TTC 35+ Thread 7

@Geriatric1234 thank you for your fantastic posts!
Let's not forget also that less people have babies at our age simply because they choose to have them earlier.

@Loladoodle AF almost gone here, had a lot less cramps than usual this month (in the run up), hence why I thought the B6 might have helped with that. Instead though, tonight I have almost a migraine feeling 😞 so tired and feel run down.I hope you're not suffering too much. 😔

Sperm friendly lube @Lexber

The regular lubes aren’t great for sperm, although plenty of people still get pregnant using them.

What is conceive plus @climbershell @thislittlebird ??

@climbershell
Mine didn’t mention anything about conceive plus or preseed. I think he was happy with conceive plus because it was so similar to normal lube.

@Misty84 I was so shocked and excited lol. I actually ran down the garden with the bit of paper of tests to show my OH 🤣 made him dtd again tonight, after saying just on every other day a bit longer lol

Has anyone's partner said conceive plus makes them feel a bit numb and therefore hard to climax? Mine is feeling that way the last few times

I’m still doing my ovulation tests. No peak yet, this is the ttc-free test month where I can see what happens without all the stuff I’ve been doing.

Just on folate, vitamin c and d. Debating whether to take b6 again after ovulation. Might save it for when we are actually trying, dunno.

@Geriatric1234 being optimistic is the right way to go with this! Thanks for sharing - was definitely what I needed whilst on cd2 of cycle 14 here 👍 I agree it’s all a matter of time 🙏

@selina37 hope the witch 🧙‍♀️ Is being kinder to you than me- it’s painkillers, hot water bottle, exhaustion and wishing the days away here until the fw!

@sickofthisyear Totally agree no definite conclusions can be drawn from one study, but there was almost no difference between 25-35 either in “truly fertile” couples. The main thing to note is age wasn’t a factor in conception.

Once conception has actually occurred we have lots more studies (the article linked by @Twelvestars details a few of these) that show the whole “fertility goes off a cliff at 35” thing simply isn’t true. So if you can conceive, you have WAY more chance of a live birth than not.

I do get how easy it is to be negative, but it’s up to the individual how they interpret the stats.

I’m mainly focussed on the over 40 data. Guess what the average life span was in the late 1600-1700s when they talk about fertility being minuscule? FORTY! 🤣 So of course there’s limited data of fertility over 40 - they were mainly dead!!! And if they were in their twilight years I doubt they were getting that jiggy.

Fine - I’ll grant you it’s not proof that fertility is a-okay post 40. But there isn’t any study, anywhere that proves fertility is f**ked either. There are A LOT of IVF studies of fertility-challenged women that are also used as “evidence” of a decline in fertility. Hmm...wonder why ivf clinics want you to think that...😆

If your tests say your fertile, I genuinely believe it’s just time. Maybe I’m too optimistic! 🤣

@Geriatric1234 I completely agree! Using outdated data is so unfair, I've read a few articles myself indicating the same kind of things. I've also read a lot of info on how bad for our bodies some of the contraceptives are and that they're likely not helping the fertility issues having been on them for a long time in most cases, they can also have masked issues that we already had and didn't know about.

@Twelvestars I had a good read and agree with that one too! There's far too much pressure and I believe it means we panic as soon as it doesn't happen naturally when rare older, leading us to believe the studies are correct because we aren't conceiving when really it's because we are stressed!

@Kitekat81 @02Carol @Misty84 I’ll also join in the tww. I’m 2dpo!

@Kitekat81 I’ll also join in the tww, me and oh ran out of steam too so didn’t cover every day but it’s just too much sometimes!!! And I agree, I just feel like it’s down to luck now!

@02Carol I will join you in the 2ww, I had a positive opk on Friday and a temp rise today so must have ov'd on Saturday or Sunday, so 1 or 2 dpo now. We dtd Thurs, Fri & Sat, but both knackered by Sunday so didn't manage that one! 🤞 it will be enough but not that hopeful as we are now 1 year + trying. Totally believe it's down to fate/luck now!

@Geriatric1234 @Twelvestars thank you for posting some positive articles, I look forward to reading them 😊

I haven’t caught up fully but yeah, I read about that old study being the basis for the claims in a book (one of my pregnancy reading selection over Christmas).

Nonetheless here I am 14 cycles later and not getting any younger

Thank you @Twelvestars! So reassuring to not always be facing doom and gloom when it comes to fertility post 35.

@Geriatric1234 I agree with Twelvestars that your summary was particularly useful!!😁

@climbershell It took me ages to get any sort of line on a cheapy opk too😂 Was so excited when I finally saw something haha!

@Pamparam you raised a point that I totally agree with and have been discussing it with family and friends who threw a panic over the AstraZeneca vaccine possibly causing blood clots (which was soon rescinded by the EMA and now rejected in a recent US trial, see: www.bbc.com/news/health-56479462 ) I automatically remembered birth control pills and I’ve taken Yasmin in the past for many years for PCOS and it was always a known fact that these carried a real and known risk of thromboembolism.

🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼@climbershell

Sorry, unable to keep up, but cd17 and finally a reading on opk! Wow, what a surprise!

The first strip that Prenom actually read automatically, says 0.48 low. But an actual line finally!! Will keep dtd every other day for a bit longer

@Geriatric1234 and thanks to you for this study! I happen to have a taste for these overly dry and academic studies so will give it a good read. But your summary of take away points was helpful and reassuring!

@Misty84 the article I shared goes hand in hand with the study @Geriatric1234 shared.

Here is the article just in case some of you missed it:

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-long-can-you-wait-to-have-a-baby/309374/?single_page=true

Unable to keep up but just read your post @Geriatric1234 (thank you!!) and am going to search back and find yours @Twelvestars! 😂
Love the positivity thank you. Think as restrictions ease and we have other things to focus on in life it will help all of us too! Xx

I'm also snowed under @Geriatric1234 but will have a read in a nice relaxing bath later ❤️

Ooh good luck @02Carol, I've opk this morning and it's rising still even though I have other issues so who knows, I may actually stop bleeding (reduced again but I'm not falling for that again lol) AND ovulate... we dtd when I had a break and I've prewarned him the minute I can, I am... and that's without TTC 🤣🤣🤣

Hopefully my joining you on the TWW in a few days?!? I have no expectations of anything this month so far, I'm not even in cycle 1 yet technically 🤣🤣 I'm just eager to get going...

I had actually read about the 'fertility dropping off a cliff at 35' stuff being based on French medieval peasants (Ok bit later than medieval). I think it's awful that this isn't more well-known - thanks fir the link @Geriatric1234, will have a read. I have also read that those with fertility issues in their mid-30s onwards would probably have had the same issues 10 years previous with the same partners etc. I just wish that 'science' would bother to do more research on women's issues.

Even the stats flying around about how you're more likely to have blood clots on the pill than with the covid jabs, but no one ever focuses on the former. And when all that stuff came out about how there's no need to have withdrawal bleeds on the pill but some male scientists decided to advise it.

Does make my blood boil.

@Geriatric1234

Couldn't agree more, the stress and pressure these 'facts and statistics' cause!!
I didn't expect TTC would also make me so mad!

I have officially started my 2ww! 🥴 Que daily googling and gradual loss of my mind. Anyone else at this point in their cycle?

@Twelvestars That article is awesome! Thank you for sharing xxx

GAWD this subject gets me so angry. I swear I’m not actually an angry person. Just those statistics make me SO BLOODY FURIOUS.