Did it take you longer to conceive as you aged?

[mambera]

For moms of more than one, did it take you longer to conceive each subsequent pregnancy? How much longer, and at what ages?

We have a pretty specific timeframe for LO #2. Optimally I would like to deliver shortly before my 34th birthday. I don't want to deliver earlier than that because of bf'ing and work issues. I don't want to go too far later than that, also because of career issues but additionally because of the usual concerns about my age.

LO #1 was an accident, the result of a single unprotected act when I was 30, so that's not much to compare to but suggests that I'm reasonably fertile (or was then). DD was my only pregnancy ever but I was always pretty good about birth control (until the end there; we were sort of playing with fire bc we were toying with the idea of kids anyway).

If we stop TTA on my 33rd birthday, is it at all reasonable to expect that I might conceive within 3 months or so?

[sunshinejanie]

I had my first at 19 (unplanned)
second at 22 (unplanned)
third at 25 (unplanned)
It took us 2 years of ttc this one I am expecting now and I am 33

[zinemama]

Took me 4 months to conceive at 33.

Took me 4 months to conceive at 36.

[Viola]

I got pregnant the first month at age 31.
I got pregnant after one time at age 35, but that one ended in miscarriage.
I got pregnant about 5 months after my miscarriage at age 36. I waited for 3 cycles to start trying again and then it took another 3 cycles. I know at least one of the months was most likely an anovulatory cycle, and then bad timing the next month (I waited 24 hours after I felt the ovulation pain). So I don't know. I think 3 months sounds reasonable if you are not having secondary infertility issues.

[MJB]

It took me a year to conceive at 18, and my other two (3 and 7 years later) were conceived on the first try. But my first was with a different partner, who I assume was much less fertile than my husband.
I don't think 3 years is likely to make a huge difference. Fertility starts to decline around 28 but only a tiny bit each year.

[callieollie]

I got pregnant with our first the first month we tried at age 28.
I got pregnant with our second the first month at age 30.
I got pregnant the second month of trying at age 32 but miscarried.
We tried immediately after the miscarriage but didn't conceive and I'm now on my first "real" cycle after the miscarriage so I don't know yet!

[libranbutterfly]

I am not really sure when Kamille was conceived, I was on the pill, and DH had just come home from the navy. Lexi was the result of one unprotected night. I dont know about the next one obviously.

[Vancouver Mommy]

Conceived first attempt age 35 (later miscarried)
Conceived again first attempt age 35
Conceived third attempt age 37

[Mosaic]

Conceived in 4 cycles at age 26.
Conceived in 11 cycles at age 30.

[Curlyfry7]

Conceived in 8 cycles at age 34
Conceived in 5 cycles at age 37, but miscarried
Conceived immediately after the miscarriage, still age 37.
Hoping if we do it again it will be a little faster.

[babygrey]

First was an "oops" baby. I was 19.
Second conceived in 7 cycles, I was 30
We are on our 5th month of TTC #3, I am now 31.
So, in my case, yes, it took longer for the second, but that's nearly a decade in between, so a LOT of time for fertility to decrease. Hoping #3 doesn't take longer, but at this rate...
However, I have secondary fertility issues, so I might not be a good example.

You asked about 3 months- if it were possible, I'd probably stop TTA a few months earlier so you have a 6 month window... I feel like that's generally what I hear as a "normal" window pre-35. Planning is so hard when you want those little babes-to-be to co-operate!

[Lousli]

This is a great question, and one on my mind a lot lately.

For me, #1 was on the first try (age 28) and #2 was on the third try (age 31). I'm thinking about #3, but now I'm 37 and worried about how long it could take.

[eastkygal]

#1 was conceived in 6 months at 26
#2 was conceived in 12 months and I was 29

I had anovulatory cycles and hormone issues. Now, I think I'm more fertile than I have ever been in my life. I'm 31.

