TTC 35+ Thread 7

Hi there!
I just thought I would say hi as I have been following this thread closely for a few months. I have just turned 38, and this is our 4th month of trying for our first. Really excited by it all still (was a chronic singleton for years before I met my husband...wedding last year in covid times) so grateful to be (finally!) at this stage, and hoping it all works out. Keeping a positive mindset as much as I can as really want children. I am now 4 dpo and have fingers crossed for this one!! Hope all ends well for us all. Xx

@Farfaraway1 not nothing, but the faintest faintest lines still.

@jessWi welcome 🙂 don't worry it only took me a couple of days to get my head around all the abbreviations. Are you with the same partner who is the father of your son? If so unless his lifestyle has changed greatly probably no need in SA (semen analysis)

Hi all. I’ve been wanting to post for a while but really don’t know what to say, I feel like I’m a real novice at all of this and you ladies really know your stuff! I don’t understand most of the terminology, literally have zero clue about temperature charts or sperm analysis!! But I am finding real comfort in reading about your stories.

I have now had blood tests done and everything has come back as normal, my doctor has said that I wouldn’t qualify for any fertility treatments as I have a 10yr old son already (who was conceived in month 1 last time!) I guess I’m just going to let nature take it’s path and if it happens it happens. We’ve been trying for just under a year now, to me that feels ages but from reading some stories it’s nowhere near as long as some, I just don’t know where to go from here, with no prospect of help I guess I’m on my own to see what happens.

Anyway just wanted to say hi, I’m quietly still here feeling lots of positivity from all of your stories ☺️

If I don't get a surge I might give clear blue advanced digital a go next cycle, but cheapest I've seen is £26 for 20 and some say the thing you insert the stick into only works properly for 1 cycle... In any event the refill sticks are more expensive than rebuying the whole thing at £30!

I'm hoping I'm just ovulating late, tho I could have early... Started cd8. No noticeable cm this cycle, I don't always get it but do usually, and usually cd12/13, tho occasionally cd14/15

@climbershell nothing as in the test strip is completely blank? Is it trustworthy? 🤔 def dtd anyway 😁

Still nothing on opk cd16 🤦‍♀️😐🤷‍♀️ will dtd later anyway. prob couple hours, before OH wakes up and can tick that off

If don't get any readings not sure how long we have to keep dtd for. Maybe cd22 to be safe?

@Twelvestars and @Katiekattty thank you. I've read that the pain correlates with the LH rise, so on average 24 hours before the egg is released. It does seem to make sense that the ovary stretches (that crampy pain) before actually releasing the egg) but why does the pain just suddenly stop? I would have thought the egg pops out at that point!

If the gynaecologist doesn’t give me it I’ll be shocked. People in here seem to get it just for “unexplained” infertility whereas mine is so far explained by my low progesterone/potential lack of ovulation.

Anyway, going to try to get that hycosy done before I see them so they can’t stick me on a 4 month waiting list for one. And yeah, definitely shopping around for the right clinic seems like a good idea.

Not the GP @Twelvestars but the gynaecologist might when we have the appoint in may. I think GPs aren’t supposed to give it out now. I say clomid, it might be letrozole, but it will be one of the ones to help me ovulate slash boost progesterone because my progesterone is definitely in the ‘this person might need help ovulating’ zone. I’m going to get monitored either way, I have a fair number of follicles and don’t want complications. So whether I pay for private monitoring or nhs do it, I will make sure it happens.

I’m going to look into the mild IVF options too (and maybe go to one of the Create webinar sessions they do on the topic). I know mild IVF is for people with low reserve often but as someone with quite a few follicles I’m at some risk of OHSS in future, so the mild options appeal to me.

Sadly BFP before referral us unlikely because we can’t try this month . Going to book a hycosy though for next month to make the most of the time.

I’ve done a bit of reading on when you ovulate vs when you get pain and ovulation migraines (in my case) and the long and short of it is no one seems to know what’s most likely to happen first (pain vs o). I think I have had it before, during and after ovulation.

