Trying to conceive over 40

@Littlemiss40andfabulous Hopefully our age won't be a problem and I guess we'll have to do Rock Paper Scissors to who takes the year off work 😂

@99pctpractice I use Ava 🙋🏻‍♀️ been using it for about 5 months now, and it's been pretty accurate so far.

@sabtom I don't think being 40 is considered negative in the adoption world. From my experience when I was previously looking into adoption, the social workers informed me that most adopters are actually in their 50's so anyone in 30s and 40s is considered young

Hello - just wondering if anyone else uses an Ava? I’m second month in and after it predicted ovulation after 17 days last month, it’s adjusted it to 20 days this month. I think based on the timing of my temp starting to rise last cycle. Is that quite a long time to ovulation? I’m assuming that if I have a temp rise that does mean I ovulated, but I’m not totally sure if that’s the case….

@Marvellouslymadmum haha your post made me laugh - keep up the good work!! I hope this is your month 😆

@Geriatric1234 thanks I’ve emailed the GP so hopefully I’ll get a phone appointment soon. I am also going to keep my appointment at the early preg unit on Friday just so I can ask the Midwife there if there is anything that can be tested immediately by gp without referral. I think we have decided to keep going for a month or 2 - I’m just not ready to give up yet.

Actually after some advice/ knowledge - I stopped bleeding today and so thought I’d pee on hcg to see if it was negative yet - it is so that’s good. I also peed on a opk just to see and I got quite a strong line - not peak but the sort of line I’d normally get 1 or 2 days before ov. So I’m wondering - could I be about to ov? Or alternatively I have read that LH levels are elevated in preg - so is it a hang over from the miscarriage?? Even though I’ve had a negative preg test now??

@Geriatric1234 having a well deserved rest lol we managed to keep up a minimum of every other day all the way until peak no 4 then dtd both peak days, I've got to put some of it down to the maca though, it's doing his libido the world of good 😂 where are you cycle wise now?

@Marvellouslymadmum how are you and the DH doing now you’ve ovulated? Busy weekend of DTD?! (I still read the posts even when I can’t comment!). Xx

@sabtom yes, the drop is quite dramatic but is purely because of age, and not an indicator of fertility (if that makes sense!). I just mean that you know for a fact it can’t go up, so even a few months will affect the result, so 18 months will feel massive. 😬 I think it’s positive though, as whilst it’s low, it’s not terrible. You’ll be fine :-)

@Mattieandmummy I think some people have different opinions on it all but that's definitely what I've heard

@Mickymackyboobaaboo yes nothing wrong with getting the ball rolling

@sabtom you might be surprised on the adoption front, it's probably unlikely that you would be matched with a baby but friends adopted a three and five year siblings and they were early 40's so might be worth at least looking into. We are also looking into it because I'm not sure how much more trauma I can face and all of the agencies make a thing on their websites about being over 40 not being a problem. I think one of you would have to take a year's adoption leave but guess you'd be having some time off with a baby anyway.....

@Marvellouslymadmum AF is due on Monday so I will definitely be contacting the GP if no BFP next week.

@Geriatric1234 I know that feeling!

@Marvellouslymadmum hmmmm.... I don't know - that's just what we were told and to be fair they did say FSH levels were a weak indicator

Welcome back @Geriatric1234 and yeah that's what thought? I had my AMH taken 2 months before I turned 40 and it was 11, and now I'm 41 & a half and it's 3.8 which was a bit of a shock drop, but hey ho, let's see how IVF goes. If it doesn't work just gunna have to try and and accept it and get on with my life. Hopefully look into adoption but I don't hold out hope for that too, being both in our early 40's and have busy jobs we won't be looked upon favourably.

Hi all, just catching up after the in-laws were here for the weekend!

@Honey2 I would definitely try and get a few things checked to rule out the obvious - AMH/Thyroid/vit D/Progesterone - just as most are easily treated. Are you feeling okay after all that sh*t last week? xx

@Portlandia SO with you - it took an MC last year for my periods to be treated. Acupuncture sorted me out a lot, but now I know so much more about what's going on! xx

@October1979 Mine was 6.3 but - I'm like a broken record here - it's absolutely irrelevant unless you're doing IVF. As long as it isn't zero and you know you're ovulating (I think you temp so you know, right?) then it changes no odds at all. It only matters for IVF stimulation purposes. My sister got pregnant second month TTC at 39 with AMH 3.2 after chemotherapy. Don't let it worry you. xx

