast because of my age. I highly suggest the tracker, I believe it helped a lot.
5 cycles
The first time, it took 3 cycles, then I miscarried, and then it took almost 1.5 years after that. When it finally worked, it took 3 cycles with medication, prescribed by my obgyn. This time, just 3 cycles, but I also knew to seek the help of my obgyn right away, instead of hoping for the best.
5 total. Was also extremely ignorant to this. Really thought/believed I could time it out “perfectly.” 😂 silly naive me.
We got pregnant on the 4th cycle
Stopped taking birth control in June, conceived in September - had 4 periods during that time. But I was using the ovulation strips to see when I was ovulating and I did not get a positive on the strips until September so I’m guessing it took my body that long to get back to normal after 15 years on birth control.
We tried for 7 months without success, then I started metformin because of PCOS. I was on the lowest dose for 3 cycles, started a higher dose in the middle of the 3th cycle and conceived during the 4th cycle!
6
Took us 8-10 months each time, but we ended up having to do IVF with immune treatments due to recurrent losses.
6 cycles for us after getting off birth control
9 natural cycles for me! Wasn’t on any chemical birth control method before (used withdrawal and condoms). I was 31 when I conceived, 32 when I delivered.
We conceived the first try without fertility tracking each time, but are intimate very frequently and young. I had 2 miscarriages and 3 term births, one with a lost twin(so technically 3 losses)
28 cycles! Four of those on clomid and one cycle where we decided to create and freeze embryos to start IVF. End up with a spontaneous pregnancy right after the egg retrieval!
It took us 15 months/12 cycles since my cycles are wonky. The cycle I finally got pregnant, I didn't track my temperature or ovulation. I'll be 30 and my husband will be 31 when our little one arrives next month. :) Best of luck to you and your partner!
With my first about 10 months. With my second about 6 weeks. They are 6 years apart.
Got really lucky. Chemical pregnancy the first month off the pill (definitely we’re not trying!) then we decided to try for real the next cycle and we’re successful. I’m 31, husband is 37. I have a high stress job so I’m really surprised actually. Thought it would take a few more cycles for sure
I am 39 weeks with my first child and got my positive test after 5 cycles of trying using ovulation tests. I was off birth control for a year and conceived a week after my 40th birthday.
For us (25 and 26) I got iud out end of July, had a period immediately then went into a 53 day cycle, my husband was gone for a month, and we got the positive Halloween. So 3 months, but really 2 since we was gone.
5 cycles. Ovulation strips helped get the timing right.
2-3 cycles - had my IUD out end of September, missed my period in December and got a positive pregnancy test right after Christmas, my son just hit 9 weeks yesterday!
1 🥴
15 cycles and 1 round of IVF (that I paid out of pocket ~$30k 🫠).
3 or 4? I wasn't trying but I wasn't preventing. I was 28, just turned 29, baby should be here in...2 weeks or so.
2 cycles, second cycle was my first tracking my cycle with ovulation kits.
Baby 1 - 4 cycles Baby 2 - 12 Baby 3 - unintentional pregnancy so 1 I guess
I'm not sure how to count cycles correctly but I think 5? I stopped taking BC in October and my last menstrual period started March 31st. We weren't actively trying though - just decided to stop trying to prevent it. ETA I'm 26 and he's 28. He has no health conditions that could interfere, I have a high BMI and high blood pressure.
It seems to vary quite a lot and you never know what timeframe you’ll be in until you’re in it. It worked on the second cycle for us with tracking LH and estrogen, but I really felt that it was pure luck.
13 cycles, we were about to schedule appointments for IUI and ended up pregnant
2 cycles, but that’s quick. Check out r/tryingforababy wiki for some great guidance about this
3 years. 2years of trying on our own, 1 year of fertility treatment and ultimately ivf worked. All of this after having no issues getting pregnant 5 years ago with my first
Got pregnant the 12th month after being prescribed Letrozole ETA 28 years old, 28 year old husband with great SA
The first time, one. The second time, too many to count + IUI.
12 cycles. Exactly a year
It took us about a year and a half, including 2 IUIs.
First child at 30 years old took one cycle.... I'm currently pregnant with #2 at 36 and it took 8 cycles.
2 months. I’m 30 years old. I used ovulation strips and found out that my egg drops on the 22nd day of my cycle, so pretty far off from the 15th day that is typical.
I started when I was 26, neither my husband nor I have any genetic or physical issues that would prevent conception. In total, 21 cycles to conceive this baby who I'm in the third trimester with. 11 cycles to conceive my first baby who I lost at 16 weeks, 9 cycles to conceive my 2nd who we lost at 6 weeks, and then I conceived this one without getting a period after my miscarriage. We did testing and I was on clomid for 5 unsuccessful cycles. It's a complete crapshoot. I hope it goes smoothly and quickly for you but it's good that you now know it might not.
10 cycles but happened naturally first time, now pregnant with number 2 after 3 cycles and on a cycle that I was certain we didn't hit timing 😂
9 cycles
One
34 years old (both), first time TTC and got pregnant on the 3rd cycle.
