The TTC Journey

Now that you know a little more about my husband’s background, here’s a little more about our TTC journey: 

I went on birth control pills (BCPs) when I was 18, and I took them religiously for almost 8 years.  There was no way that I was going to have a child out of wedlock (no offense intended, just a personal decision), and I wouldn’t dream of bringing a child into an unstable relationship or financial situation.  When my husband and I were married in 2006, we discussed when would be the best time to start a family.  At 21 and 25 years old, we knew that we had time on our side. 

We decided that, before having a baby, we wanted to have time alone as a couple, and to spend time just being married.  We also wanted to own our own house and build up our savings account.  Along the way, we made a plan to pay down some remaining debt, too.  These things were important to us, and we wanted to accomplish them.  We knew that my husband’s fertility issues would make getting pregnant more difficult for us when the time came, but we just weren’t in a comfortable enough position to deal with any “surprises” before we were ready. 

Finally, after almost 4 years of marriage, we made the big decision to stop using BCPs and officially start TTC.  Knowing what we did about our chances of conceiving with my husband’s fertility issues, I immediately starting charting my basal body temperature (BBT) so that we could time intercourse and maximize the possibility of getting pregnant.  By charting, I was able to tell that I had fairly regular menstrual cycles, and I seemed to be reliably ovulating.  I also had already been taking a prenatal vitamin (PNV) for more than a year when we started TTC.    

 Within a few months of TTC, I had added more remedies to my routine.  I started taking pomegranate supplements to thicken my uterine lining, which can aid in the implantation of a fertilized egg.  It also became apparent that my luteal phase (the time after ovulation and before your period) was shorter than “normal.”  So, I began taking a B6 supplement to try to naturally lengthen it.  My husband and I also decided to only use a sperm friendly lubricant, Preseed.  In addition to the things that I had been doing to increase our odds of getting pregnant naturally, my husband started taking a vitamin called Fertility Blend for Men, as well as pomegranate supplements (studies have shown that it can improve sperm quality).  Recently, I also began drinking green tea to increase my fertile cervical mucus (CM), which I seemed to be lacking.     

After close to a year of TTC with my husband’s medical issues, well timed intercourse, incorporating all of these measures, and still not pregnant, it was time to speak with his urologist about the next step.