@sabtom Yeah - that's bollocks - AMH gives an indication of quantity not quality. And that's a decent AMH for over 40. xx

Hi @Mickymackyboobaaboo I'm 42 and TTC 1! Though I change my mind every time I'm pre-menstrual ;-D xx

Hi @dutchessmom welcome! Have you had any tests done? They're pretty straightforward and can give you a good indication of your chances. xx

@Mattieandmummy from what I've been told and research fsh is just another indicator of ovarian reserve it's just less reliable, here's an article on it, explaining it all

www.yalemedicine.org/news/fertility-test

I think an FSH test can give you an idea of egg quality as the higher the number the harder your body is working to make eggs but our fertility consultant did say it is a weak indicator but in combination with AMH can give a steer as to where you are on the scale.

@sabtom from all the research I've done amh is egg quantity and there's no test for egg quality so I'm not sure how your amh can cause miscarriage!

Hi @dutchessmom welcome, I know completely how frustrating this ttc park can be, have you spoken to your gp at all? They can do you some tests to make sure everything's as it should be, also are you tracking your ovulation with opk and bbt? Taking any suppliments? All these things can help. I have two dc from my previous relationship, now 15&16 but have been ttc 3+ years this time with my current partner! We've had all the tests the gp can give us and waiting for a gynae referral for further investigations now. It's also worth looking into a fertility mot at a clinic as they will check everything for you too

Hello ladies! I've just found this thread!
First of all, sending you all wishes and good luck!

Can I join in?
I'am 43 and ttc DC2 for more than a year now. My son was conceived naturally, so I thought that would be the case for number 2 too. DH has suggested we look into fertility clincs sooner rather than later, DS is wondering if he is going to have a younger brother or sister, and I'm just mad at my body for not doing it's job. I still have my period and ovulating, so what's the problem with me? Sorry for venting.

@Littlemiss40andfabulous thank you. We were trying in earnest for around 18 months up to my 41st birthday and then concluded it wouldn’t happen although I do suspect I had a cp during that time so to find out I was pregnant without really trying felt like a little miracle but sadly not meant to be. Now I’m going to try and do it properly and be prepared as I’ve only ever TTC with folic acid and not much else so this group has been a real help and a real eye opener! You’re all superstars in my eyes!

@October1979 I just got my AMH results back on Friday. 3.8 with 5 follicle count and the consultant said for an AMH that low they would only consider natural modified IVF and possibly mild IVF but Either way I'd be lucky to get 2/3 eggs per cycle. So we decided to go for NMIVF if the chances were the same the I'd rather go for the cheaper option. We've only been given a 10% chance for success or 26% if we went for the 3 cycle deal.

Something she did say to me during the consultation was that my low AMH was probably the reason for my miscarriage last year. I thought AMH measured quantity not quality?

@Portlandia I've had a smear and scans last month (I also have suspected endo) and they found I have adenomyosis 🙄 waiting for my gynae referral when they'll hopefully decide to do a lap 😊

Hi @Mickymackyboobaaboo
I would definitely get in contact with the gp ASAP
As they'll investigate over 6 months at our age and it can take a while for some of the investigations to actually happen, I started mine in feb after almost 3 years ttc and and have had lots of blood tests and scan etc but still waiting for my gynae referral appt.

@October1979 I haven't had mine checked yet, but amh as long as it's not 0 if fine for natural pregnancy, it's only an issue if it's low for ivf then you can try mild/natural ivf instead. It doesn't indicate quality though nothing does unfortunately

Sorry for the name change - it's picked up an old one. Not sure what's happened (or even what name will appear this time round!)

@October1979 of course. We have actively been trying since May 2020, and in that 12 months had only one chemical pregnancy back in January which was bittersweet, as it was encouraging we could conceive, but then had our hopes dashed when period arrived a week late. So just realised it took 12 months to get to this (so far) positive pregnancy.

I've been monitoring ovulation via cheap poas ovulation sticks and Clear Blue Digital ovulation kits. The last cycle we'd had enough of these so decided to relax and just DTD every other day, which we did for only a week before life got in the way again. So I think I must have ovulated earlier than I expected as I was convinced we'd missed our peak fertility window when we didn't DTD that second week.

Thank you @October1979

I'm sorry to hear about your miscarriage @Mum2baby07. I'd always taken things in my stride up until my suspected CP; only then did I realise how much I wanted another child.

@October1979 just got mine which is 3... Low reserves I know but quality unknown! It only takes one good egg as we all know fc