Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Any older mums ttc (late 30s)?

359 replies

sideways · 27/02/2006 15:57

I was just wondering how many of the ttc people were in their late 30s or 40s.

I am 38 and started ttc this year. It would be nice if we could support each other.

OP posts:
Original poster
sideways · 10/03/2006 20:10

Sorry to hear that jabberwocky.

I was also too stressed and depressed to try ttc earlier, but regret it now. I guess it would have been wrong to try too soon though.

I won't know for a couple of weeks yet.

Hi cristina - welcome!

OP posts:
riley3 · 10/03/2006 21:18

Hello to all - I am 40 and am just having a mc at 11 weeks Sad. I know I will be trying again as soon as AF has been so I wanted to say hi. I know Nicola63 from ttc after mc thread. I know it's quick off the gun but that's me and I find these threads to be a real help. Smile

I have 2 wonderful DS's - 1 age 13, one aged 2.9. I have been ttc since last June as (due to the 11 year age gap between my first 2, which actually seems to have worked really well(!)) I was anxious to get what I perceived as an "ideal" gap between DS2 and the next (last!). I guess that's because throughout DS1's childhood he has been an "only" and while I think he had a wonderful childhood I would like the experience of bringing up 2 together, as it were. Never had any trouble conceiving before, but this time it took us 7 months to BFP only for me to miscarry (first time) at 11 weeks - so something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore....

Even though I was 37 last time (conceived within 3 months and problem-free pgcy), this time I'm beginning to feel old (although this is probably mainly due to darling DS2...) and I think I need to start some serious healthy living type crap to give myself a better chance.

Everything is crossed for the rest of you (young!) ladies, especially those without any children of their own. Even though I am going through a miserable time with the mc I am so grateful for the 2 I've got, and never take them for granted. So sending out baby wishes to you all! (It was going to be baby dust but I can't figure out how to do it. It took me ages to do 3 lines and it looked rubbish.....)

riley3 · 10/03/2006 21:19

God - what an essay! Sorry about that...

Original poster
sideways · 10/03/2006 21:21

Hi riley, really sorry to hear about your mc.

I'm also trying to do some healthy living stuff but failing miserably so far (and just about to have a large glass of wine).

OP posts:
riley3 · 10/03/2006 23:00

Well actually my healthy living is due to start as soon as I am over the mc. Am eating non stop at the moment in that compulsive/drowning sorrows way. And I'd forgotten about wine....

Cristina7 · 10/03/2006 23:07

Hi Riley - sorry to hear you're going through a m/c atm. Good luck for the future.

Nicola63 · 11/03/2006 08:11

Hi riley, hope things go better for you soon. I am continuing with trying be healthy and have also purchased a mini trampoline to excercise on (!) although have not tried it out yet. Trying very hard to control what I can control, after my body letting me down by miscarrying twice. Well, I alrady feel better after a week of healthy eating, and have an appt with the obstetrician in a week, so we shall see...

riley3 · 12/03/2006 22:38

Let me know how the mini trampolene goes, Nicola63! I am tempted to use my DS2's one but it says it has a weight limit of 30kg which pretty much leaves me out.... Seriously tho - I'd prob only want to use it indoors and I suppose your ceilings have to be a certain height?

Nicola63 · 13/03/2006 12:45

The trampoline is great! I have high ceilings luckily, but in fact you don't really bounce more than about 6inches max off the thing, so unless you have very low ceilings it should be OK! I put it in front of the TV and put it on VH-1, up came Madonna who inspired me to bounce for quite a while (the b for being older than me and looking like that!).

I was exhausted after 15 min but will build up slowly!

ShouldKnowByFriday · 13/03/2006 20:21

I am 41.5, it is day 28, first month of clomid, did shoulder stand and now BFP!!

Slink · 13/03/2006 20:45

Hi i am 34 ..... 35 in may have been trying for 4 yrs have dd4 will be 5 in may.

Worried about the age gap now but still want another, came on at the weekend after being two days late, may go back on the ovulation tests.

Cristina7 · 13/03/2006 20:53

Huge congratulations SKBF, fantastic news!

Slink - we have a 5 year gap between ours and it's working out fine. If we have another there'll be a 7 year gap with the eldest. It's the least of my worries.

TuttiFrutti · 14/03/2006 10:24

Fantastic news SKBF! I am following this thread with interest and some jealousy, as I can't wait to start trying again, but dh has banned me till mid-May.

Keep us updated with news of your pregnancy SKBF.