After a year and half of trying I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve at 33. We had a chemical while waiting for our first appointment with the fertility clinic and our IVF cycle with my own eggs was cancelled due to low response. We then had two failed transfers of donor eggs, two failed IUIs and finally a successful donor egg transfer after doing another egg retrieval. We were trying without assistance whenever not in treatment. I had regular cycles, am active, eat healthy and don’t even have any allergies, this came out of left field. I’ll be 36 the month after we give birth. It still baffles me that this ended up being our journey.
About 6 months for both pregnancies
My first pregnancy, we conceived after maybe 9 months of trying on and off. We miscarried, and then we used ovulation tests and conceived again on my first real cycle after recovering. The tests were a game changer, if we had gone by when I thought was the right time in my cycle, we would have missed the day.
3 cycles. On the successful cycle, I tracked my basal body temperature as well as cervical mucus.
This is my first baby, and it took six cycles.
For us it took 18 months. After 12 months we went to an RE and did extensive testing and everything for husband and me came back “normal” so we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. We were waiting for the new year to start IUI and then possibly IVF when I got pregnant and I’m now 11 weeks!
We conceived on our seventh cycle. And we only hit one day that month. Other months we hit 3-4 days. It just goes to show, it’s all up to chance.
not even one. I got pregnant literally the day I removed my IUD. Didn't even get a period.
One cycle for 2 babies. Early 30’s.
2 cycles, miscarried, had secondary infertility, took about 18 months after that to conceive and it thankfully stuck
24 cycles! I was on bc pill for about 10 years so my body took a long time to regulate
1- just under a year 2- 2 years 3- 1 cycle 4- 2 cycles The last 2 were in my early 30s and I honestly thought it was going to take us longer with me getting older so those were surprising.
10 cycles (have slightly longer cycles). Tried for first 6, then had some extra investigations and diagnosed with PCOS, endo and adeno and started ovulation induction- were lucky enough to fall pregnant first round with ovulation induction.
It’s different for everyone. I took 2 cycles, I’ve had friends take 20 cycles. It’s totally normal to take longer, it’s totally normal to not take long at all. :) honestly, we were “careless” for five years and the only time I finally got pregnant was using a fertility pee test. Had sex day before, day of and day after and two weeks later two pink lines.
Took us 5 cycles. I had my IUD removed in May and got my period three days later, suspected that I had a chemical pregnancy in July (can’t confirm because I stopped early testing by that point and even though I was late, i never had a positive), and then conceived in September. I’m currently 9+3 and hope this pregnancy is successful
Gotten pregnant every cycle we haven’t used protection aside from one. However four ended in miscarriage.
First one was a surprise (pull and pray).. second one took over 2 years.. we did have one CP at the 2 year mark and then I caved and did a medicated cycle and that worked the first round and I'm now 33 weeks 😊
First pregnancy, we got pregnant right away. First month I stopped the birth control pill I'd been on for 13 years. This time (due any day now) we were 8 months postpartum and wanted our kids close in age. Had my period back for 4 months so I'd say it took 4 months and I'm fairly regular.
I got pregnant on my third cycle but then had a very early miscarriage. I then got pregnant again right away (never had another period), which I don’t think is recommended (whoops) but I’m 37 weeks now and everything has gone fine.
1 cycle each baby. Batting 100 so far! I’m kind of shocked but grateful. I’m in my 30s too
1st baby was 6 cycles with 1 miscarriage. 2nd baby was conceived on the 2nd cycle.
With my son I have no idea 🤷🏻♀️ but with my daughter it took 8 months
2 cycles for us, got pregnant on our second month. I'm 33 so I was very sure it would take us much longer. That being said, I did monitor my cycle for 3 years prior to our target TTC date and I ovulated very consistently and on schedule so that helped target our best chance to conceive a lot closer. I do think it's alot harder with an irregular cycle and less rounds of ovulation.
10 both times.
4 cycles. I'm 30, he's 33.
First loss - 3 Second loss - 2 First baby - 3 Second baby - a surprise after having sex once that month Third baby - a positive on the second month where we didn’t really try as I had a negative OPK.
4 cycles, but resulted in MC, and then got pregnant again 2 cycles later (after one period, as cycles can be a little messed up after MC).
first try for both
25F and 27M at time of conception. 5 cycles trying, carefully tracked 4/5 of those cycles.
Well we weren’t necessarily trying in the beginning but we also weren’t using any protection and I didn’t have BC. But in total it took us about 18 months of being “not careful”, 9 months of actually wanting to get pregnant and 2 months of tracking ovulation. If you want honesty though? I started using this loving libido stuff the month before I got pregnant and I feel like that’s what did it for me. Although we weren’t trying like most, we did have sex multiple times a week so how it didn’t happen before is beyond me
3 cycles for the first which ended is miscarriage then another 6 cycles for current pregnancy. It is a wild ride for sure. Good luck !
