To ask what you’d do if you were 37 and TTC naturally for the first time?

[DragonflyRuby]

We’ve decided to try for a baby properly for the first time. I had a v. Early mc when I was 33 which was an unplanned pregnancy. At a scan after they said all looked well so assuming that’s true what would you/did you do to give yourself the best chance? I know I’ve left it pretty late but that’s just the way life worked out.

I’ve bought folic acid, we’re DTD like rabbits and I’ve bought some ovulation sticks to try but any top tips would be much appreciated!

Also any success stories of conceiving naturally at my age would be really lovely to hear!! Thank you!

Forget the ovulation sticks, the clearblue digital are the way to go.

Rather than dtd all the time, build up supplies and do just once per cycle on ovulation day.
100% success for us and we're much older than you. Building up supplies is more important when you're older.

Sorry, no advice, but just to encourage you — I conceived the first month aged 39 without doing any ovulation tracking or anything.

Go very easy on the coffee, even avoid if you can, was what I was told after several miscarriages.
I did and the next pregnancy held.

For him, 3-4 brazil nuts a day will up his selenium which is good for healthy sperm that are swimmers😁.
The best of luck.

Precision targeting, rather than just going at it all the time. Work out the best two days every month and do it then, come hell or high water. Worked for us on the third month of trying.

Vit D as well as folic acid, stop smoking (if either of you do), cut back or stop drinking alcohol, for your DH - loose underwear and no laptops on laps, plus he should also be taking multivitamins, lose weight if you are overweight.

If no success in 6months, make a GP appointment. Some will require you to try for a year first, but others will do some initial bloods for you sooner than that, which helps get the ball rolling if you do need a referral. Good luck!

For success stories, we needed fertility treatment to conceive at 35 but had a natural conception at 37.

After you have DTD make sure to stay laying down and ideally put your legs up in the air (e.g. rest against wall) to increase chance of sperm reaching its target

Get to know your cycle and listen to your body. 37 isn't that old, I conceived naturally at the same age but just to warn you it did take six months! I wish I'd be able to be a younger mum but life didn't quite pan out that way. Anyway, I have a lovely toddler now so maybe it was meant to be. Wishing you all the best 🙏

I conceived naturally at 35 the first time trying - it was actually a few days earlier than my app told me I'd be fertile so make sure you're having sex as soon as your period is ended basically. I also made sure I orgasmed - apparently the contractions help. (Nb that should be happening anyway!)

Also, main advice if you have a horrible stressful job then leave or time holidays around fertile times - so many teachers know couldn't conceive and then managed when they left teaching. Shocking.

This actually works (conceived within 3 months with this method whereas previous pregnancy I took 5 years to conceive)

Ovulation app
Lay down on your back with a cushion under your bum and legs in the air and lay there for at least 20 mins. If you do the deed in bed at night don't get up to 'clean up' go to sleep with as much sperm inside you as possible (sorry TMI) but it genuinely works.

Also, before you're pregnant please get a good exercise routine and build core strength with weights and Pilates to protect your back and pelvic floor, I wish I'd done that before ceo delivering and start weight training - build up strong arms as you are constantly carrying baby and it's heavy equipment so I wish I'd had muscles when he was born!

I wouldn’t do anything except have fun.

Definitely use the ovulation sticks - I was using an app on my phone to track my most fertile time and the sticks showed that my body was working differently from how the app calculated. I conceived my 1st when 36, my 2nd at 39, and my 3rd at 42. Wishing you lots of luck!

Not my first but pg at 40 after a v long gap.
have sex 2-3 times a week as soon as you finished your period. Don’t wait a week and then start, you could easily miss ovulation. Don’t go on about ovulation to your partner!

Had three in my mid to late thirties, fell pregnant easily within the first two months each time.

The media love to go on about plummeting fertility rates after 35 but there are loads of us who conceive easily at that age.

Hopefully you'll be one of them.

Quite a few people conceive at this age without huge effort, so good luck!

I recommend the book "it starts with the egg" that details things you can do to improve fertility. In a nutshell

• try to get to a normal weight. Being underweight or overweight will reduce your chances of conceiving
• Have a diet full of vitamins, antioxydants, omega3 and vitamin D: Reduce sugar, ultra-processed food and transfat as much as possible
• Reduce alcohol and cut down smoking
• If possible, try to take some steps to reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors and everyday pollutants
• Your partners should eat healthy and cut down alcohol and smoking because it affects sperm health and it's pretty important too

My cycle was roughly 30 days so I made sure we DTD on day 12,13 and 14. I didn’t use ovulation tests or anything, I just counted the day I started my period as day 1. I fell pregnant both times in the first month of trying.

I used the same method when I was almost 40 and fell pregnant in the 4th month of trying.

Good Luck OP

I conceived at 39 and 41 within a couple of months completely naturally and without any aids. So quickly in fact that we weren’t really prepared for it! I know that’s not everyone’s story but it happens often enough that I would relax for the first 6 months and then start looking at all these other things after that.

This plus take folic acid in the methylated form as folate, not the cheap lab made stuff. You should both take ubiquinol too. I think using the proconceive lube helped us too. Got pg naturally at 37 and 39

If I went back in time I would be your age OP when we first tried. I was pregnant three months after stopping the pill and sadly had a miscarriage in the first trimester. We both needed time (especially me) to recover. When we tried again (we realised time wasn’t on our side), it took just over a year of having sex at least twice a day just before and during fertile days. I tracked my periods via an app. I am someone with regular cycles - I know not every woman is like this.

We had a healthy baby girl in the year I turned 40. We are happy with one and done.

All the best for this journey ahead!

Also worth getting your thyroid checked in case you have a stealth thyroid disorder. If you do, your TSH should be under 2 for conception which not a lot of GPs are aware of but it makes a massive difference. Maybe one to investigate if you end up with no success or you have recurrent miscarriages.

I conceived quickly in my 40s. Used ovulation tests and tracked my cycles on an app. Taking temperature every day.

also used advice from SMEP https://www.motherandbaby.com/getting-pregnant/trying-to-conceive/smep-sperm-meets-egg-plan/

When I was 35 trying to conceive my second it took 18 months. Month 18, I changed my diet, was super healthy, no drinking etc and I conceived!

Hope it’s quick for you, quite a few of my friends have conceived late 30s, no issues at all.

It really doesn’t. There have been multiple studies on this and the only outcome was an increased risk of a UTI which is not great for conception and pregnancy.