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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

35+ TTC#1 Thread 4

997 replies

BambiOnIce80 · 23/10/2018 12:42

We're very close to maxing-out our previous thread, so time to start afresh 🙂

To borrow the intro from @Blondcat (our old threads founder):

A wonderful bunch of ladies supporting each other through the ttc journey when trying for a first baby after 35.

Good luck all!! 🍀🤞🏻🍀🤞🏻

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Original poster
BambiOnIce80 · 24/10/2018 19:29

Hope you had a lovely holiday @edidxb? Must be nice to have your mum visiting 🙂

@Carley32 the world health organisation says that there's some evidence that acupuncture improves fertility/gives us a better chance of getting pregnant, but it reckons it needs more investigation before it straight up recommends it for female fertility (so I thought "sod it, might as well give it a go" 📍😉). I went 4 times, but have cancelled going when DP lost his job (the guy I was going to was £50 a pop, which soon adds up when he was recommending going at least 3 times a month!).

DP starts his new job on Friday, so I might look into starting again but with a different acupuncturist. The nurse at my GP's recommended a nurse who specifically does fertility acupuncture. After the initial session, she does 30 minute sessions at £37 a throw. The 30 minutes appeals to me (I always felt a right plum laid there for an hour, looking at the ceiling with needles sticking out in various places! 🙄) and the cheaper price makes it much more doable...

If you're thinking about it, maybe ask your surgery if there's anyone local they'd recommend for fertility acupuncture? You could have a chat and see if it's for you or not 📍😉

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Russkispy · 24/10/2018 19:13

@TheNewbieStep , Ive been given Clomid every time for IUI. Had to take from cd5-cd9. All my IUIs done abroad and part of the IUI protocol. Never had any side effects from it. Follicles grew nicely when had my scans on cd10 to determine the trigger day and IUI. Every time triggered on cd13 and IUI on cd15.

Carley32 · 24/10/2018 18:55

Evening all 😊. I need to start making some time to check this thread throughout the day, so much to catch up on.

@PixieN only once it takes 🤞. I also put buying Cbfm off because of the cost. But think I am going for it on my next cycle.

@Blondecat @Kescilly good luck with the scans. I am a little cautiously excited for you both 🤞

I maybe asking a really daft question here, but why go for acupuncture when ttc? What does it benefit?

Original poster
BambiOnIce80 · 24/10/2018 15:37

No PCOS per se, although I do apparently have some cysts on my ovaries- they're just not stopping me from ovulating. However, the old NICE guidance on infertility used to recommend a 6 month course of clomid for unexplained primary infertility, so I had a 6 month course probably about 5.5ish years ago. It was the ACU that dished it out to me (think you have to be under the fertility clinic to get it?). Obviously didn't work in my case (which is probably why the new NICE guidance doesn't recommend it for unexplained infertility anymore - probably didn't work for enough of us 🤔), but it worked for one of my mates with PCOS on her last shot at it 👍

My lasting memory of it was the epic night sweats and hot flushes! 😓 When I was worrying about perimenopause I was concerned that the clomid might have depleted my ovarian reserve, even though there's no evidence published that I could find to that effect 🙄 You're probably best off having a good chat with your GP and weighing up the pros and the cons 🙂

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edidxb · 24/10/2018 15:26

@bambionice80 thank you for starting a new thread for us all and I really hope that is your lucky charm!
Good to see @kescilly and @blondcat and @melamine still around with us after their BFP too. Good luck with the scans this week too.

I have just been to Hong Kong on holiday and got back yesterday so have had some days off the thread. I have also tried to keep busy with that and not thinking about the TWW! I am currently 11DPO according to FF but I wonder if it is 10 instead. I have started thinking of the Big Brother commentator when I think of CDs. "It is currently day 11 in the TWW"......I think I am going mental!

I have some pretty strong symptoms of incredibly tender boobs but have also had that in the TWW so desperately trying to stay positive and not think too much about it.

