TTC number 3 aged 42

@FiB83do you usually track with OPKs and temping? I personally think apps are rubbish, never understand how they can tell you when youre ovulating 😅
I usually use the cheapie sticks and also clearblue advanced but its so expensive im just going to use the cheap ones going forward xx

@sirensongi actually did a DAYE vaginal microbiome test which came back as reduced lactobacilli so ive been taking optibac for women since Jan. I also decided to get some vaginal probiotics too. So just taken for 11 days before my period and now I will take them 2-3 times a week for maintenance alongside optibac everyday. I do need to retest the vaginal microbiome to see if it's improved but I also wanted to do the uterine microbiome as sometimes I wonder if I may have endomitrisis- I experience spotting a couple of days before my period. And also...not being able to concieve. Both symptoms x

@BurningOutt thanks, it’s a few yrs ago now but every so often if I’m explaining what happened I think wow that is crazy that I carried identical triplets for a few months. It’s a huge ask on ur body and unfortunately mine just could not keep up with what was being demanded from it.

I’ve had all the ovulation signs between yesterday and today and dtd yesterday and will later today so keeping everything crossed. I feel like this might have been the best timing wise that we’ve managed since we started trying so feeling very hopeful at the min. Now for the tww…

@ChaE05 im no expert but I think a higher dose would likely have resulted in more follicles reaching maturity at an earlier stage, so your results might have been less imbalanced. I naturally ovulate about cd15-16 but on Letrozole I ovulate cd12, so it moves things forward for me and the follicle sizes are generally consistent. I think once some get beyond a certain size they suppress the size/development of the others, so ideally you want a few growing together rather than (as you had) one taking over.

Im so sorry about your triplets @DmcinT.

@ChaE05 re biome test - just take something like Optibac for Women. I'm gearing up for embryo transfer soon and went through the different tests people do as preparation - consultant advised to just do above.

@ChaE05 yeah I was saying to hd yesterday about just getting the ball rolling with gp this week and can cancel if get a BFP in the meantime. I suppose both of us feel a little surprised just because it happened so easy the last few times but then part of me isn’t surprised at all, we’re 4 years older now, lifestyle is v different etc.. anyways I think I’ll ask gp for referral this week

@DmcinTthink it will be worth getting your GP to refer you to fertility as that can sometimes take a while depending on where you live!
All my tests were done very quick. The GP did all bloods, SA, pelvic ultrasound. Then referred me to fertility and they gave me a HyCoSy. This was all done within 3 months max. But do know some people that have had to wait months and months xx

We had some testing done back in Oct but just very standard bloods, 21 day progesterone etc, all was normal so said we’d try for 6 months and if nothing we’d talk abt next steps.. we are at this point now so if no luck this month we need to think what we’ll do next

@DmcinToh my goodness, how truly heartbreaking to have lost your triplets. Im so sorry this happened to you. Xx and im sure you feel very blessed to have your little one 🤍

Have you had any testing done this time round?
I am currently only cycle day 3. Going to closely track this cycle with ovulation sticks as im not sure if having been on letrozole for the superovulaton would changed my cycle length or anything. Hopefully not x

@ChaE05 decided on Sunday & Monday because we did Friday so probably have enough covered for yesterday 🤞🏽
I’m 41 now in a few weeks, we started trying in Sept so this is cycle 7 or maybe 8.

We got pregnant first time trying on both previous pregnancies, my first pregnancy ended in a late miscarriage, I was carrying (identical) triplets all on one placenta so believe it just could not keep up to the demand put on it.
second pregnancy is our lo running around here demanding toast and biscuits for breakfast 😂

@ChaE05 how may dpo are u now, how u feeling?

@FiB83 any ovulation signs for u yet?

@BurningOutti would have thought a higher dose would have made the follicles bigger? Or maybe they would have recruited more? Anyway, the clinic didnt care to explain or offer any changes. I really dont know what we will do right now. I also had NK cell testing at this clinic so we have spent about 5k in total, so financially just want to take a pause on things and really make sure the next move is the right one.
I do really want to do a screenme test to check my uterine microbiome x

@DmcinTi think I would prob go with Sunday and Monday! What did you decide?
What's your ttc history?xx

@FiB83thank you! How long have you been trying now? Have you had any type of testing done? Blood tests, semen analysis etc xx

@ChaE05 it sounds like really poor service tbh. They should have suggested a higher dose and scanning you earlier I think (I’m on 7.5mg). I’ve never tried gonal f but I think I read a random paper somewhere suggesting it increased likelihood of multiples without improving overall pregnancy rates so wasn’t recommended, but probably something to ask about if you go to a different clinic?

@DmcinT if you think you can do two days in a row then I think tomorrow and Monday may be best, but either option is very good!

