On the pill since John Major was Prime Minister! Any over 35s new to TTC #1?

Thanks Purple I'm glad we'll find out more about where we stand soon. I have got a copy of my blood tests to take with me and they are all apparently normal, but not sure how they can judge that in relation to LH (2 iu/L) and FSH (9 iu/L) when they don't know where I am in my cycle? I have been taking B6 for almost as long as I've been on the pill to keep me sane! Fx for you :)

Hi NoveltySlippers and everyone else!

I'm 35 in three months; also was on the pill since John Major (97!) until last March, when I finally came off. Had also been on it for acne: first Dianette, then Marvelon (like you), then Yasmin. Was terrified of coming off as every time I'd tried previously - testing the waters for a few months - my skin had been hideous. It's rough having spotty teenage skin in your 30s! Anyhow this time has been ok - manageable. My skin is not as good as it was on the pill - at any one time I always have a few spots - but it has not been the terror of the past. Just to give you hope!

Been "NTNP" since March. Cycles returned within the month. More painful than I remembered (especially at ovulation - had never even heard of ovulation pain before!) and very short (2 days per month) and VERY light. However my cycle length is consistent ( 30 days ) and periods are regular, and I have been reassured by the doctor that this is more important than period length or heaviness!

Good luck to you anyway; seems it's more than normal to be on the pill for more than 15 years these days! Hope you have an interesting time getting to know your body, as I have!

Hi Moomin, hope you get some answers soon.

I managed to get the doc to send me for blood tests - just normal health one - thyroid, blood sugar ect and checking prostregen - so that's good.
He did try to fob me off with the standard Nhs spiel of DTD 2 to 3 times a week don't do temping etc and would need to try for 12 months before they would think ere was a problem. I pointed out that it's only 6 months at my age :) and I may have told a little white lie when he asked how long we'd been TTC.
When I got my charts out I think he thought oh no crazy MN nut. But he seemed to think they were Ok as I'm getting AF fairly regular.

I have brought some evening primrose oil as meant to help with CM (only take before Ov) and some B6 as that's meant to help with short LP, but I think I see how things go this cycle before trying them.

Hi Slippers I'm 35 and a half and came off the pill (Yasmin) in July and I'm still (not so patiently) waiting for AF to arrive (CD 174 and counting). I started the pill during Tony Blair's first term of office... in fact I met him a few days before the 1997 election when I had a huge crush on him. I got married this year and we decided to start TTC #1 shortly afterwards. I've been on here ever since and found it very friendly and useful :)

I have done the following to help move things along (in no particular order):

• Started eating more protein as I was barely getting enough before
• Dramatically reduced my caffeine intake (7/8 cups per day to one cup of leaded and then unlimited cups of unleaded - don't do what I did and change over night as you will have terrible headaches for weeks on end!)
• Taking folic acid daily
• Using Conceive Plus lube (nice smell, not too slimy, but dries fairly quickly)
• Bought a copy of 'Taking Charge of Your Fertility' (must re-read it again now that I know more as I think it will make more sense)
• Downloaded the Ovia app, although it has given up counting cycle days - how rude!
• Bought some cheap OPKs off Amazon and after using them for about a month and getting no line at all, last week I had a few faint lines which I am taking to mean progress (I know the result is still negative, but a faint line has got to be better than nothing at all?!)
• Bought some cheap HPTs from Amazon and using sparingly as a BFN, even when anticipated, is still unpleasant :( Last tested on Christmas Day
• Watching CM and have had EWCM on a few occasions (I never thought I would be pleased to see CM return after stopping the pill!!)
• Been to see my GP twice asking for help: first time she said come back in two months and second time I was sent for blood tests and told to come back at the end of January 2015 if AF has not appeared
• Booked myself and my husband in for a fertility assessment at a private hospital (£175 for checks including sperm and £225 for a scan) and the appointment is three weeks today (yeek)
• Tried my best to maintain my sense of humour and perspective (far easier said than done and being human I do have my bad days when I am frustrated with it all) as I kind of think that if you can't cope with TTC just a few months in, then you're really going to struggle with raising a child as I think all mothers agree that is the hardest job in the world.

I think that's the lot! Sorry this is rather long, but I hope this is useful to others in the over 35s group :) As someone else said, it will be good to be on the journey with others in a similar situation.

thanks Noveltyslippers! Yes, now we've made the decision, I'm paying more attention to my body than I have in the past 18 years! And when you realise just how many years of it not being the right person or the right time... I'd have to say it's not technically speaking 100% the right /time/ for us now. But it's definitely the right /person/and, biologically speaking - perhaps the only time.

