TTC JOURNEY

6 months ttc age 30 i just went with whatever happened happened i was honestly suprised when it did happen

I was 32 when we started TTC, it took 18 months. Speaking to specialists at the one year mark helped us to determine what the problems were. My husband was diagnosed with MFI and I had issues with hypothyroidism, we were both able to get on meds that helped us; Clomid for him and levothyroxine for me. He saw a reproductive urologist and I saw an endocrinologist through my OBGYN. We were due to start IVF in July but we fortunately got a positive pregnancy test a couple of months prior. It was a really hard journey, especially when the year mark hit. I would allow it to take sometime and try to maintain a good outlook as much as possible.

Started TTC at 30 and took 18 months with 3 mc to get where we are. I was diagnosed with pcos so had to address that too, I almost gave up it was all consuming

31 when we started trying to conceive- it took about 18 months. Literally the morning I found out my daughter asked me if I would ever have a baby and I told her honestly I didn't know...that morning I had finally lost hope and let myself think about the reality that it just wasn't going to happen....5 mins later I took a test and it was positive I was shocked and cried so hard. Low carb/ carnivore is what helped me conceive both times and is the only thing that balances my hormones. As for dealing with the repetitive negative tests- I've learned that no matter how hard I try to not be affected by them I will be ..so I've accepted that instead of trying to make it not true and I put support in place for the days I planned to take a test- for example I would spend the day with a friend or make sure my husband was home and we had a project to work on etc

After our miscarriage it took us about 10 or 11 months. We had sex on a scheduled basis. First, my dr checked his tests and health and told us it would happen, and thankfully, it did. I had her at 34. I was put on progesterone with my rainbow baby. My boys were both born a tad bit early, so it was even planned for me to take it before the mc.

5 years to get pregnant the first time which resulted in a miscarriage, just shy of another year to get pregnant with my daughter. Started trying at 25, was 32 when she was born. We had tests which determined I have PCOS and what appears to be one blocked fallopian tube. Tried medication to make me ovulate which didn't work. Took a break from all the appointments to finish my degree and got pregnant both times naturally with no medication specifically for fertility. Although I was put on Metformin to help with PCOS symptoms then shortly after found out I was pregnant with my daughter. It's hard not to overthink the results.

Conceived at 31, miscarried the following month, conceived the month after. Conceived my second at 33, and we took 9 months of deliberate activity, lol. I wasn't taking any pill, iud, prior to deciding to try. 2)My advice is to take time to understand your ovulation and know that your ovulation might be the day, but it doesn't take place the whole day. Try at your best time..( morning person or evening person). Both kids were conceived during the day. 3) I over thought during miscarriage, watching my baby go down the toilet for 7 days. My next pregnancy was smooth.dont force it.... allow it to phase out, your body would heal

I had five consecutive miscarriages and my first healthy baby at 29 years old. I went from 5 miscarriages to a C-section to a VBAC to two unassisted homebirths

Took 5 months for first pregnancy at 30yrs, took first try (1 month) again at 30yrs. Lost the first pregnancy to a fatal genetic condition. So tried again 5 months later and got pregnant right away.

Almost three years, found out we were expecting on my 37th bday. I think what helped for me personally was going parties in my stressful employed job (also have a small business so I put more hours into that, but it’s much less stressful). My husband was actually potentially more the reason we took so long, he had to amend his diet etc

I just wanted to say that zinc supplements increase male fertility and sperm quality (which can then led to a healthy embryo). My husband has taken zinc supplements for years (unrelated to fertility—he just did it because it made him feel better). I got pregnant at 29, after having sex the day after my period. He must’ve had some resilient sperm. If you’re TTC, then maybe try to get your man to take zinc supplements and see if that helps you ☺️ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7589359/ https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2016/04/radiant-zinc-fireworks-reveal-quality-of-human-egg/

I’m in this group because I’m 30 now, but I wasn’t in my 30s when I got pregnant and had my son. We started ttc in August 2023, pregnant by September 2023. I was 28 at the time - 29 when I gave birth. I wish I had tips, but I think we just got lucky. I will say we weren’t… actively tracking everything. We just made a conscious decision to be “unsafe” about protection and be intimate whenever we had the time/energy. I find (from purely anecdotal evidence) that stressing about it can make things more difficult. Best of luck 🖤

