How did you get pregnant?

Elfrieda - posted on 03/18/2012

Update: I took a pregnancy test today and it's a positive! :) Yay!



Big thank-you to Emma who suggested Evening Primrose Oil to make the cervical fluid more fluid-y, I took one every day and we got pregnant that cycle.



If Mary Renee is right, I think we're having a girl (yay again!) because my husband and son got sick the day before I ovulated and we didn't do the deed for a long time afterwards, although I guess a few sperm hung around until the egg showed up.



I'm going to lock the thread now, but I appreciate all the advice and personal experiences you all shared.

Mary Renee - posted on 03/17/2012

My periods are far apart like yours, at least when I'm not on the pill. I wasn't on the pill, but was in a long-term committed relationship.



He was pulling-out every time. So... we got pregnant after two years of not using condoms and just using the pull out method (and trying to avoid doing it during ovulation, which starts two weeks before you next period).



But! I do know that it happened after I went on a two week vacation. Two weeks with no sex is like... really bad for us so it was one of those "can't get our clothes off fast enough" times. I didn't know I was pregnant until I was 7 weeks pregnant because my periods are far apart so I didn't notice, my boobs were just growing. We never used lube or anything additional during sex.



Oh! But here's an interesting tidbit. I've read that if you conceive on the day you're ovulating, you're more likely to have a boy. If you have sex in the two or three days before you ovulated (because sperm can live for 72 hours), then you're more likely to have a girl. Sounds like science fiction but it's actually based on scientific fact. Sperm carrying the male chromosome tends to swim faster (thus reaching the egg first if you have sex on the exact day of ovulation) HOWEVER, sperm carrying the male chromosome die sooner. Sperm carrying the female chromosome don't swim as fast, but they live longer, and there for have more opportunities to reach the egg even if you weren't ovulating yet.



Oh yeah! And I'm on the Progestone Only pill and it says that if you take it and then you stop taking it, not only can you get pregnant right away, but it HELPS some women get pregnant. I'm not trying to get pregnant, but yeah, going off your birth control pills is a good way to get pregnant because you're already prepped for pregnancy since bc pill trick your body into thinking you're already pregnant.

Jaime - posted on 03/16/2012

sorry, i'm no help, both of ours were accidents, lol...but before i got pregnant with our first i didn't think i could get pregnant. we also didn't have sex very often with either. i can honestly say we probably had sex once a month when i got pregnant with our second, lol.

Kaitlin - posted on 03/15/2012

It took us over a year for our first child, trying regularly. About six months in, I started charting my cycles. Three months after that i started checking ALLLLL the signs (re: Taking Charge of Your Fertility).

Three months after that we conceived.

DoubleA - posted on 03/15/2012

My first one was semi planned. We just did the deed three times in one day. I didn't follow ovalation or anything. The second one we weren't really trying. But it happened. We did it the 2nd to last day of my MC. It was real light almost over. I thought you couldn't get pregnant that way. But it happened. So try near the end of your MC or at the next day after its over. Good luck!

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 03/15/2012

We did it every 2nd day 10 days before my next period. We did it more on the days I could tell my body was ovulating, when I had more and different mucus. Hell I would even lay down after for 10mins to make sure they were all able to swim upward! LOL



I get pregnant easy though. It only took 3 weeks with my girl (didn't try anything out of ordinary with her) and 6 weeks with my son...

Tara - posted on 03/15/2012

I got pregnant by forgetting to start my new pill pack one day late.

#2 was from not getting my pills refilled and it was the"only" time we chanced it! I didn't even think I was close to ovulating

#3 exactly 2 weeks after stopping the pill to ttc



I'm am 98% Sure that we just conceived while I was on my period...weird. I haven been on bc since bf cause it screws with my milk. We want one more but were thinking 1 yr from now!



Try around your period...you never know!

Jane - posted on 01/22/2012

It took me nearly 9 years! I went through IVF and the strain of trying for a baby unsuccessfully, failed IVF, and then being told I would never conceive naturally actually was one of the reasons my marriage ended. Two years later I'd had a 9 month relationship with a new fella who was actually a waste of space, and I woke up one morning and decided I'd had enough of him and ended the relationship. A week later I went on holiday to see my cousin in Canada and was sick the whole time I was there. I thought I had a bug of some kind, but in fact I was pregnant! Timing was dreadful, but my gorgeous son was well worth it!