@chelonia I would say those progesterone levels are pretty high. In my pregnancy that ended in miscarriage my levels were only 12 and I had to go on 3 types of tablets, pessaries and injections which unfortunately didn't work.

My mum is now visiting for the next 4 days so I am about to sit in the garden with a glass of wine (in the TWW) which I know isn't ideal but you have to carry on.....

TheNewbieStep · 24/10/2018 14:58

Hello all, here we are thread 4 and still no ruddy BFP!!!!

Just finished AF. I didn't even cry this time.

Any PCOSers on here? Any of you been offered Clomid? Anyone with experience of it? Thinking of asking the GP to dish some out...can cause multiple births..... maybe that will deal with the IVF elephant with OH. LOLS.

NotMaryWhitehouse · 24/10/2018 14:09

@BambiOnIce80 ha ha! I actually quite like it, just surprised that mass consumption has actually had less impact.

Original poster
BambiOnIce80 · 24/10/2018 13:55

That would be me @NotMaryWhitehouse 🍊 I have to admit that I've been rubbish and the closest I've gotten to drinking grapefruit juice (given that I really, really don't like it!) is either having tonic flavoured with grapefruit, a wedge of pink grapefruit in my G&T or grapefruit gin liqueur with my prosecco... yeah, I probably drink a little more than I should 🙄 Managing to keep to

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NotMaryWhitehouse · 24/10/2018 13:35

In another note - can't remember who I was talking with about the random powers of grapefruit juice.....but- drank two bottles of it last week-yesterday and literally had NO cm. none. 🤔

NotMaryWhitehouse · 24/10/2018 13:34

@CNizzle ooh that's a good idea, hadn't thought about buying one off eBay..... might do that.

Just never quite like the idea that I haven't quite understood things properly, which is how the cheapies have a habit of making me feel!

Presume must surge overnight, the temptation to nudge poor dp awake in the middle of the night/before the crack of dawn is overwhelming!

Original poster
BambiOnIce80 · 24/10/2018 13:22

Depends on the reference range @Chelonia. The reference range can vary from lab to lab, let alone from country to country! In my corner of Scotland it's >30 to confirm ovulation, but your corner of NZ may have a different range. Maybe ask your doc to print the result out for you? The reference range (and any interpretative comments) should be printed on the report 👍🏻

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79andnotout · 24/10/2018 13:20

@Chelonia - that's the same as me. I think I do ovulate as I get a clear temperature shift on BBT, a strong peak on both CBFM and internet cheap OPKs, and get sore boobs almost straight after.

Chelonia · 24/10/2018 12:21

OooOooh bloods are back already.
Progesterone is 30.3 😱
Dr has messaged to say "confirms ovulation" but I dunno, isn't it a bit borderline? 😕

Kescilly · 24/10/2018 08:35

I went back and forth on the monitor because of the expense. But I figured if it took us a long time and we needed treatments, it might end up seeming like a small sum in comparison. To keep costs down, I used the full amount of sticks for the first cycle but not subsequent ones. I would test until I got my first Peak reading and then ignore its demands until the start of the next cycle.

Also what a gorgeous kitty!

CNizzle · 24/10/2018 08:25

@pixieN I got my clearblue monitor off ebay. It was new but bashed box. £45, but theres plenty of 2nd hand, used once (promising!) Available.

PixieN · 24/10/2018 08:05

@Chelonia your cat is gorgeous 😻😻😻 Love black cats 💕

PixieN · 24/10/2018 08:03

Thanks for starting a new thread @BambieOnIce 👍

I’m now 2 days late for af, but i’m sure it’s on its way. We only managed to dtd once before I was struck down with the uti from hell and various other nasties.

