Average lenght of time to conceive

Hello

I was just wondering what the average length of time is to conceive. We are trying to plan when would be a good time for us to TTC (at least a year away) and we know it probably won't happen straight away. Also I've heard you have to be trying for at least a year before a doctor will consider fertility problems - is this right?

Thanks
Claire

Be careful thinking it might take time. We assumed that both being in our 30s things might take a while. I had been previously diagnosed with polycystic ovaries so we were up for the long haul.....pregnant within 2 weeks of trying!!!!

If you are over 35 as I will be next year Its after 6 months of trying when you need to look at fertility issues.
Depends also on how meticulous you are with charting or if you just go for it and BD as often as you choose.

I also made the same mistake as Nzpiper! I have PCOS and thought it would take us a while to conceive. It took us one go! DH was utterly disappointed!

So I guess the message to take from that is that knowing the average is actually not all that helpful! In the end, the average doesn't matter, its where you lie relative to the average. Until you start trying, you just don't know whether you are going to be pregnant immediately, or take many months. (And from what I understand, even how easy it was for a previous pregnancy isn't always a great indicator).
I too wish I knew exactly how long it would take, so I could start trying the right amount of time before hand, but obviously thats not possible. I think the best approach is to start as soon as it would be ok for you if you got pregnant right away. If you start any sooner, you might get a baby really quickly, before you are quite ready, but if you start as soon as you are ready, at least if it takes a while, you've still got a bit of a head start (and if it doesn't take a while, its not too soon either!). Its hard though, isn't it?
I'm thinking we might start TTC in about 18 months - DH and I have a few other goals to reach first in terms of our careers, travel and a new and bigger house. Thats about the earliest that it wouldn't seriously derail my career, and if it takes a while for us, well, we'll just have made more progress in those other goals by the time it happens!

Thanks everyone,

Obviously it depends on the individual! Thanks for all the advice, I guess babies are just unplannable!


Edited by ClaireW

As everyone above have already mentioned, Every Person is different!
We conceived on our first try (but later m/c) and now we're on our 3rd cycle and no luck as yet (but fingers crossed!)

rhick wrote: And from what I understand, even how easy it was for a previous pregnancy isn't always a great indicator.

Absolutely true. Maya was a very unplanned 'accident' baby (ie. no trying at all!), 11 months and 12 cycles to conceive our angel, 6 weeks and 1 cycle to conceive the gremlins. It was 20 mths after we made the decision to TTC before we actually held the gremlins in our arms.

ClaireW wrote: Thanks everyone, Obviously it depends on the individual! Thanks for all the advice, I guess babies are just unplannable!

Yup and they stay that way after conception too!

busymum wrote: ClaireW wrote: Thanks everyone, Obviously it depends on the individual! Thanks for all the advice, I guess babies are just unplannable! Yup and they stay that way after conception too!

Thats what DF is afraid of, but then I remind him life would be pretty dull if it was completely plannable.