Laura Zoey - posted on 01/21/2012

We started ttc and had sex every day I wasn't bleeding for 4-5 cycles each time and conceived two kids that way.

Wih my second I did try to time when implantation occurred and breastfeed my son less those few days to hopefully allow an embryo t implant. The first time I tried this was the month we got regnant so idk.

I also always laid in bed with my hips up in the air for 30 minutes after each time.

Deborah - posted on 01/21/2012

Since your periods are so irregular, maybe you should talk to your doctor about getting on birth control (I know this seems to go against your desired result, but hear me out).



When I started my MC, I was 5 days into being 15. I didn't have another one for ten months. After that it would be six, or three, or seven, or two weeks...you get the picture. I was very erratic when it came to my cycles. After I turned 17, my mom got me on birth control. Granted I was on it until I turned 23( couldn't afford my prescription anymore) and I conceived my daughter. See what your doctor has to say about getting on birth control for a few months in order to regulate your cycle. IF your body adapts to 2 or 3 months of running 'regularly', maybe the third/fourth month you can stop taking it and get pregnant.



That's how I ended up with my 3rd child (16 weeks along now). I stopped taking my birth control because it was giving me two periods a month. I was trying to reset my cycle and wasn't careful enough about counting the days. Oops.



Other than that, give some of those fertility monitors a try. I've never used them but I doubt a company would sell them if they were ineffective.



Other than not using the bathroom after you've finished, and repeating the...conception process every other day or every three days, I'm not really sure. Look into what inhibits the male production of sperm (boxers are better than briefs I've heard). You could also experiment with different positions to add depth to the experience, so the lil fellas don't have as far to swim. I have no idea if that would help or not but it would make sense to me.



Good Luck!

Sapphire - posted on 01/21/2012

OMG Rebecca! I think you & I had eeriely similar TTC stories! Exept the one and only IUI resulted in another miscarriage :-( But if I had to offer advice, it would be pretty much word-for-word.

Stifler's - posted on 01/19/2012

It took 18 months to conceive Logan, I lost 10 kg and was taking heaps of vitamins and evening primrose oil (which I later read is supposed to help with cervical mucous and conception). 6 months after he was born I had lost 15 kg and was being really healthy, got pregnant with Renae. We never used any birth control. I am now, though.

Rosie - posted on 01/19/2012

my first was an accident, i had just had a miscarriage, had started on the pill, and was using condoms until i got my period the first time. well, that didn't happen and i ended up knocked up.

with my second, it was with my husband. i got off the pill, and tried for about 4 months and i got knocked up.

my third i got off the pill a few months before we wanted to start trying. as soon as we started trying i got pregnant.



i just counted 10 days from the first day of my period and had sex every other day for a week.

Rachael - posted on 01/19/2012

i got lazy with the birth control.

Sherri - posted on 01/19/2012

My first two were oops babies and I had them 18mo's apart. Now my 3rd was more than planned and it didn't happen for us for 7yrs. #4 is also an oops baby but it took another 5yrs for him.



We have never used protection in 14yrs and there seems to be no rhyme or reason for us. Back to back for the first two then, 7yrs between 2 & 3 and 5yrs between 3 & 4.

Proud - posted on 01/19/2012

My husband and I didn't do anything special. We just did our thing...LOL



I thought it would take us awhile because he is in his 50's but 2 months and 1 week after we said "I do" I got a positive on a pregnancy test

Lady Heather - posted on 01/19/2012

I have really whack cycles thanks to the bicornuate uterus. So the only way I've ever had success is by following the every other day schedule all the time. Oh and we used pre-seed because I heard it might help. The first time it took four months and the second time it took six months.

Sal - posted on 01/19/2012

2 out of 3 times i was on the pill, the other i was bf so i am no help to you at all, i have heard many friends say that as soon as they stop trying and worrying about it bingo they are preg,so maybe take a brake from trying, just have sex when you feel like it...,goodluck

Elfrieda - posted on 01/19/2012

Thanks for all your replies!