Onwards and upwards though. @NotMaryWhitehouse - I’ve only got a positive opk (as in it was darker than the control line) once. It does gradually go darker, but not like it’s supposed to, and then disappears. Think i’m going to have to go for a CB monitor, but I keep putting it off because of the expense (same with acupuncture) I just need to clear my overdraft again Hmm

Original poster
BambiOnIce80 · 24/10/2018 07:55

That would be amazing if starting a thread was my missing fertility ingredient @Chelonia! 😂 And lovely kitty, by the way 😻 If there's no baby by then end of this thread, then there could well be a bambi kitten instead 😉 How'd you get on with your CD21 bloods? Meant to say that you don't need to get the CD0-5 ones done in the same cycle as the CD21 progesterone. They're looking at different things. CD21 progesterone is to check you ovulated and the CD0-5 can be to check for various things, but usually to rule out PCOS, signs of menopause and your ovarian reserve. Hope this helps 🤓

Definitely agree with @CNizzle @wheresthehope - 9dpo is super early, even for a FRER. You're certainly not out yet! 🍀

@CNizzle, I guess if you've covered yourself by DTD often, then even if the BBT and CBFM isn't adding up you've covered all your bases. I read that it's pretty normal to have an 'anovulation' cycle every now and then (pretty sure I get one about once a year) and you can generally tell by AF being 5-7 days late. I'm not saying that's what you've got going on here at all - just that if AF is pretty late it would be a way to tell if you want to rule it out 👍🏻

Welcome @MrsShelts16 💐 Hopefully it won't take you long to conceive 🤞🏻 I'd probably recommend casually getting used to your cycle on a free app (I use Flo, but there's loads and loads out there) and get used to what little twinges and niggles are normal for you at different stages of your cycle. Trust me - when you're in the two week wait after ovulation every little sodding niggle is turned into a hugely significant pregnancy symptom by your inner symptom spotting psycho, even though you used to get those niggles before; you just didn't pay any attention to them!! 😂

OP posts:
CNizzle · 24/10/2018 06:42

@wheresthehope 9dpo is still early. Youre not out til AF shows, fingers crossed.

CNizzle · 24/10/2018 06:40

Blummin heck @chelonia thats a lot of posts! And promising! Woo!

wheresthehope · 24/10/2018 02:26

Hey all! I was on the last thread a little bit!
I am currently 9dpo with a negative test this morn but im ever hopeful :)
Hope there are many bfp on this thread Grin

Chelonia · 24/10/2018 00:56

Right!!!
In the interests of Science (and having rather a lot of spare time on my hands at present) I have just trawled back through the previous 35+ TTC#1 threads and it would appear that everyone who started a thread got their BFP!
@BambiOnIce80 you're up!! Wink

Darkstar4855 · 23/10/2018 22:27

@NotMaryWhitehouse I could never get cheap OPKs to work despite trying testing at different times of the day. I was in despair thinking I didn’t ovulate but then switched to the CB advanced (dual hormone smily face one) and it worked perfectly just using first morning urine.

CNizzle · 23/10/2018 21:36

@Blondcat glad to hear you're doing ok. Good luck on your milestone x

@chelonia sometimes i get a rogue low temp if ive slept with my mouth open (lovely!) Or if ive not jammed that thermometer right under my tongue enough!

Im using cbfm for the first time this month, I've read online that it automatically gives you two peak days followed by a high fertility.
Got "peak" Sun & Mon (cd14&15), "high" today. dtd on Sunday. Expected ov on monday or tues going by "peaks", but bbt was still low today. Expected a rise. Weird. (The rogue high one was after a night if drinks & a lie-in!) Dont know if i have actually ovulated now. Hmmm

35+ TTC#1 Thread 4
MrsShelts16 · 23/10/2018 21:31

Hi. I’m 36 in December and hubby has said we can look into trying in the new year. I’m really worried that I’m too old, too fat and that due to issues in his past, it’s going to take a very long time ttc. Any advise or anything? I’m leaning towards going down adoption route so as I’m the main bread winner, he could take time off any we’d be ok financially.