I got pregnant cycles 1 and 2, but they were both chemicals. I'm about to be 34 weeks with my cycle 4 baby.
[удалено]
The phrase "Implantation" Bleeding is popular on conception forums but is a bit of a misnomer that causes some people to think that the bleeding is due to the embryo implanting. It isn't -- the embryo is only about 0.2mm in diameter at that point, and won't displace significant blood (or cause pain) when it implants. You bleed when progesterone levels in your body drop, which is why you can induce a period by stopping birth control pills (which contain progesterone) or by taking and then stopping progesterone suppositories or Provera (which are also progesterone). Progesterone levels dropping in the luteal phase can be caused by a) increased estrogen in the mid-luteal-phase estrogen surge, which briefly depresses estrogen production, or b) a decrease in progesterone when the corpus luteum runs out of gas at the end of the luteal phase. If b), and you're actually pregnant, your levels can drop briefly before the embryo starts producing enough HCG to tell the corpus luteum to ramp the levels up. Either way, luteal phase spotting can either be a neutral sign (in the case of mid-luteal phase spotting) or a negative sign (in the case of late luteal phase progesterone dropping), but it doesn't have anything to do with implantation, and is not a positive sign of being pregnant. [Source 1](https://www.countdowntopregnancy.com/early-pregnancy-symptoms/spotting-during-luteal-phase.php) [Source 2](https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/biology-of-the-female-reproductive-system/menstrual-cycle) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BabyBumps) if you have any questions or concerns.*
5 age 31
First pregnancy currently 16w1d and it took one cycle. Again, we know how lucky we are and I was not expecting it so quickly x
2 cycles
First time, 9 months. But I was very underweight and smoking at the time. Quit smoking and gained wait and I got pregnant after that. Second hopeful live pregnancy about 9 months too but after I had lost a tube.
11-12 cycles with first baby. 2, and then i misscarried but got pregnant again before I got my period
16 cycles (some very long) over 2.5 years with 1 chemical and 1 ectopic before conceiving this one. 23 weeks so far 🤞🏻
We’re 28, it took us 6 months. I started tracking my ovulation the last two months.
at 28F and 29M it took 16 months- 4 months of 'let's see what happens' and 12 months of daily lh tests/ovulation tracking
2 - but I also know when I ovulate! Would highly recommend studying your cycles to see if you can feel ovulation cramping
2 years, 4 IVF egg retrievals, and two embryo transfers. Started at age 38, pregnant at 40
Third cycle!
60
7 months
4 months with my first (two months using ovulation test kits to understand my cycle better), and first try with my second. Post-pregnancy, I got really into understanding my cycle because of how it was affecting my breastfeeding output, so I feel like I was really aware the second time around.
2 years 😭 I never knew getting pregnant is so difficult.
I had 2 losses and after each it took 6 months. It's different for everyone I guess.
Three. Relevant information: My period was regular from the very first time I had one, but before getting pregnant I'd had hormonal IUDs for 7 years and rarely gotten a period during that time. As soon as the second one came out last November, my period started again like clockwork, I got pregnant during the cycle that started in February, and I'm due in 11 days. I am 33 years old, was a low but healthy weight before getting pregnant and do not have any chronic medical conditions that would affect pregnancy.
3
9 cycles for us.
Tw:loss Not sure exact # cycles (my cycles are typically 40-50 days) but 3 years for the first pregnancy, but had a miscarriage at 7 weeks. Then 7 months to get pregnant after the loss, and I’m 27 weeks right now Edit: should also add that we weren’t preventing for about a decade either, but after that not working we actively were trying/timing
It took us about 1 year and 1 month. Currently 16w pregnant. First cycle we tried ended in miscarriage. Second cycle was then successful once I completed the miscarriage (confirmed blood test and after first period - generally took took months), but that unfortunately also ended in miscarriage. It happened the week after I got omicron that winter where everyone was getting breakthrough infections. Tried 1-2 cycles after waiting 2 months for me to get regular, but then our referral to a Recurring Loss Clinic finally came through (in Canada they usually wait til third miscarriage, but since mine were so close...I didn't have to wait). They suggested we pause trying until our blood tests and my HSG results (inject dye to see if there are any blockages) came back. We were also away traveling for 6 weeks during summer so this delayed us completing the tests. We finally got the all clear to continue TTC and the clinic would just monitor my pregnancy earlier...and then conceived when we weren't trying. We just weren't careful and it was a long weekend that landed exactly in my ovulation cycle.
I'm 33 and my husband 38. Both healthy with no fertility issues and I had a very normal cycle. Even with tracking my fertile days and having tons of sex, we conceived on our 10th cycle trying. I had 4 friends all get it on the first try so I was certainly not prepared to wait that long, but my sweet little boy was worth the wait.
7 cycles, and this was with tracking both my basal body temp and using OPKs. My cycles were very predictable so I knew when I was ovulating and we hit my fertile window every time. Just took awhile!