Over 40 ttc - Autumn baby dust for me!

@Rose68 my OTD is October 22nd. You take a standard pregnancy test at home and if it’s positive they bring you in for a beta HCG blood test.. I’m hate peeing on sticks so will likely wait for OTD to test.

Great news Critter! I hope you don’t mind me asking.... but how many days until you find out? Do you have to wait for them to test at the clinic or can you do a test at home?
I am more excited about this than my own two week wait... probably because I know mine will come to nothing

@Letsdothis42 - haha thankyou. To be honest all I needed was the motivation, which for me was giving the IVF the best chance of success. I’m a qualified personal trainer so can actually lose weight easily when I put my mind to it - I’d just been in an awful stressful job that i hated for a year and was too tired and miserable to exercise and living on takeaway food. Once I stopped that and started back into training for 90 minutes every other day The weight fell off. I don’t diet or calorie count, just eat sensibly and exercise well.

Just had more good news from the embryologist - we have two Frosties from this cycle, a 4AA and a 4AB 😊

PS @critter well done on losing 3 stones... how did you do it!!!

So happy for you @critter, fingers crossed for everything!

Hormonal Blood tests done on CD3 and now waiting for all results to come back and then filling out online form that IVF clinic require and then taking it from there .... nervous but I've started !

@Jenbot78 I'd be really interested in listening to that!

Sorry for the AF, I agree Day 1 is the worse..... :(

Chat - sorry AF came. Cd1 sucks.

Rose - let us know how you get on with the dhea! Hopefully it will not wreck your new hair do!
My dhea has arrived but I'm going to hold off using it until after my Cd3 FSH test as I don't want it to affect results. Am slightly nervous about taking it, bit I do think its the right thing for me after many hours of research

That’s very interesting Chat, I haven’t noticed any moon affects on my cycle
I have started my dhea, spent a fortune at the hairdressers yesterday and now waiting for it to all fall out

Same ! 🤦‍♀️ does anyone else's cycle follow the moon? I ov at full moon and af on new moon mostly

Af arrived last night, a couple of days early.. but this month last year did the sane thing.. back to the drawing board

Thanks ckc, I like the idea of being monitored by a Dr, but I don't think a standard gp would ever do that. It would have to be private, and costly. Unforunately with current NHS circumstances, us over 40's ttc have to go it alone

DHEA is completely different than ubiquinol or CoQ10.
DHEA can affect hormone levels (DHEA is a hormone), so it is better to be continuously monitored on this by your doctor.
CoQ10 or ubiquinol (ubiquinol is the reduced, active form) is a coenzyme naturally produced by the body that helps with energy production, and acts as an antioxidant (for egg and sperm cells as well as other parts of the body). Absorption also matters: a form that is water and fat-soluble absorbs better.
Hope that helps!!

Thanks for the welcome 😀. Critter good news about the embryos, really sounds as though the changes you made have had an impact. As for me, I went to see a functional medicine doctor (££££😱 but cheaper than IVF!) to see about my Hashimotos. I am on a very long journey trying to heal myself, not only for pregnancy but general health. She has put me on quite a strict detox diet and a list of supplements. I take quite a few anyway so not so different to what I take but she has added chaste tree berry, as she thinks I am oestrogen dominant (I knew this already!) Anyone have any experience of taking this?

littlemimosa posted a link to a podcast about women over 40 having babies. I think it’s called the fertility hour. Would thoroughly recommend listening to some of the others, many seem geared towards women over 40 and there was a fascinating discussion about AMH tests and how they are not a useful reference unless you are having IVF. I’ll see if I can work out how to post a link.

Meant to add Cleo that my AMH isn’t particularly low - 10.4 but they prescribed it anyway.

Well I have to come down on the positive side for testosterone/DHEA after today - they said it might increase both the number of follicles and quality of embryos and something certainly did the trick this time! I guess it was a combination of all the changes I made in the last 3 months that made such a difference but I can’t deny that Dr Doom was right to prescribe it 😊 i would say give it a bash now as I feel the side effects were worth it!

DHEA is recommended to people with low AMH.

Fingers crossed for you critter, sounds very positive!

Hmm123 I have the same worries as my mum menopaused at 35, but I am still ovulating at 41 so hoping I will for longer yet. I do worry though as my FSH does seem a lot higher than most people my age.

As for the DHEA it won't be as strong as testosterone patches, and it's main purpose would be to improve egg quality and lower mc chances. I'm all for that. Hair loss can be a symptom if you take high doses but I don't think it's common.

Hi all,and thanks Orchid for the new thread

Welcome to all newbies!

Critter - such great news:) Eberything is crossed for you.

My cycles have become a bit irregular too in recent years but my LP is always the same, 14-15 days without fail. My variation is in my follicular phase in that ovulation can be anything from day 6-12. It’s annoying as hell (especially when it’s day 6-9) but am grateful I guess to still ovulate. I only have one ovary too so I’m super grateful it’s not got exhausted yet and shut up shop.

Critter- that is such great news! Hoping for you! The process must be fascinating. I love the idea of having embryos on ice in storage too. Hopefully one will take and you'll end up with reserves too! Imagine that!
Mattsmama- that's inspiring. I had my only at nearly 42 and I'd love another soon but I'd be happy to be 49 and expecting!
Booseys- whatever....!!! People have their opinions....try to shut out the annoying noise they make!
Nothing to report from me.

Wow critter!!! Sounds good :)
Everything is crossed.....

Wow critter..... So happy for you.Fx for you..... Lots of baby dust to you

Hi all, just back from the ET and was so happy that we had 2 perfect quality fully expanded AA hatching embryos ready and waiting to be put back 😊 also have 5 more coming along strongly but a little slower and the embryologist is pretty sure some of those will be ready for freezing by tomorrow morning . They also gave us video of the embryos growing and starting to hatch over the past 5 days from the embryoscope - it’s absolutely amazing!

Good luck critter!

Awaiting AF here - a few days to go according to Ava