Fabulous Fecund Over Forties TTC: fertile,prolific,fruitful and productive. Hand over the bfp's and hand them over now!!

[hopefulgum]

Starting the new thread for you wonderful ladies before I fly off into the sunset.

May this thread bring us the happy news we've all been waiting for.

Hello! Couldn't read the story gum I'm afraid as it asked for my ff log in details - I think I'm still a member but can't for the life of me remember my log in details . Could you tell us the gist of it?
I think regarding vitex/agnus castus the crucial thing is the length of your luteal phase as to whether it could help. Ie. you could have very regular cycles but a short LP (so my cycles were about 26 days, but with a very reg LP of 10 days). If this was the case it may well help. Mine lengthened to an extra days after taking for first month (I stopped taking after ovulation, though different theories as to whether this is necessary) and then 3 days extra by 4/5 months.
I also have half a bottle of agnus castus capsules left and would be happy to post out to anyone who might like it? Just let me know and I can pop in the post Saturday (no charge of course).
Feeling quite spritely today as laurie slept through last night for first time! , bunch of for self. Say what you like about Gina Ford, but if you want a baby who sleeps through by 12 weeks she's your woman . I really hope I haven't cursed it now, though do remember the same happening with dcs 2-5 (NOT dd1 who was 18 mths before she slept)
Anyway, will stop my smug rambling and make the most of the energy burst - already being zapped by my 2 year old!

Oh Sorry Deige. Didn't realise it would do that. I've copied it and will paste (I am sure the writer won't mind):

"I finally feel comfortable sharing that I turn 45 in two weeks and I am pregnant with no medical intervention and no medicine or supplements. I just turned 15 weeks and my blood works shows me at low risk for a lot of abnormalities so I feel comfortable now knowing that this will most likely continue. I have been on Fertility friend for 50 cycles and I am shocked that I am PG. I found my dh later in life and married in my late 30's. I got PG right away at age 38 (took 5 months which at the time I thought was 'forever'). After weaning my son, I got PG at 39 again but unfortunately m/c at 12 weeks. At age 40 I went into an RE to get help. That's when I left crying and devastated. He told me my FSH was 18.5, AMA was .4, and I had few follicles to produce eggs. He said my chances of conceiving was 1%. He said I could try IVF for a 25% odd but that was not an option for my dh who was so against that. I then kept trying every month with no luck. I decided to get a 2nd opinion. I brought them in my paper work from the old RE and the new RE was super nice. But, she too told me the same stuff. She did say though that if I wanted to try some IUI's, she'd gladly get me started but it would still only be 4-7% chance a month. I tried 9, and all were BFN. My dh and I then decided to adopt. At age 41, we adopted a newborn baby boy and were thrilled... though the lingering desire to conceive never left me. The month we brought out baby home, I got PG but it was a chemical. With trying every month, this was my first positive pg test in 3 1/2 years! It confirmed to me that my eggs were just of low quality like the doctors had said. But then at age 42, 10 months later, I got pg again. I knew I would just be waiting to m/c but never did and gave birth 9 months later with another boy. I figured...wow, I must have coincidentally had 1 good egg left. I really thought it was a fluke. But then at age 44 (45 in two weeks), I am pg again with another boy. Now this time I was floored. 4 years prior, I'd been told my numbers were shot and so were my eggs. Well, today I am 15 weeks, and all is going well. I share my story only because these were the stories that kept me hanging on when I was trying to conceive. I always felt that it would NEVER happen to me. But for some reason I kept trying month after month. For me I am sooooo glad that I never gave up. I tried for every cycle, making sure that I got at least 1 dtd in every month during ovulation. I've never tried supplements (besides the meds that they gave me during my IUI's) , though did try acupuncture at one point. At first in this process I tempted but quickly stopped that and only relied on ovulation prediction kits which I think was accurate. I am glad that I initially got checked out and so did my dh to know that besides age there were no other problems with my body that I had to get treated (like thyroid problems, blocked tubes, etc.) But giving it time, never giving up, and trying ever month, is what worked for me. I didn't know that I had 2 more good eggs in there and now I feel lucky that I kept going to see it all through. I hope my story give someone here hope and I wish everyone on this forum good luck with their trying to conceive journey."

