Geriatric gang 🤰part 2

@Cinai Congratulations!! 🎉🎉

Hi all…shaking as I write this and I can’t believe it but I just did a test and this little pink line came up within 1 minute 🫣

My gnae appt is this month

It was text to me this pm

I have raised ca125 - they need to figure why
Also cycles mega varied

Had ovarian cancer ruled out with transvaginal scan etc earlier this yr

Thanks all- really helpful.

Looks like Hertility is the next step. Few hundred or even a couple of K for tests to give us an idea of what's going on is fine. I just know we wouldn't be able to go full IVF prices.

It's actually only been 5 months- I have pretty short cycles. I have pretty much stopped drinking, only a couple here and there on occasions, where as previously DH and I would open a bottle of something most evenings to go with dinner.

Need to work on lowering BMI really

@Rusticanella - also - have you ever had your ferritin checked?

A consultant told me in August that 40 percent of females have low feretin without knowing

You need a decent feretin level 2 carry a child

I had iron iv in hosp in spring to fix mine

At 36 - it can take 9 - 12 months

Im 36 & trying

I do highly recommend spending 150 gbp on hertility health
They look at a lot from a blood test.
Very informative.

I also recommend hertility health.
Used them twice

@Rusticanella Similar situation to me (age 38, DH 40, second child for me, first for him and trying just over 6 months).

We went to the GP when we hit the 6 month mark. I got blood tests on day 21 to check if I was ovulating and I got a set of Day 2 bloods as well. DH got a SA.

No major red flags, thankfully. Next step, if we choose to take it, is fertility clinic. There's options before IVF - from the results we got, we look like we'd be good candidates for IUI which is less invasive and cheaper.

@Rusticanella Your GP might be able to offer you the “day 3” blood test, which will give you a lot of info about your hormone levels. But if they can’t, and you have £140 to spare, I’d really recommend Hertility. They gave me such a comprehensive report on my hormones and what that indicates. I paid an extra £30 odd extra for a phone chat, which was also really helpful. Also, there are some good sperm tests you can get in the chemist to measure your partners sperm count. Or the GP can offer this too. Often it’s the women doing all the leg work but those swimmers have a big role to play too! 😄

wishing you loads of luck on your journey

Just dropping in. 6th cycle of trying here. I've just turned 36, so not super "geriatric" but husband is 40 and has never had a child. I was last pregnant at 21!!

Can anyone recommend where we go from here? I'm thinking blood tests or something to see if that gives us any insight. I'm pretty clueless. We are not going to be able to afford IVF...

We are going to have to make a decision soonish, as I desperately need to change job but won't managed without me being on an enhanced maternity pay package (currently have a very good one).

TIA

Hi all - I’m back after a lovely holiday. Hoping that the break will have done us good and helped me to relax as I think stress is a lot of my issue with conceiving.

Had what looked like the beginning of a LH rise yesterday but it seems to have dropped again today which is odd for me. Looks like I should be heading into the tww in the next few days though.

I’m finding the whole cyclic nature of trying to conceive quite frustrating and, to be honest, irritating! I told myself I wouldn’t do opks this month but I caved as not knowing when my peak is (and then ‘missing’ a month) seems to be just as stressful as testing… I’m my own worst enemy!

Hope everyone else is doing okay. It would be lovely to have some BFPs on here in September 🤞

Hi all,
How’s everyone doing? Month 5 of trying for #2, and no joy. Had a Hertility blood test (which I recommend), and it showed high FSH and low oestrogen, which is typical of my age (43). They’ve recommended IVF which we can’t afford, 😩. Just have to keep trying I suppose.

I’m terrified of another (likely) miscarriage though, as I had one before. It’s all just a bit tough at the moment. Desperate to give my DD a sibling but we’re heading towards a five year age gap at this rate and I’m wondering if this ship has just sailed and we should cut our losses.

