What Is TTC? Know The Term And Thing You Need To Consider While Trying To Conceive

Is it time where you are finally deciding to expand your family? Yes, we are talking about having a baby. You guessed it right. However, at first instance, even before consulting a doctor, it is quite common for just anyone to go on Google and start wondering what is TTC? 

And you are not the only one who does that. But after a few searches, it is okay if you are feeling overwhelmed with all the information the internet is giving you at once. It is understandable if you do not understand all the terms and terminologies that accompany your search.   

Coming across TTA, FTM, or TTC for the first time might give you a head spin, and it might feel like it is an entirely new language altogether. Well, we are here to clear out one of those essential acronyms that you often see, and that is TTC. So, what is TTC?  

Stay with us till the end and you shall find out too! 

What is TTC? 

TTC is actually the acronym for the most common phrase that people often use, that is “trying to conceive.” It is just one of those numerous acronyms you will find on the internet and social media. 

Couples and individuals who describe them as TTC mean that they are actually trying to conceive, and they even make use of various techniques and tools to increase their chances of getting pregnant.   

Some of the basic techniques include planning your intercourse around your fertile days, tracking your ovulation, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and also using some ART, i.e., assisted reproductive technology.

How did the term evolve? 

Well, if you are precisely looking for the person who derived the term, then we are sorry to disappoint you. It is difficult to figure out who came up with the term and how they came up with it, or even the reason behind it. 

However, there is evidence that the term has been circulating in Google searches and social media since 2005. But in general, the origins of all the fertility abbreviations are unknown. However, it is believed that people started using these terms as shorthand on online platforms, and it has been going on ever since.

What is “TTC” in a pregnancy journey? 

When you are trying to conceive, there are two essential things that you should consider. The first element relates to fertility, and the second relates to the physical process of getting pregnant.  

To maximize the chances of getting pregnant, it is essential to have a balance of both elements. 

TTC and fertility 

There are different factors that have the ability to influence fertility when you are TTC. While you have control over some of those, you cannot control the others. One of those factors is age.   

Fertility starts decreasing from the age of 30, and by the time you reach 35, it starts to fall rapidly. Some of the other factors that impact fertility include certain medical conditions like endometriosis and PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome.  

The factor that you can have control of is your lifestyle. And by that, we mean diet, stress, and weight. Also, the use of harmful substances, like caffeine, tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, is something that you can control.

TTC and pregnancy 

When you try to actually conceive, you have to consider certain things. It is not just about having unprotected sex. Technically, there are only six days when the body is actually capable of conceiving.  

This time is known as the fertility window, and this is around the five days before ovulation, along with the five days of ovulation. Couples TTC can be more effective if they track this fertility window and plan their intercourse accordingly.  

There are various other strategies that you can adopt for tracking ovulation and your fertility window. But every strategy has its own pros and cons. While some of the methods might feel a little complicated as well as overwhelming in the beginning, with time, it will get easy. 

But again, you will come across various people giving you advice about how to conceive a boy or how to conceive a girl. Before you go through their advice, try the basics and consult a doctor if you have been trying for a long time and have yet to receive good news.

Tips For Couples TTC  

Conceiving is not the easiest thing on the planet. While you may think that all you need to do is have sex, it is more than just that.  

Here are a few tips that will help you take just the right measures if you are TTC.  

Stop With The Birth Control Pills  

This is mandatory whenever you are planning to have a baby. If you wish to conceive, the first thing you need to do is quit on the birth control. We are particularly focusing on this because there have been a lot of rumors about how birth control is capable of affecting your cycle and how easily you can bounce back to fertility once you stop using it.  

Have Sex On The Days You Are Most Fertile  

The ultimate secret of conceiving fast is having loads and loads of sex. Having sex almost every day increases your chances of getting pregnant. This is true because when you have sex almost every day, it tends to align with the most fertile days of the month. Yes, having sex every day might not be the best solution for everyone. And in most cases, it is not even possible. In that case, it is better to have as much sex as you can on the days you are ovulating when calculated correctly.  

