You are doing all you can...it takes a lot of patience and as many "tries" as possible in 6-12 months! It is helpful to know about your hormones and when they are supposed to spike (on a chart...not necessarily when they spike for you), but also know that your egg, once released, only lives for 12-24 hours. That is why it is more difficult than we would think to become pregnant.
How often is your fiance gone each month?
I know it seems as though you have been trying for so long that you should be pregnant by now (I've "been" there...I thought the second I was off birth control I'd be pregnant within a month or two!). It really can take up to 12 months to conceive, and that is with regular unprotected sex. Did you know that you have "only" a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle? That's why patience is the key.
The experts are suggesting to couples without any known fertility issues to "ditch" all of the calendars, predictors, indicators, trackers and other tools for the first 6 months and just focusing on having unprotected sex as much as you both feel is possible, irregardless of when you think you are ovulating. Just the act of tracking hormones and tracking your fertility and sexual acts can be stressful, and if you have not been trying for very long..this extra "stress" is likely not needed. Ovulation predictor kits are great, but they are limited to only being able to "predict" ovulation, as this is not an exact science. Women's cycles vary from cycle-to-cycle, and there are many days when you may be most fertile, plus you can add 3-5 days after intercourse when the sperm can be "waiting" for an egg to be released. (Experts say the best time for intercourse is actually before you think you may ovulate, as it may be better for the sperm to already be waiting for the egg. Once the ovum is released, it only lives for 12-24 hours).
So, to take the stress out and put the fun back in to baby-making, just having sex as frequently as you both feel is possible at all times during your cycle provides the best chances of conceiving.
Comment Reply
You are doing all you can...it takes a lot of patience and as many "tries" as possible in 6-12 months! It is helpful to know about your hormones and when they are supposed to spike (on a chart...not necessarily when they spike for you), but also know that your egg, once released, only lives for 12-24 hours. That is why it is more difficult than we would think to become pregnant.
How often is your fiance gone each month?
I know it seems as though you have been trying for so long that you should be pregnant by now (I've "been" there...I thought the second I was off birth control I'd be pregnant within a month or two!). It really can take up to 12 months to conceive, and that is with regular unprotected sex. Did you know that you have "only" a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle? That's why patience is the key.
The experts are suggesting to couples without any known fertility issues to "ditch" all of the calendars, predictors, indicators, trackers and other tools for the first 6 months and just focusing on having unprotected sex as much as you both feel is possible, irregardless of when you think you are ovulating. Just the act of tracking hormones and tracking your fertility and sexual acts can be stressful, and if you have not been trying for very long..this extra "stress" is likely not needed. Ovulation predictor kits are great, but they are limited to only being able to "predict" ovulation, as this is not an exact science. Women's cycles vary from cycle-to-cycle, and there are many days when you may be most fertile, plus you can add 3-5 days after intercourse when the sperm can be "waiting" for an egg to be released. (Experts say the best time for intercourse is actually before you think you may ovulate, as it may be better for the sperm to already be waiting for the egg. Once the ovum is released, it only lives for 12-24 hours).
So, to take the stress out and put the fun back in to baby-making, just having sex as frequently as you both feel is possible at all times during your cycle provides the best chances of conceiving.
Does this help?
May 2, 2010 - 10:01amThis Comment
Reply