I live abroad on a small island and fertility sticks and monitors are out of the question. I went furtively (small community) into the only half-decent pharmacy to ask about them today. They just looked at me blankly for several seconds then said '...... No.'. So I'll be tracking ov with cm and possibly saliva ferning with a digital microscope... which is neat, scientifically, but proving a practical difficulty, mainly because I don't remember to check till after I've had coffee which I imagine will bias the results.

Totally agree also that taking this decision 35+ means suddenly and very passionately wanting a bfp as soon as possible, very much indeed... DP has been sick (so no dtd recently) but he says he now feels 95% better so ... Although he's totally happy with the decision we've made, I'm sure he's not feeling anything like the urgency I am. Still, early days...

Def let's keep the thread going as we and others starting late learn our way around. At last with 18 years' practice we should have the dtd bit down pat!

Hi - yes me! 35, TTC#1 cycle 1... Also started the pill in 96 then coil since 02 and didn't meet the right person till relatively recently.

it's less than 2 weeks since I had my coil removed and it feels like a year already. 2015 is going to be an emotional rollercoaster one way or another... Thanks for starting this thread, good to have company on the journey.

I'm particularly nervous as I used to have awful periods before bc- very heavy, long, short cycles, terrible cramps and mood swings, which was main reason for being prescribed the pill then mirena. Hoping at least some of those symptoms were teenage and would have gone away by now regardless... on the flip side, if DP sees a month or two of that, he might get more on board with optimising timing of dtd to spare me from any more of it!

Hi Novelty, only on my 2nd cycle - although the last one was a bit of a disaster so might not count it :). I just read somewhere not to leave it too long if you're older.
I didn't even know what ovulation was never mind all these other things. Since coming off the pill my cycles have been 24-26 days with Lp of 11 which seemed Ok compared to some. Hoping this month was just a bit dodgy and it settles down again.
Going to the Doc's tomorrow to see if there's anything I can get to increase LP a bit.

Novelty Slippers, there are a brand called pregnacare, i think there about £10, and have a lot of vitamins in them,

I think I'm gonna start the yoga up too! I'm quite overweight so maybe some gentle exercises will help things

it's funny you say you're baby obsessed - scottishbride - I was just waiting and didn't want to mention it in case I scared him off, but now he's asked if we should try, I've become obsessed

NoveltySlippers you are certainly not alone! These threads have certainly taught me that!
Strange you mention PCOS as I'm worried about that too - mainly because I have a lot of facial hair - it all comes out with plucking TMI?? but maybe a symptom. However, I have regular periods and think I always have done when not on some form of hormones! I can't believe how hard I tried to avoid pregnancy even when I met the right chap - after most of my friends were already married, but definitely worth the wait because he is just amazing and my aim for the next couple of months is to make him happy and remember why he married me - he certainly did not choose to marry a baby obsessed witch - she is leaving and a calm, fun, cheeky, sexy lady is coming back!

I have joined a dru yoga class so it has some flowing movements in it which is very calming. Also started golf lessons too - this is more so that I can play with DH but it is also quite therapeutic!!

Hi ya,

I'm 38 (and 3/4). Just starting out ttc #1. Only recently felt like the right time. Been tracking my cycles for a few months as had no idea what to expect after being on the pill for 20+ years - seems this last month the pill maybe finally out of my system as ov on cd 16 but cycle only 22 days. Found temping useful to see that Things seem to be working. For us over 35's they say go to the dr's after only 6 months of trying as can take a while to get an appointment with a specialist.

Hello!
I'm 34 and had a mirena coil in for a year, and on the pill before that. Coil came out in March 2014 cos it was making me feel depressed- I wish I'd made that link earlier, had a very miserable few months! Anyhoo, got married in July this year and started "trying", but got very stressed with tracking mucus (no opks or taking temperature because I was stressed enough already), and we missed a few months because DH could not perform under such pressure! I'm not surprised!!
Feeling older than a lot of my friends who now have school age children, or the ones who have got pregnant straight away, grrr, so have been on and off some of the buses.

Just wanted to say hello really, I cannot offer any advice really as never got near being pregnant, but the only advice that seems to work and is the hardest to follow is to just relax! I have actually started yoga in the last few months and I need to practise it more because I think it might help me.
Good luck!

Hi, I am 34 and was on the pill for nine years, I have been off the pill a year now but we only started trying in June , I felt much better when I came off the pill , the only thing Is my af is a lot lighter and have spotting before I come on and to start with they were all over the place for a few months, I would suggest to take folic acid or conception vitamins , I am also taking evening primrose oil until ovulation to balance my hormones, I have found this site really useful and there are buses you can join in here and talk to others that are in the same situation which helps a lot

I think there can be similar symptoms, trying to not get my hopes up, but it's hard not to presume! nauseous every night for the last 3 days, until I eat. currently having to eat a yule log to subdue it just now haha took a test today, even though I know its far too early but I'm so impatient