30/31 (started at 30 and was 31 by the time it happened, 8 months) Implant removed Jan and started taking pre pregnancy vitamins (his and hers so partner took them too). Around May/June started getting a bit antsy so I started tracking ovulation with tests (Flo app turned out to not be entirely accurate for me). Positive in Sept. Didn’t make any lifestyle changes other than the vitamins. There was ‘pressure’ but tried to keep it as relaxed as possible and made sure we had fun. And that sex wasn’t just near or on ovulation day, we kept it going throughout the month so it didn’t feel like that was the only thing we were doing it for.

@Christina how long did it take your first pregnancy and what age? Im just trying to see if being in the 30s is the issue here on my end tbh

@Andrea Kaye🧲🦄💎🧬💫⚛️ im sorry for that hard path... I hope all is well now 💗

@Natalie how does one even find out they have a blocked fallopian tube?? Did you have irregular periods?? Any other pcos symptom?

@Emma did you have any pcos symptoms prior to being diagnosed? I dont want to wait a full year either. Time is precious

They did a scan known as a hsg where they inject dye into your cervix and then do an x-ray. Yes I did have irregular periods and I have the extra hair, weight etc. I also have the ovarian cysts.

I was 22 when I had my first born and I had been trying for three years with her. The first 2.5 years I didn't change anything about my life other than stopping birth control and having unprotected sex but the last 6 months I changed my diet and started taking inositol and vitamin d supplements

I had a much healthier pregnancy the second time around too and fully contribute it to my diet and lifestyle changes

Thank you. Yes all is well now for sure and I can look back and be grateful for how far I've come. My homebirths were by far the best experiences

@Christina so you started at 19 to concieve right? With the first baby. I am only asking because itll at least give many of us some hope that it doesnt necessarily mean its taking long because of being in our 30s. Did you not get diagnosed for pcos that time?

@Christina btw.. what brand inositol?

I was diagnosed at 12 and was told to start trying as soon as possible - my husband and I have been together since highschool so 19 was fine for us- we were married and had been together for years and were ready to be parents if we were successful quickly. But my body definitely was not ready and healthy enough at that time so I wasn't successful until I got my health in order. At age 31 I'm much healthier than I was at 19 and I had a much easier time conceiving and had a better pregnancy - so no for me age was not a factor - in fact if anything my "advanced age" was a benefit

@Christina ooo okay! Is inositol only if a person has pcos? Im starting to think that all women have some level of pcos at this point tbh. Our hormones are off from all the chemicals..

No it's similar to metformin and helps lower blood sugar and so with PCOS that of course causes a ripple effect and interacts with other hormones and processes in the body that play a roll in conception - but eating less sugar/carbs does the same thing and is a way healthier way of accomplishing the same goal and way faster and more effective

@Christina ooo thanks for these healthy tips. I think regardless if one is TTC or not.. these are great healthy habits long term.

@Emma if its okay to ask.. the 3mc.. were they in this 18 month phase? And how many months apart. When were you diagnosed with pcos?

I was 30 and conceived our first cycle. Unfortunately ended with a 11 week MC. It’s been a year and finally ready to try again and will be doing everything I did the first time to hopefully conceive quickly. Might’ve just been luck, but there’s no harm in trying. Tips that worked for us when ttc: Husband and I both stopped drinking (and doing any other recreational substances) 3-6 months prior. Made sure we both were active/exercised for at least 30mins a day. Tried to limit foods/cosmetics that are hormone/endocrine disruptors for 1year prior. Avoided all saunas and hot tubs (mainly my husband), for 3+ months prior. Started on a prenatal with choline and folate (me) and men’s multi with selenium and zinc (him) at least 1 year prior. Both took 400mg CoQ10 for 3+ months prior. Both took fish oil for 3+ months prior. Tracked ovulation and had intercourse everyday for the 4+ days leading to ovulation. Used Preseed lube. Raised legs/hips after intercourse for 30mins lol

Omg, writing those out makes it seem like so much, but honestly they’re all pretty easy stuff we were already doing. Strangely the “avoiding hottubs” was probably the hardest for us. lol

If you feel like you want to go in for testing and fertility care, instead of waiting the full year... just have you and your partner go in and say you've been trying for a year.... they wouldn't know the difference. Time is precious<3

@Kato thank you so much for the tips! I will keep them handy. I am still using "makeup" like eyelienr and lipgloss...mascara... maybe I should limit that? can i take prenatal and fish oil same time?