Also wondering if anyone in a similar boat is experiencing very heavy, watery periods? I’ve read that this can be a result of low oestrogen. I’m having to wear maternity pads as normal pads don’t cut it.

anyway sorry for essay, sending you all love and strength and luck!

13 ish days post ovulation here

Waiting to see if period arrives at wkend

Was so disappointed on my last cycle when period arrived

@Serendipity2023 my cycle varies but my luteal is always 17days. I'm not sure if AF is going to come early this month as my temp took a huge drop this morning. I wouldn't normally expect it to drop for another day or two.
I don't normally test anymore , the process was driving me insane but I did test this morning just because we have a wedding tomorrow and plans Sunday and I'd just like to relax and enjoy myself, whatever the outcome but it was a BFN

@MK85

I'm 5dpo, but have a short cycle at avg. 22/23 days. How long is your cycle usually?

What does everyone do to distract from obsessing during the TWW? any tips would be hugely appreciated 🙏🏼

Thank you for sharing your journey so far, that helps me start to get my head around the process. None of my close friends have had IVF, so I don't have anyone I can chat to about how it works and the testing that's required.

If we aren't offered a free option via the NHS then that's a whole other situation. But I can cross that bridge once I've met with the doctor.

Thank you so much.

We had been trying for 18m before we fell pregnant last time, and were getting ready to start the IVF conversation with the GP. I'm sure they'll guide us through the next steps - searching online is a minefield 🙈

How is everyone getting on.
I'm currently around 10dpo.
I've no plans on testing, I'm just going to leave it and see if AF shows up, which I'm sure it will. I think I'll be more bummed than any other cycle if it dosent work since its the first time I've ovulated at a normal time and our last before ivf.

Consent forms for ivf are all signed and returned now, so it's just a matter of waiting to move to the next stage now.

Ah thanks for confirming the smiley situation @MK85 and @Serendipity2023 Looks like I peaked / hopefully ovulated very early this month…we shall see 🙂

@Serendipity2023 sorry to hear about what you’ve been through. I had my tfmr in Nov and we’ve had two chemicals since but nothing else. I recently had tests to check my hormone levels but they seem normal so I guess we’re just unlucky 🤷‍♀️

There’s a great thread on here called ‘Anyone else TTC after TFMR?’ - you might find some others who have been through similar and can advise based on their experiences.

Welcome @Serendipity2023 and sorry to hear shat you've been through. My experience isn't quite the same and I think it varies between doctors and regions. But I'm 38, ttc #1. Had a mmc at 11 weeks last December. Saw the GP after trying again for 6 months and had a very quick referral to consultant (we has already had blood tests for me at different points in cycle and semen dmfor DH). Consultant did internal scan , took bloods for AMH and sent DH for more semen tests. I also had a HSG. Now we are waiting (almost 4 weeks on) to hear results and next steps. I think the consultant wans to check everything out before moving on to IVF or whatever, so you may get similar. However at least where I am the NHS won't give any IVF if you're over 40 (and won't refer if so many weeks before birthday). I'm expecting we might just squeeze one nhs cycle in before the age cut off now (I'm 39 next month). Worth trying though and at least seeing what nhs will do. Xx

@Serendipity2023 really sorry to hear what you went through. I cant begin to imagine how incredibly difficult that must have been for you.
I'm not sure what the process might be for you since you've already achieved a pregnancy, it may be different. Were you trying long before you fell pregnant?
When I went to gp I had never previously been pregnant before so our tests were to try and determine a reason for why we weren't conceiving. Scans, bloods, dye test and semen analysis

@Cinai I never have a flashing smiley, I've had it one month. I always go from blank straight to static.

@Rusticanella - thank you so much lovely ❣️

Yes! This happened to me today actually, I used a clear blue digital (alongside the easy@home LH strips) today and I got a static smiley... yesterday was a O -
so I had no flashing in between.

I have been using the easy@home with the PreMom app for the last few cycles and had not seen a high/peek until this cycle, so not sure why, but it can be so worrying.

However I have been told that your LH peek window can sometimes be super short, hence not always catching it.