@BurningOutt @ChaE05 Wow the detail on your ovulation, follicles etc is amazing, it’s nice to feel somewhat in control with all the info.

@ChaE05 welcome and I’m so sorry for ur loses and for the crappy experience you’ve had with ur clinic, you would think when u are paying all that money that they would be on the ball!!

my opks have darkened from 0.05 last night to 0.40 earlier so I think I’m on the up, prob peak late tonight or tomorrow so ovulation roughly Monday I’d say. To dtd today and Monday or tomorrow and Monday? because I don’t think we’d be able for 3 days in a row 😂 what’s the best coverage I wonder

@BurningOuttexactly!! You know more than they do. And I chose to trigger early both times and ignore them. I was beyond frustrated as you can imagine. Felt very elt down by them. Yes my body was producing a good number of follicles however there was also one way ahead. I have since learnt from speaking to others they could have added gonal f in ? To help all the follices grow together. But this clinic just weren't interested ! I was on 5mg of letrozole and also utrogestan. Great size follices for you! And a good chance that 3rd would have ovulated too, brilliant x fingers crossed this is your month!

@ChaE05 that does sound really rubbish! They grow between 1-3mm between trigger and ovulation, and 18mm+ is mature, so imo with your 4 follicle cycle they should have triggered you then and there, and you’d have had 2 mature by ovulation and possibly a third as well, and actually could have timed it all quite well. Same thing with the second cycle - the cyst was obvs going to force ovulation earlier so you should have triggered later than evening or poss next morning to give the 17mm a chance to catch up, and then you’d at least have had 1 follicle that cycle.

What medication and dose are you on? It sounds like the clinic is bad rather than the protocol, as your responses were quite good but just mishandled by them.

Mine were 21.8, 21.7 and 17.9 on cd10 so I triggered that day, and yes in tww - testing on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on how much money I feel like wasting!

@BurningOuttyes thyroid all fine.
Glad youve had a good round of superovulaton. 3 follicles is great. Are you in your tww?

So my first round i dad 4 follices. The biggest was 21.8. The other 3 were 17.6, 15.6, 14.6. Lining was 8.1 on cycle day 13. This was a thursday. She wanted me to trigger on the Sunday based on the smaller follicles but advised me to have intercourse incase that large one erupted. Anyway by Thursday evening I had a positive OPK. I emailed the clinic and they told me to continue with the plan and trigger Sunday! I felt ovulation happening friday night. After many conversations with chatgpt I realised that triggering after my body naturally ovulated... was completely pointless !

The cycle just gone I had a 30mm 'cyst' which she said whe was ignoring. The next size was 17.8 and 15.6. Again she wanted me to trigger in 3 days time and again my body went into natural ovulation!! Which i think may have been the 30mm cyst/follice. Sooo many back and forward emails (once the clinic actually replied) and I could not get an answer for them as to why they were making me trigger 3 days after I ovulated.
Told them I wasnt going to continue when there is so much confusion and alot of money. They more or less said we understand and here if you need us. Very disappointed xx

Hi @ChaE05 sorry to hear this - what medication were you on/what was the dosage/your response? I have a love-hate relationship with my clinic - dread going there as have bad memories from mcs even though they helped me to have 2 healthy kids - and I do feel they use any excuse to charge me. It is horrible.

Fwiw I’m on Letrozole 7.5mg and it works well - I had 3 mature follicles this month and lining was 9 on cd10 which was pretty textbook. I’ve posted this elsewhere but I’ve been interrogating ChatGPT about it and apparently it’s boosted my chances this cycle from 10% (average for someone my age - turned 39 in Feb) to 35% (average for someone in their 20s), so I think it can work well if you have the right dose/monitoring etc. have you had your thyroid checked?

Hey 👋 can I join?

@BurningOuttreached out to me on another thread!
Have read through a little...sending love to everyone that has struggled for so long and had losses along the way. This is truly the most heartbreaking, relentless journey.

Im 39 in May. Have a little boy that turned 2 in November just gone. We concieved him first try!
Have been trying for baby 2...well just going into cycle 17 now as got my period yesterday. We had 2 early losses cycles 3&4...nothing since. All tests have come back fine. HyCoSy clear. Blood tests good. The only thing we did find is my partners sperm DNA fragmentation came back at 19% which is slightly higher than ideal. But I think it only becomes a real issue at about 25-30% higher. Both of us taking alllll the supplements. Minimal caffeine, not drinking, eating well and cutting back on upf. Exercise too.

Like yourself @BurningOutti have just finished 2 rounds of superovulation to boost my chances of concieveing. However i was so unhappy with the clinic, and my body didnt respond in the best way. Their information was misleading and incorrect so I decided not to continue and felt like ive wasted alot of money.
Right now I just need to give my body a break, before we decide on IVF. Which will probably be abroad. But right now everything feels a little suffocating in the ttc world x