Getting Pregnant

A conversation about ovulation predictor kits on Chatter Scene today got me thinking about when we were trying to conceive last year. It seems like such a long time ago, but I remember the roller coaster feelings of excitement and uncertainty like it was yesterday.  Who would have thought that there is more to getting pregnant than having sex!

Our first step was for me to stop taking birth control pills. Not all women realize that once you go off BCPs, it can take a while for your monthly cycle to regulate and for you to get pregnant. I certainly didn't think about this when I first starting taking the pills years ago. And I don't even think that many gynecologists inform their patients of this when writing a prescription. (I mean, how many women actually even know how BCPs work?)

The first month off BCPs, we had no plan of action (excuse the pun) and I didn't get pregnant. The second month, however, I was constantly on The Bump's message boards and started charting my basal body temperature to determine my ovulation date like so many of the women there.

The Bump boards turned me onto a free charting website called Fertility Friend, which was a great help. Based on your temperatures, Fertility Friend estimates your ovulation date and you can plan your "sexy time" around that date.

(Briefly, your BBM is your temperature upon first waking for the day. This temperature rises just after ovulation, so when you see a spike in your waking temperatures, you can assume that you ovulated the day before. You are fertile the days just before and including the day of ovulation. More HERE at Fertility Friend's free charting course.)

I didn't get pregnant charting the second month, so the third month I started using ovulation predictor strips. These strips are used just like pregnancy tests and become positive after you have ovulated, which, along with your temperatures, can give you a better idea of your fertile window.

OPKs can be expensive, so I bought mine discounted from Amazon.com. I got 40 OPKs plus 10 pregnancy tests for around $18 HERE. Amazon also sells discounted pregnancy tests. You can get 25 tests for $7 HERE--much cheaper than even the dollar store tests and they work just as well as the brand names!

Using Fertility Friend and the OPKs the third month, I got pregnant! It turns out that three months of trying to conceive is average following going off BCPs (barring infertility problems) so we felt very lucky to fall within the norm.

So, that in a nutshell is how we got pregnant! Much different and much less romantic than how it is portrayed in movies and books, no? :) But, seriously, I completely reccomend using Fertility Friend
and OPKs if you're TTCing and want a more active plan of attack. Just be warned--you might become addicted to checking your chart and peeing on sticks!!