Inspired by this post (and vol. 4 of the HHGTTG trilogy, the story of Fenchurch’s name). Barring IVF, I’ve got a slight problem seeing how the average person could know the circumstances of his/her child’s conception. Thinking back, I remember that when we were trying to “make babies” - as opposed to just practicing for it - we were screwing quite enthusiastically. Given that not all women keep track of exactly when they ovulate (at least my wife didn’t at the time), that semen (IIRC) can survive in the vagina for a couple of days waiting for the egg, and that there’s going to be a time span of a week or three between the conception and the positive pregnancy test, how is it possible to know exactly which of the intercourses was responsible for the conception?
Of course, this should never prevent anyone from cooking up a good story, but for myself I’ve never known - or even had a decent theory about - the actual cirumstances of my childrens’ conception. So I’m a bit fascinated that people can claim to know the circumstances of their child’s conception.
I was tracking my cycle on FertilityFriend, and I felt myself ovulate (some women can, lucky me). I’m just betting the winning batch of baby batter was the one administered 12 hours earlier, rather than 36 hours later. Of course, I could be wrong.
Due to a combination of fatigue and illness, I know that our little bundle is a result of a slightly early Christmas present as that was the only time 3 weeks pre or post event that it could have happened.
We tracked my fertile days, using the simple methods outlined in the book "Taking charge of your fertility". So I had kept track of the days, and also, I knew in advance I was fertile, due to (TMI)
The mucus from my lady parts resembled egg white, rather then thin yoghurt, and the part of my uterus I could feel when I reached in with my fingers felt sturdy like the tip of my nose, rather then soft like my lips. So yeah, looking back it must have been then. I have pasted that particular months’ fertility sheet in my baby’s album, so he could see he was very much planned.
Well, you have some of the reasons right there in your OP. Sure, most women probably don’t know when they ovulated, but some do. Some weren’t fucking like bunnies for weeks trying to conceive, but had one ill conceived (hee-hee!) night out on the town during the month in question, and so they do know which act of intercourse led to the conception.
Some just realize that they shouldn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story. Fenny’s parents wanted her to have been conceived at Fenchurch Street Station, so they told her she was.
Some women “just know” when an act of intercourse leads to conception, right the minute it’s done. No, I can’t explain it, it’s totally woo and unscientific and silly, but it’s absolutely the truth. I “just knew” both times, even though the first time I was using three forms of birth control. The second time was on purpose, and again, I “just knew”. Didn’t even bother with a pregnancy test until about 7 weeks when my husband insisted.
Me, we planned to get pregnant, I was an FAMer, and we wanted to try for a girl. Since it was our first month ttc and we had no worries about my fertility, but no fears if we didn’t conceive immediately, we chose a day way before my ovulation - 6 days, when it’s still supposed to be “safe” from conception - and we’d been abstinent for several weeks before and after. So yeah, I’m pretty sure which deed done the work.
We both had insane work and school schedules so sex was pretty sparse at the time. We finally both had a day off together on the 4th of July. At the time we lived in Colorado Springs so we drove up into the mountains just North of the Garden of the Gods that overlook the city.
We shared a bottle of wine while watching the fireworks. It was a fantastic view and the night was perfect. When we got back to our apartment we both were feeling frisky and romantic so we lit some candles, had a bubble bath while drinking some brandy and well, one thing led to another.
I remember her saying the next day that she felt that she might be pregnant. My daughter was born on April 4th the next year. So exactly 9 months later.
If you know anything at all about how the female body works I think it’s fairly easy to narrow it down to within one or two days. Most women are only fertile for a few days each month. I know exactly when my daughter was conceived because that was the only day my husband was feeling okay that week.
If you have a wife who only manages to be horny once every other week, tops, it’s not too hard to narrow down, at least in the case of Son #1 who was conceived at the end of a boating holiday within half an hour of the other guests leaving the boat.
Yup. I’m about the most pragmatic, un-'woo’y, least ‘tuned in to my chi’ person you’re likely to meet, and I knew exactly when I got pregnant with my daughter. I *felt *it happen, a tiny soft click into place. There was never any doubt in my mind what it signified, and I distinctly remember lying there in the middle of the night thinking “fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.”
Funnily enough, I could have pinpointed the date of conception in that instance without that feeling, because it was the only sex I’d had in the relevant time frame. I never felt it again with subsequent pregnancies.
My mom knows when I was conceived because the first several months she and my dad were married he was away on business in Saudi Arabia for all but three days in one month and two in another. No, I do not look like the mailman.
Funny, I was conceived on the 4th of July and born on April 5th.
I know when my daughter was conceived, because she was planned, and I was tracking ovulation. I can’t be 100% certain, but I’m pretty sure it was a night when we went out to celebrate a victory I’d had at work.
My parents used barrier methods 100% of the time - except for the 5 times they didn’t bother, all of which resulted in pregnancy (and 3 living children).
My first was conceived the only occasion I saw her father for most of that month - we were together once around the first couple of days of June, and I didn’t see him again until the fateful 29th of June. I pinpointed the exact date thanks to my MSN chat logs (“Gotta go! Catching up with guy tonight.” ). My daughter was induced and born on March 25, 4 days short of nine months later.
Number two is due 38 weeks* from the day I said “I know we were going to wait three more months, but why don’t we start trying now? It’s not likely to happen first go anyhow and even if it does, what’s three months?”. I used an online conception calculator to check the likely date of conception from the EDD, and it said sometime in the period 14-20 July. 17 July was the date we decided to step up our TTC plans.
Oddly enough, I as a guy, told my ex-wife both times that she was pregnant right after we had sex. It’s the only two times that I’ve ever said that and I was right both times.
- we were screwing quite enthusiastically. Given that not all women keep track of exactly when they ovulate (at least my wife didn’t at the time), that semen (IIRC) can survive in the vagina for a couple of days waiting for the egg, and that there’s going to be a time span of a week or three between the conception and the positive pregnancy test, how is it possible to know exactly which of the intercourses was responsible for the conception?
Sure, most women probably don’t know when they ovulated, but some do. Some weren’t fucking like bunnies for weeks trying to conceive, but had one ill conceived (hee-hee!) night out on the town during the month in question, and so they do know which act of intercourse led to the conception.