I do have the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but I've been taking a break from doing the temperature charts and stuff. I'm SO scared of going down the road of sex=no fun. We did that last time, so are trying to keep everything on a lighter note this time.



I think I need to get a better thermometer that's actually made for basal temps, buy some ovulation strips, eat sweet potatoes, guzzle cough syrup, and start seriously charting, using all three of the signs. (yurk!)



Time to get serious without getting overserious. ;) I don't know, maybe I'll keep it all a secret from my husband just so it still feels a little spontaneous.



Thanks!

Janice - posted on 01/19/2012

Oh and if your still having issues go to an acupuncturist! My insurance didn't cover it but it was the same amount to go 4x a month as it was to pay all the co-pays to be on clomid and the ultrasounds that go along with it. :)



I rarely hear anything good about clomid.

Janice - posted on 01/19/2012

With my daughter I went off the pill in Dec. of '05 and hubby and I were thinking if it happens ok, if not ok. But a year went by and no pregnancy. My cycle was between 30-32days long. Over the next 2 years we were tested for everything and we were both completely fine, just not getting pregnant. I went on the fertility drug Clomid for 2 cycles, but instead of getting pregnant I got large painful cysts. At my wits end and in a terrible depression, I took a coworker/friend's advice and began getting acupuncture. I went weekly and the acupuncturist also put me on a diet of zero caffeine and organic foods which I was only able to do about 50% of the time. 5 weeks into acupuncture I was pregnant.

My son was conceived after 1 month off the pill which I didn't take because I forgot to go get a new pack and I was under the assumption that it was very hard for me to get pregnant. oops!



My advice (besides some of the other good advise given) would be to avoid caffeine, eat sweet potatoes/ yams (a super food for fertility) and start tracking ovulation.

Have fun trying ;) and Good luck!

Ania - posted on 01/19/2012

I should add that my cycles are not regular because they last between 27-32 days, woman usually ovulates between 12-17days of the cycle so every month can be different. I know that every book says that we all ovulate around day 14, but it is an average and everyone is different and our circumstances are different. The month we conceived the baby I ovulated onthe day 17th of my cycle. So it was late ovulation.

Ania - posted on 01/19/2012

I started doing www.myfertilityfriend.com just to see how my cycles are. I noted temp every day in the morning right after I woke up and noticed that my cycles are perfectly ok. then when we decided that we will try for another baby, we chose days in the cycle that would most likely end in conception and that was it. One time and I was pregnant

Kate CP - posted on 01/19/2012

With my daughter I got pregnant a few months after going on BC. With my son I had to take Clomid after a year of trying the "old fashioned way". One cycle of Clomid was all it took to get my boy. :)

Teresa - posted on 01/19/2012

Sex... ;)



I went off of bcp in January or February and started trying to get pregnant in March.... and got pregnant in March.



After the girls were born I was having trouble taking my mini pill at the same time (well, duh... I had two newborns sucking my brain cells out), so I went on Depo for a couple of years, switched back to bcp for 6 months to try and get the Depo out of my system. Stopped all bc on May 1, 2005. Got my first period since getting pregnant w/ the girls (March 2001) about 2 weeks later. Got pregnant around Dec 2005, lost baby end of Jan 2006. Got pregnant around Nov 2006... lost baby end of Jan 2007. Got pregnant summer time and gave birth to my son March 2008.



No advice, but that's my story. A friend of mine tried for 2 years to get pregnant, quit trying, and got pregnant. Decided not to go on birth control after her birth because of how long it too the first time... and their kids are 16 months apart!

Rebecca - posted on 01/19/2012

Also, the rules for when to have sex kind of depend on your husband's sperm count -- generally, every day or every other day around days 9 to 14 is the best. Three days is pushing it if you are having problems. Regular sex throughout your cycle is also good because it keeps supplies "fresh". Sperm is produced on a supply and demand system -- not having sex in the first 10 days to save up for ovulation time is a bad idea.

