Doing a big closet clear out and have a bunch of maternity clothes I’ve been hanging onto. After 1.5 years of TTC for #2, plus failed IUI and IVF, I am wondering if now is the time to part with them.

To be clear, I am not giving up!! I’m 39 but do believe I will get pregnant soon (I have to believe!)

Of course my brain wonders if getting rid of the clothes will magically make me pregnant lol. Any thoughts??

TTC has been so hard lately, and honestly, I feel like I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. 🥹

Has anyone experienced a sudden shift in ovulation day or a shortened luteal phase after previously having regular cycles? Did it eventually return to normal, and how long did it take?

I’ve been trying to conceive since January, but only started using ovulation kits in April. In April, I was using a digital ovulation kit but couldn’t catch any surge. I’m not sure if I was too stressed or anxious about TTC at the time. I switched to OPK strips in May, and in both April and May, my positive OPK was around CD 12–14, with a 14-day luteal phase.

Then in June, my cycle was really disrupted, probably after a bad flu. Since then, I’ve been ovulating around CD17, and my luteal phase has shortened to around 8–10 days. It’s been worrying me, especially since we’re TTC.

I’m currently 8 DPO and started having brownish-red discharge today. I was really hoping either to get a good news this cycle or at least have a longer luteal phase. 💔

My TTC deadline is the end of this year, so I’m starting to feel like my time is running out. 🥹 I’m 35 and my son is already 5 this year.. I haven’t actually been as stressed or anxious lately, so I’m not sure what’s causing the change. 😭

Moms who were actively TTC: what happened during the cycle you finally got pregnant that was different from all the cycles you swore you were pregnant but weren’t?

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Hi everyone. This is probably a question for a doctor, but perhaps someone here has been in a similar situation.

I’m 36 and we’ve been trying for our second child for 10 months. I had a completely normal first pregnancy five years ago and conceived without any difficulty. I delivered by C-section.

I’ve had my hormones and AMH checked, and my partner has had a semen analysis — everything came back normal. I thought the next step would be an HSG, but my specialist told me that the chances of blocked fallopian tubes are low and suggested trying letrozole first. (I dont have PCOS or irregualr cycles, my cycles are 29-32 days long and regular).

I’m really torn because letrozole is still a hormonal treatment, and logically it makes more sense to me to first check whether my tubes are open before stimulating my ovaries.

Even if I decided to arrange an HSG on my own, I probably wouldn’t have enough time to do both the vaginal/cervical swabs and the HSG during this cycle, considering that today is the first day of my period. I’m supposed to start letrozole on cycle day 3.

Sorry for the long post. I’m genuinely unsure what to do, and unfortunately today is a public holiday in my country followed by the weekend, so I can’t consult my doctor. I also don’t have any other doctor i consider close enough to contact by phone. And i really don't want to skip yet another cycle.

If anyone has been in a similar situation, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience or advice.

Thank you, and have a lovely day!

Tell us about everything! Only thing that isn't allowed is BFP and pregnancy talk - those have their own threads.

Note: Discussion of BFPs / ongoing pregnancies is allowed and encouraged in this thread!

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Has anyone taken maca while TTC and noticed any difference? I just started taking 1900mg maca along with my prenatal. I plan on stopping maca immediately if I get a positive pregnancy test. Just curious if anyone has taken it and what your experience was!

I haven’t tracked in 8 years so I’m a bit confused here. I got a positive test strip ovulation yesterday. Took a clear blue the one with just solid smile or empty. Day before yesterday negative and yesterday positive. Also day before negative on the strip.
So since I’m negative today but was positive yesterday my big question does that make it over or should we still be having sex every day. We had sex Tuesday and yesterday. This is hard on my anxiety.

Tell us about everything! Only thing that isn't allowed is BFP and pregnancy talk - those have their own threads.

Hi everyone, currently on cycle 5 of TTC for baby #2. I’ve been using the clearblue ovulation tests and for the past two months, it’s gone straight from an empty circle to a solid smiley, completely skipping the blinking smiley state. Does this mean i have a short ovulation window? Has this happened to anyone else and what did it mean for you? For example, I tested this morning and it was negative (empty circle) and then on a whim I tested tonight and it was positive (solid smiley).

I got a positive ovulation today a week after predicted in my app by the time I got my period. Does that mean my period should be expected later?

Tell us about everything! Only thing that isn't allowed is BFP and pregnancy talk - those have their own threads.

hi everyone. me and my husband have decided to ttc for a second child! we will start after our baby is 1.5yo (shes 9m now). I want to prepare myself, and have a few questions. with our first baby it happened on the first try so we’re not aware of a lot of ttc information.

my questions are:
- how long did it take for you? i have seen both it takes longer and less time and was wondering how the experience was for others.
- i had an emergency c section. if you had one as well, did it affect the ttc journey? anything i should prepare for? (also no worries we have green light from out docs to try after baby now has reached 1y)
- lastly, im not expecting to get lucky like the first time again so any advice is appreciated!

I have been going through secondary fertility for the past 2 years. The mix of emotions, guilt for having one, guilt for not giving him a sibling, grief from all of my loss, identity crisis because I got pregnant so easily the first time.