ShouldKnowByFriday · 14/03/2006 10:39

Thank you Christina and TuttiFruitti. I am still in a state of disbelief as I hoped it would happen in the first month but didn't expect it to. I forgot to mention that I also take eve prim oil, 500mg three times a day which then produces good cm. As you know you need it to indicate ov but also it helps provide a conducive environment for sperm to swim. If I don't take it one month there is a marked difference in cm, and we all need our cm!
Good luck to you all, try shoulder stands so less swimming to do!

Slink · 14/03/2006 12:51

SKBF CONGRATS TOO.

Can you all enlighten me on primrose oil???
dh is taking zinc i am taking sanatogen pronatal care tablets both had checks done, thionking of doing the ovulation kit again. CM seems to be egg white all the time????

riley3 · 14/03/2006 13:24

SKBF - many congrats and lots of good tips (esp. now that I've figured out what cm is Blush)! I like the sound of the evening primrose oil. Maybe the time has come for me to try such things as Clomid. It took me 7 months to conceive this time only to miscarry for the first time ever. I can't help thinking I'm going to have problems from now on.

Nicola63 - I'm off to Argos for the mini-trampolene!

Sideways - my DS2 is also 2.9 and I am also worried about the age gap now that I have mc'd. The 11 year gap between DS's 1 and 2 worked out fantastically but I don't think I can do that again! Grin

After Argos I'm off to Boots for the evening primrose oil.....

Original poster
sideways · 14/03/2006 13:39

SKBF - fantastic news, congratulations!

TuttiFrutti - hi, why has your dh banned you until May? Do you already have a little one?

When do I start and finish with the EPO - I remember reading that you don't take it for the whole cycle, is that right?

I was feeling grumpy with dp for sabotaging my attempts to cut down on the wine, as he kept putting bottles in the fridge. I have finally convinced him of the error of his ways!

Should be moving house soon and may invest in a trampoline - have to get my knees done first Grin

OP posts:
Nicola63 · 14/03/2006 13:45

SKBF congrats to you! I did not know about the EPO recommendation, do you take it every day or just part of cycle?

Riley, be sure to get a tramp with 6 legs if you can, more stable, I have heard of 4 legged ones tipping over. I ordered the Reebok one on the internet, it cost £50. It's nice looking and very stable.

TuttiFrutti · 14/03/2006 13:46

Sideways - yes, got a ds who's nearly 11 months. Dh is not sure he can cope with such a small age gap but I am 38 and just want to get on with it! We've agreed a compromise of May, but I am counting the days till then.

lucy5 · 14/03/2006 15:28

im 35 with a dd of 5. Last month by accident I thought I was preggers. This month we have decided ttc, hope the age gap wont be a big problem.

ShouldKnowByFriday · 14/03/2006 19:47

Thanks Nicola. I take it everyday but have stopped now as I don't know if its good when preg. I found that if I stopped after ov then there was less cm when I started the next month so I continued throughout the cycle and got obvious but not uncomfortable cm. Good luck.

ShouldKnowByFriday · 14/03/2006 19:55

Just read more of the thread and thank you for all of your kind messages. CM is an important factor for getting preg. Maybe not when you are in your teens or twenties but when you are trying for months on end and you are in your 30's or even 40's cm can become an obsession. I have had plenty of time to read up on the stuff esp as it has taken me almost 2 years to get preg. Oh, I lie, I did get preg Oct 04 but miscarried at 7wks, but since then have read that Clomid can create a dryness in the vagina and therefore a hostile environment where sperm just don't move with ease. FYI DP didn't take any vits or minerals or anything, loves his beer and hot baths and electric blanket so it was all up to me. But we did it so I am not complaining. Good luck to you all.

jabberwocky · 14/03/2006 20:04

Congratulations SKBF! FWIW, I'm now taking

  1. pre-natal vitamins
  2. omega 3's
  3. B12
  4. low dose aspirin
  5. evening primrose oil
  6. 6 days before ovulation - cough syrup (the expectorant only kind)

Will be 41 next week...should ovulate a few days later.

Slink · 14/03/2006 20:42

lucy 5 i also have a dd nearly 5 in may i was worried about the age gap but think it will be fine. i am off to buy eveing primrose oil tomorrow 500mg three times a day???? and then every other day from ...... i am starting from scratch, i too thought i was pg this month and felt terrible after.

ShouldKnowByFriday · 14/03/2006 20:46

Hi Jabberwocky and thank you. Re: your supplements, what about folic acid??? V.important! How much epo per day and how long have you taken this. Are you taking the Corvonia cough medicine? I do think that if you are taking epo and the max is 1500mg per day that the Corvonia is unnecessary. I did consider this as well but read on internet that it can cause neutral tube defect. Don't want to alarm you though. Have you found the epo has made a difference?