Rebecca - posted on 01/19/2012

We tried everything suggested below. We also tried Pre-Seed as a lube (which I believe is what you are mentioning). Nothing worked. For years. I think collectively we spent over 4 1/2 "trying" for the two pregnancies we had. We ended up having IUI twice and both times conceived on the first cycle. We had a whole fertility workup and there was nothing wrong with either one of us, so we still don't know why we couldn't conceive on our own.



I think your cycles are making things tougher --- it's got to be tough to predict when you are ovulating if you are all over the place.



I highly recommend picking up "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. It's the bible of TTC. Get an ovulation themometer (you can pick them up anywhere for about $7) and start charting.



Best resources for ovulation test strips (if you decide to go that way): www.babyhopes.com They are a lot cheaper there and you can buy them in bulk.



Some good over-the-counter tricks: try Mucinex (or plain guaifenesin syrup like Tussin or Robitussin (NOT THE DM VERSION)). Start taking it a few days before you expect to ovulate (e.g., start on day 9 of your cycle). It thins mucus, which includes your cervical fluid, and makes it a little easier for the sperm to swim through. Stop taking it around day 15.



Some people take baby aspirin dosages of aspirin to help with implantation during the last week, but I've heard that's disfavored now because it can cause bleeding issues.



I would also suggest checking with your doctor -- you might have something strange with your cycle. Your doctor might suggest Clomid - it's often the first thing they suggest before seeing an actual reproductive endocronologist. If your doctor suggest Clomid, do yourself a favor and ask for Femara (letrozole) instead -- it will help regulate your cycle better, improves the chances of ovulation like Clomid, but doesn't cause the side effects that Clomid does that can make it more difficult to conceive. All the fertility docs are using that now instead of Clomid, but the news hasn't quite made it down to OBs yet. Femara will give you a better chance of getting pregnant than Clomid does. You normally take it for 5 days starting on day 5 of your cycle (the fifth day after you start bleeding). 2.5 mg is a good starting dose. Either drug will make your cycle more predictable, which will make it easier to get pregnant.

Michelle - posted on 01/19/2012

Have you tried one of the ovulation kits to tell you when you are ovulating? I heard they are pretty good at helping determine your ycle.



Unfortunately, I've never had a problem conceiving so don't know what else to suggest. Good luck with it all and in the meantime have fun practicing :-)

Liz - posted on 01/19/2012

Two days before ovulation is the most common day of conception.



You can follow the Fertility Awareness Method and chart your cycles and watch for fertility signs/signs of impending ovulation.



You don't need to be regular to do this, though of course regularity helps with predictions.



When your cervical mucus (sorry, TMI) is stretchy and watery, like an egg white, you're the most fertile.

Firebird - posted on 01/18/2012

Haha I didn't bother to read Karen's post first, could have saved me some typing! lol

Firebird - posted on 01/18/2012

Aww! When I read this title, I was so hoping there wouldn't be an actual body. I was truly hoping that this whole thread was 'How did you get pregnant?" I was really curious how many women would have said "dude, I had sex!" =)



Yea, but that's all I had to do. I had sex, condom broke, I got preggers. I've heard a few things over the years though, that might be useful info for you. A woman's discharge is a natural spermicide. I'm not talking napalm here, but it does try to kill the little buggers. Also your cervix is kind of designed to suck in sperm during an orgasm (excuse the wording, I don't know the scientific phrase), so if you and hubby can climax together, it gives his little soldiers a head start.

Karen - posted on 01/18/2012

only have sex 1 day, every 3 days apart. Sperm live for 3 days, if you add new sperm everyday, the new sperm can attack the old sperm wearing them all out and slowing them down. It's a fight to the finish line (egg) lol! Gotta give them time to at least get close to the egg, like a head start. If you time sex so that you both finish at the same time, that helps the sperm get carried closer to the egg as the cervix contracting works kinda like a vaccum, If you don't finish then sperm have to work extra hard to find the hole through the cervix, to then make the long journey to the egg. Also, if he likes oatmeal, I hear it makes his sperm healthier and helps him produce a higher number of them. I also did the Roseanne trick for kicks. Right after trying lay on your back w/ feet up in the air lol. I have 4 so one of these things must of worked. I always got pregnant within weeks.