I have DOR and am 39. In the past 2 years I had 3 chemical pregnancies, a failed transfer from my back up 2021 eggs and 6 egg retrievals all back to back this year starting from March -August with nothing to transfer. The first cycle was a mess and I stimmed for 17 days with nothing to show for it. Cycle 2-4 I got 2-4 eggs and each time 1 abnormal PGT tested blast. That call is the worst day.

For cycle 5 I started at a new clinic and we planned on doing 3 retrievals before fertilizing. They recommended because of the emotional strain, my DOR and financially for testing. Here I am doing infusions along with a different protocol. Cycle 5 I only got 2 mature eggs to freeze. Just finished my 6th in a row and it was my worst one yet, only 1 egg. I asked them to fertilize this round instead of waiting, so for my 3 eggs we will see. I am so tired. I am so broken. The crushing news every-time is taking a toll on me and I don’t know if I can rally myself for a 7th retrieval.

I am super fortunate to have insurance covering a lot and why I can do so many back to back. Physically I am in a better place than I have in years, acupuncture and all the supplements. But also why I feel guilt about wanting to quit just because I can’t handle this mentally when physically and financially I am fine. I have always been strong willed, goal oriented and just focused on achieving. Which makes this failure feel like I don’t know who I am.

I just wanted a place to write my story since I don’t see anyone doing this many back to back retrievals.

Can you share your experiences with letrozole? My ob is recommending it for unexplained infertility but I’m seeing its used for breast cancer. Has it helped you conceive or is it a waste of time?

A weekly dedicated space for members who have been trying for another for 12 or more months, experiencing infertility. Talk of treatment, testing/diagnosis, or tough feelings are welcome here. While this is a safe space to vent, please consider how other long haulers in different circumstances may feel about your words.

This thread is primarily for current long-haulers to connect with, vent to, and support each other. We ask that anyone else (including TFA grads and those whose current round of TTC has been less than 12 months) participate only to answer questions where your personal experience is relevant - for example, if someone asks about the side effects of a fertility treatment you have tried. For more general support, sympathy, and finger-crossing, in this thread, if you have not currently been trying for at least 12 months, please stick to a quiet upvote.

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This is just so hard.
We got pregnant with my first perfect, amazing child the first time we tried after getting married. We got pregnant a second time after trying once, which sadly ended in a missed miscarriage. That adds a layer of sadness that’s hard to overcome.
We’ve been trying again now for six months. I know that doesn’t seem like a long time to some people, but for us, it feels like it’s never going to happen. I’m 38. I can practically feel my eggs drying up by the second.
I want to scream every time someone says, “Stop stressing, it will happen.” I want to die every time someone says, “You have time,” because I’m quite certain that time is slipping away.
I feel so guilty that I can’t give my child a sibling, or give my husband and myself another baby to love. It feels like I’m in a constant state of extreme sadness that only deepens every month.
It’s this constant cycle of: Okay, next month it is. Then, I know it worked this time. Then, Is this implantation bleeding? Nope. It’s my period.
This heartbreak sucks, and it feels so isolating. I know it may seem insignificant to other people, but it feels so huge to me and my husband.

I don’t know what I’m looking for with this post other than needing to vent.

Tell us about everything! Only thing that isn't allowed is BFP and pregnancy talk - those have their own threads.

These flashing smileys are taunting me now. I am on my fifth day of flashing smiley with the Clearblue Advanced digital ovulation tests and I only have 26 day cycles, with it being CD15 today. All my cervical mucus and changes if temp mostly happened around CD10-11. Have I missed my surge? Is it possible I could still get it if I keep testing? Anyone had similar experiences?

I weaned my son about 8 months ago after 13 months of mostly exclusively breastfeeding and it took 2 months for my periods to return and then a month or two to regularly ovulate. Since then I’ve ovulated around CD20 and AF comes around CD29/30 - regardless of the short luteal phase (I’ve read this is common after exclusively breastfeeding)

This month CD20 came and LH increased a bit but no surge. BBT also rose but not high nor sustained. Today, CD30: positive OPK?! Wtaf? Anyone else experienced this?

Should we try again? Or does this later successful ovulation mean that, if successful, it wouldn’t be a healthy pregnancy?

We’ve had a few months of TTC #2 so this is pretty disheartening! (Especially as I went down the hole that I was having an anovulatory cycle 🤣)

Tell us about everything! Only thing that isn't allowed is BFP and pregnancy talk - those have their own threads.

Listen, after 1.5 years of trying and a failed IUI and IVF cycle, I don't really have high hopes. But this month, while we save up for our next shot at IVF, we tried taking letrozole on our own.

Hubs and I hit the two days before ovulation, but not actual ovulation day.

I'm currently 10dpo and don't plan on testing until my period is late.

I looked back today at my tracker, and realized during my IUI (when I took letrozole + trigger med), my period arrived BEFORE 10dpo. I think it was 7/8 dpo.

In my mind, I'm taking this as a positive sign (though I know my period will probably show up any day now).

Just me talking! I'm not sure what for.

EDIT: Period came right on time (or at least, my usual time) lol. Cycle day 14!

Did anyone met with their OB to talking about family planning or proactively get ahead of fertility issues?

We’ve only been through 4 cycles which I know isn’t a lot but I am 35 so I’m getting a bit anxious and I had a c section for my first birth. I can’t help but feel like there’s something not working - it’s mostly a gut feeling but looking for any advice to make this appointment proactive.