Sorry just realized @selina37 and @Katiekattty discussing ovulation pain and egg release. My question above is because my ovulation pain seems to last a few hours but I’m not sure if when the pain ceases is actually the point at which the egg is released.

@thislittlebird I’ve gone through a couple of private consultants before I found a consultant that I really feel confident and comfortable with. I agree about the IVF thing but that’s why it’s important to search for a consultant that is conscientious and not money driven. So your GP might put you on clomid? Have you looked into other milder options? Mind you, I’m a newbie to all this but I’ve read about letrozole as being a milder option and with less side effects. Goodluck! 🤞🏻 you get your BFP before your referral.

Some advice from the experienced ladies here.

So I got my smiley face yesterday and today back to static. I am now feeling pain in my right ovary where we saw the follicle on ultrasound. So I’m guessing I’m ovulating. We dtd yesterday and today morning. Should we dtd tonight or tomorrow morning? Also how long after ovulation pain presents will the egg be released?

@selina37 I usually get ovulation pains a day or two before ovulation.

@Katiekattty how do you side pains tally with your OPKs? Do you get pains and then ovulate? Or do you think your pains happen at the same time as the egg bring released? Does your peak OPK tally with the pains? Xxx

@climbershell your LP sounds like it should be fine still. But I couldn’t get on with those green sticks, they never gave me strong lines.

@Twelvestars yes, and I think they advise different things for low vs normal count etc. We would be happy with less volume this time if the quality was markedly improved.

Have a GP referral now, waiting for May because I think I might be put on clomid. Have had a couple of (decent) appointments private too but didn’t like how the place handled my last requests slash enquiries. Once the nhs one is done and I know whether I need drugs to help ovulate or not then we’ll likely be going the private route. Unfortunately they all seem to want to push you towards IVF when there’s other options to explore first.

I’m here all day with my battery fails 😅

@thislittlebird first off, glad it was a false alarm, re: your monitor 😅

And yes it’s so confusing with all of the conflicting studies out there but I tend to go by the more recent studies such as the ones you mentioned about same day ejaculation and even providing a sample for SA not beyond 3 days of abstinence in order to avoid DNA and mitochondrial damage. Also as much as total sperm count in relation to seminal volume matters, the quality (motility and morphology) of the sperm is equally as important.

At our age, I think if ttc has been going on for longer 6 months, it’s best to seek private fertility assistance if your GP is unable to push for faster referral. I think there are amazing life saving compassionate doctors out there and they are angels but at the same time there are many doctors who do their job with no heart and soul and no concern for their patients’ worries and anxieties.

@thislittlebird oh no! That's really annoying 😕 hopefully it'll just take a few days to dry out, have you checked the batteries aren't wet? May be a good idea to take them out and replace them. Nevermind just read the second comment 😂

@climbershell it's probably just late ovulation but saying that I can never get a peak on the strips that's why I stopped using them for the clearblue instead.

@02Carol I haven't tried it but I would imagine the Lh hormone is just on its way down again after the peak and ovulation so it's a lower level similar to before the peak?

@thislittlebird 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

That's the kind of thing that happens to me. Glad it's working still.

This cycle has me totally confused. My CB told me I was at peak, solid smiley on Monday, which was a week too early, so I decided to test again on Thursday and I'm now flashing smiley!! 🤨
And now my boobs are sore which I don't really suffer with!?!?
🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Here are my opk 😥

@thislittlebird 26-30 days, last 3 were 27,27,28

A real rollercoaster of a morning in this house, and I had a duff clear blue stick with no end to wee on. It’s all go!

How long are you cycles? @climbershell
10 days plus for LP is supposed to be fine

@thislittlebird 😂😂😂 crisis averted

@thislittlebird 🤣🤣

@thislittlebird oh damn! 😥

This opk is stressing me out. Still next to no line cd15. Now I'm worrying I have a short luteal phase, as if tests working properly (relatively light control line too), unless I suddenly get a rapid surge my luteal phase will be less than the minimum 10 days required for developing a baby!

Ignore me, panic averted, it was the batteries and I had dried it ok after all 😂