Track Your Cycle To Figure Out When You’re Ovulating  

Keeping track of your menstrual cycle might just be one of the best ways to decide when your fertility is at its peak. A usual cycle lasts for around 28 days; however, you must not assume that the same is going to happen for you, too. To help hold your own cycle, it is better to keep track of it for a few months to get a clearer picture.  

Cut Back On Specific Substances  

Alcohol consumption, smoking, and even too much caffeine can affect both sperm and eggs. It is important that you cut down on these substances, particularly if you are trying to conceive. Doing this will further increase your chances of conceiving.  

Avoid Excessive Exercise And Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle  

While regular exercise is particularly important for overall health, moderating it at the time of conceiving is particularly important. Overall, every step that you take to keep yourself healthy can affect your fertility positively.  

Maintain A Healthy Body Weight 

Being overweight or underweight might affect your fertility in different ways. You may have a discussion with your doctor about the right body weight that you need to maintain.  

Use The Pregnancy Test At The Right Time  

Taking the much-awaited pregnancy test when you are trying to conceive might be overwhelming, but make sure not to do it too soon. There is a chance that you might get a false negative. Even though waiting can be hard, it is best to wait for at least two weeks after missing your period.  

Schedule A Preconception Visit With Your Doctor  

When you finally start to plan your pregnancy, it is better to get checked by your doctor first. They will be able to tell you the correct ways to conceive and what exactly your body needs.  

A few tips to help when TTC 

By now, “what is TTC” is clear, I believe. So, here are a few things you can try when trying to conceive.  

Track ovulation 

This is the essential thing that is going to help you with getting pregnant. There are signs of ovulation, as well as signs that ovulation is over as well. This enables you to identify the fertility window correctly and increase the chances of conceiving. 

There are different methods; you can try to track ovulation and the days when you are most fertile. Some of the standard methods are: 

• Use the calendar method 
• Track cervical positioning and cervical mucus 
• Track the basal body temperature 

Or you can directly monitor the hormone levels to predict your ovulation time. You can use a tracking system at home to do the same. 

Have intercourse every alternative day 

Once you become aware of your fertility window, for best results, have intercourse every alternative day. But how regularly you want to have it depends upon you and your partner. But most of the time, doctors recommend that couples should try every alternative day.  

According to research, there is very little difference in the pregnancy rate of a couple who have sex every day and who try every other day. This often comes as a relief for those couples who think that having sex every day is a tiring job. 

Take some prenatal vitamins 

It is always recommended to start taking any kind of prenatal vitamins almost a month before you try to conceive. Prenatal vitamins mostly include nutrients like vitamin D, iron, acid, and calcium, which are mainly important for growing cells and preventing any kind of birth defect. 

When you are trying to conceive, doctors mostly recommend taking a minimum of 400mcg of folic acid daily. This is recommended because folic acid is known to prevent neural tube defects in babies, which happen during the first 28 days after you have conceived. 

Healthy body weight 

It has been documented that individuals who tend to be underweight or overweight can experience a higher rate of infertility than those who maintain a healthy body weight. This happens because the body’s fat cells influence the functioning of the reproductive system. 

Because of this, sometimes there are missing periods and irregular periods, and sometimes the cycles are too short, and sometimes they are too long. To maintain a healthy weight, you can try out the following things; 

• Make sure that you are having three well-balanced meals every day with some healthy snacks between your meals. 
• Include food that is rich in fiber, healthy fats, and proteins. These would help you stay full for a long period of time. 

• Try to avoid food that has a high quantity of saturated fat and sugar. 
• Try to include a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise every week. 
• Do not overtrain yourself, and let your body rest as well as recover from the exercises. 

Consider getting help from a professional 

So now you know “what is TTC,” and if you are still out of luck after trying for a long time, do not get disheartened. You are not alone in this. This is one of the gifts of the modern-day lifestyle, where women face difficulty in getting pregnant or staying pregnant full term.  

Make it a thump rule that you should seek additional help from a professional or a fertility specialist if you face the following things. 

• If you are under the age of 35 and have not conceived, even after trying for more than 12 months without any birth control or protection. 
• If you are over the age of 35 and have not gotten pregnant, even after trying for more than six months without protection or any other form of birth control. 

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