I was told by my OBGYN to supplement with both fish oil and a prenatal with DHA. They seemed to have a “more the merrier” approach. My husband and I both take 550mg Omega3 fish oil in addition to our prenatal. Also if you’re looking for healthier makeup alternatives, I love using the Yuka app. It’s a free app that allows you to scan any product to see if it has concerning ingredients and also offers healthier alternatives. I really enjoy wearing makeup, so just going without wasn’t ideal for me.

@Kato i hope we have our baby news in December!

@Sarah here in canada i think we would need a referral.

So with my first I was 31 and had an issue with bc and just got pregnant. This time around it took over two years and I needed medicine to help me ovulate. I did all the testing. They didn’t think it was going to work the first time because of testing with the meds but I ovulated a week later than expected even with the medicine. I’m 34 now.

A referral from like a primary care doctor? If you want to speed up the getting checked out process instead of waiting the full year, id just book an appt with your primary care Dr and tell them you've been trying for a year with no success. You don't have to start fertility treatments right away, but you can get a glimpse into your fertility health

My OBGYN told me that you should only have unprotected sex once every 24 hours, the more you have it, the less strong your partners sperm is. I learned that in January, conceived at the end of February ☺️

@Lorraine so does that mean every 2-3rd day is good? And did you track your ovulation? Age as well if you dont mind that you started? Did you take anything or have other health issues btw

We would usually have sex in the morning on weekends, right after work on weekdays. Once a day, the earlier the better. Yes, I did track my ovulation, I was 31, he was 32. No I didn’t take anything (except prenatals as my ob recommended) or have any health issues.

@Lorraine ooo okay... some suggested every second day as well. And some even suggested just fertile days but honestly the tracking thing Is difficult for me since my period days can vary

I used an app to track. You can also get ovulation tests to check if you’re ovulating! They are kindof expensive, and I didn’t use them, but if your period is irregular, they could be worth the money to know the right days to try!

I used ovulation tests and an app. Took just over a year, was 37 when we concieved. Also made an effort to limit caffeine, no alcohol, generally eat well, get some exercise, and whether or not that helped who knows but it made me feel better. We were actually booked in for our first fertility consultation for the month of March 2023 and we concieved in February 2023. Weirdly I always felt like it made a difference. Having the consultation as a back up took some of the pressure off of natural conception so I wasn't even thinking about it really that month. Lol. We just barely made the time frame I'm pretty sure, because my husband was away and his flight got cancelled so he was late getting home. It's hard not to overthink but keeping busy helps. Going out. Doing things. Living your normal life as much as you can. I don't know how much science-backed evidence there is around supplements and so on. Reproductive cycles can be complicated on both sides.

@Melissa I totally agree. This app is kind of causing me to think and stress too. I should have just downloaded after a positive a test. Its not easy at all to "not think of it" when the whole point of this journey is planning "it" 😆 I am still doing my regular life things but my mind does wander off to... "is this it." 👀 last month i was so certain and was hopeful but then a big ass disappointed. Thats when i told myself the mind will assume all little things are a symptom because that is literally what I am focusing on... symptoms. You mentioned limiting caffeine.. im drinking too much... would that cause delays/preventions 🙃 Also did you have pcos or anything for it taking a year?

Yeah, it's impossible to completely avoid those thoughts but I would just acknowledge them and then try to put it out of my mind. I limited caffeine mostly because while pregnant the recommendation is under 200 mg per day, which is about two cups of coffee. So on the chance I did concieve I wouldn't have to worry. I'm not sure if there's any connection to fertility but maybe it helps? Can't hurt, idk. 😅