[cndnveggie]

#1 was conceived in 1 month (first try) at age 29.

#2 not conceived yet, we've been TTCing for 18+ months now Age 32, so 3-4 years difference in age.

Obviously it's taking us waaaay longer to get PG this time. However, I am still nursing, and I don't know if that's affecting my fertility. My cycles are regular, I'm confident I'm ovulating and we're timing things correctly, so if nursing is affecting things, it's a subtle thing.

Anyways, what I've learned is that just because one can get PG easily the first time around, it doesn't mean it will be that easy the next time around. However, I also feel that problems are more the exception than the rule - I definitely feel like a minority most of the time, it seems like everyone I talk to has no problem getting PG again, so... I guess I just wouldn't expect it to go quickly, but there's a good chance it will be relatively easy... HTH!

[zjande]

My first 2 were surprises.
Baby 3 was conceived at the 1st try when I was 31.
Baby 4 took about 4 mos of trying around my 33rd bday.
Baby 5 was my very 1st post partum egg when I was 35.
AF hasn't returned since baby 5. I'm 36 & he's 6 mos old.

I wonder so much about this, too! Sometimes I feel pressure to "hurry up & have the # of kids we want before my fertility declines!" But then when I really think about it, I realize that if anything my fertility has increased in my 30s. My 5th baby was born just 21 mos after my last, the closest of my bunch.... so THEN I start freaking out & thinking "ack, what if I am super fertile way into my 40s???". lol I probably think about all this too much.

[3boobykins]

We've had two surprises, at 28 and 32, and one planned, conceived on the first try at 30. Now our youngest is 5.5, I'll be 39 in June, and we're trying for #4. We conceived in February, second month trying, but it was a chemical pregnancy, and we conceived again last cycle, so 4th cycle, and it was also a CP. Conceiving 2 out of four months seems like a pretty good record, now we just need a sticky one!

[NicaG]

#1 was conceived on 2nd cycle--I was just shy of 31
2nd pregnancy--conceived on cycle 3 or 4, I was just shy of 34, miscarried
#2 was conceived on 2nd cycle--I was 34

For pregnancies 1 and 3 I was charting and using ovulation predictor kits. For the miscarried pregnancy, we were a little more casual about ttc.

[happysmileylady]

DD1 was concieved at age 17. I was not on the pill but we were using other protection. Which obviously failed.

DD2, different guy, was conceived shortly after turning 30, after SIX years of trying with DH. We were diagnosed unexplained secondary infertility and did several rounds of clomid, one IUI and a second IUI was cancelled for overstimulation. The only IVF that we could afford was sucessful.

I am currently pg with our 3rd. When DD2 was about 8mo old, I started antidepressants for PPD/PMDD. We found one that was working but the side effects started to get to me. One side effect was an increase in prolactin levels, which inhibited ovulation, and caused all the side effects of a breastfeeding mom, even though I was unable to BF sucessfully for as long as I wanted. So, in December, I went off the ADs on my own (I do not recommend this.) It had been six weeks since my last AF and I had no idea when to expect ovulation or another AF.....but it never showed. Apparently DH and I got pg on our own my first ovulation after going off the ADs.

All of this has taught me that women are simply not in charge of their own pregnancies. All illusions of control and exactly that illusions.

[Kindermama]

Our first couple of kids were not exactly planned but welcomed. At age 26, we conceived right away....as in we decided to add to our family about an hour before her conception!

[waldorfknitmama]

#1 --opps in my early, early 20's
#2 ---10mo of trying, BUT I was nursing on demand a high HIGH needs tot and didn't really get my period back/fertility while trying ----early 20's
#3--opps again --- mid 20's

It's funny both #2 and #3 were conceived EXACTLY 10 months after my pp period started.

I think as I age, I am getting more fertile as well?! It seems like I have a lot *more* fertile days than I did in my early 20's and we are having more sex than we did when we were younger. I think I take better care of my self now too.