9 things you know if you've struggled to get pregnant

Sex timetables, conception diets and old wives’ tales … those of us who've struggled to get pregnant (and there are many) are all too familiar with the lengths we’ll go to when trying for a baby

Whether you’re struggling to fall pregnant for the first time, already have a child and are finding it difficult to conceive again, or finally have your little miracle after years of trying; we’re willing to bet you recognise more than a few of these.

While trying for a baby can be impossibly tough, sometimes sharing the battle scars and allowing yourself a laugh offers a much-needed remedy.

Timetabled, routine and definitely not romantic … you’ve probably had the worst sex of your life while trying to conceive.

You know the drill; you’re ovulating and there’s no time to waste. By that we mean wooing, passion and spontaneity is a thing of the past, and sex is becoming a chore.

We swore it would never happen to us. It did.

You’ve perfected your forced smile when faced with endless well-intentioned, if somewhat insensitive, questions.

We know they don’t mean any harm, but when asked (again), 'Will there be the pitter patter of tiny feet soon?' or 'Wouldn’t you like your little one to have a sibling?' it’s far easier to feign a smile and mumble 'hopefully', than give them a full-blown account of your agony.

And don’t get us started on people who tell you, smugly, 'Just relax and it will happen'.

When asked by doctors about the dates of your menstrual cycle, you can roll out a comprehensive calendar.

Once upon a time, you took a wild guess. Now you whip out your phone and log into your ovulation-tracking app containing your entire period history. You’re officially a period geek.

Even when you test positive, you keep telling yourself it’s too early to get excited. You’ve learnt the hard way that, even if you do fall pregnant, nothing is guaranteed and that constant clash of hope and fear is a difficult path to navigate.

While you’re keeping the news on the downlow for now, what you really want is a T-shirt emblazoned with the message, 'Terrified but hopeful mum-to-be, please treat with kid gloves'.

You could take out a mortgage with the amount of money you’ve thrown at conception vitamins, fertility monitors, baby-making self-help books, fertility reflexology, pregnancy tests, fertility treatments...

But anything is worth a try, right?

Leafy green vegetables are so achingly dull, especially when you’ve been following a strict ‘conception diet’ for months on end.

No matter how much you tell yourself it’s doing you good, there is nothing appetising about a spinach and kale smoothie. Instead, you’re crying out for a feast of stodgy white carbs followed by a big, sticky slab of chocolate cake washed down with a large glass (or two) of red.

Even the age-old wives’ tale of putting your legs up in the air after sex to help the sperm on its way is worth a whirl. We all know we look utterly ridiculous and that it’s (probably) futile anyway, yet we still do it … just in case.

You are genuinely chuffed for your friend who’s just announced their third pregnancy, even though the news makes you cry.

It’s not that we’re not delighted for them, it really isn’t. It’s just that every announcement feels like a punch to the stomach when you’re longing for baby news of your own.

Keeping the faith is easier said than done. There will always be good days and bad.

Days when you’re convinced no matter how hard you try it just won’t happen for you, and others when you dare to believe it could be the day when those two lines miraculously appear on the test and hope is restored.