It certainly gives me some hope. Surely there is one good egg left in me, and as long as I keep trying, I am in with a chance.

Lovely to hear that Laurie slept through, Diege. When I get pregnant again, I will definitely read about Gina Ford's method- I haven't ever done anything like it and have suffered many sleepless nights, and babies who didn't sleep through for years!

I have stopped taking the vitex as my luteal phase is fine, and now it seems ovulation is taking forever. I am day 15 and still haven't ovulated. OPK's are negative, but I think it doesn't help that I am drinking heaps, so urine is very diluted. I am not bothered though, I will eventually ovulate and I am trying to make sure we have SWI every other day or every third day (couldn't help falling asleep last night), so will make sure the deed is done tonight. I have the slippery mucus, so I think it won't be long til I O.

I hope everyone else is fine. Drop in and say hello...

Hello!!!!

Well, I think I owe it to you all to say first here, that at the age of 45 I am now preg again..... not saying I am expecting anything, just that I got a surprise BFP on 1st Jan, what a way to start a new year!!!! Early days and too many miscarriages to be hopeful, just going to throw the book at this one as a last ditch attempt.

Anyone know any of the pro's and con's of progesterone supplementation?

Thank you all for being here!!!

willitbe, no cons on progesterone supplementation! had to say that before even saying congratulations! If your own levels are high, some supplement will add little to it, but if yours on low side, they can make a difference between a successful and unhappy outcome. Go for it and hope for the best!

Hopeful, thanks for inspiring story. it gives hope even to the basket cases like me!

Hi ladies have been lurking and just want to say ..........

Don't give up hope I'm 43+5 months and am 11+5 weeks pg after three mc's in 18 months. I have a DD aged 11 years and have had a happy health reassurance scan at 8 weeks am waiting on tender hooks for my 12 week scan x

Wow! Congratulations Pixie and willitbe. How wonderful!

Congratulations pixie and willitbe!

I have been lurking on this thread and have to say I find all of you so inspiring. The support and positivity on this thread has really helped me as I attempt to conceive a baby even though I turned 40 last year.

I am aware that I am already very blessed as I already have two small DS... but it is my dream to have a third and final child.

I thought I had cracked it as I had a surprise pregnancy just prior to my 40th birthday [DH is very reluctant to have a third and we weren't actively trying to conceive]. However at 12 weeks scan there wasn't a heartbeat and I had an ERPC.

I still desperately want to be pregnant but DH is still very reluctant... although a surprise could still be possible as he has no idea of my fertile times and we don't always use contraception. But I am worried that if I get pregnant I will miscarry again or baby will have an abnormality. So it is wonderful to hear these stories of healthy pregnancies and babies to women 40 and over!

good to see so many new faces in new year! husband reluctance is a tricky issue, nutcracker, but we elderly ladies know how to overcome it or achieve a pg despite of it :-)

Thank you all for the stories of BFPs and successful pregnancies! As of yesterday, I am now 42, and rather panicky about the increasing volume of my biological clock ticking! But in spite of everything, I am still clinging on to the hope that I can have at least one more baby...

DH will be away on a business trip next month at the crucial time, so I'd really like to get a BFP on board this month (no pressure then). Toying with the idea of giving SMEP another go, if it just wasn't so exhausting... I feel tired just thinking about it! The fact that I have a stinking cold doesn't help. Ttc is such a chore, argh!

Hello everyone, old faces and new, and happy new year to you all. May 2014 brings lots and lots of sticky BFPs to this thread...and it's already off to a good start - congratulations pixie and willitbe

I've had a lovely restful Christmas and New Year - 2 weeks off work, and no DSCs for most of it (I feel bad for saying that, but there's no way I'd have been able to get so much rest had they been here). I'm shocked to realise (I'd taken my eye off the ball a bit) that tomorrow I'm 35 weeks Don't know yet when I'm finishing work (I don't have to give any notice, which is fab, but also means that there's no need to make plans so I haven't really thought about it). I've had such a lovely time off work these 2 weeks that I'd quite like to stop right away...but we're having work done on the house and of course it's over-run - we told them they couldn't come for these 2 weeks I've been off, but they'll be back on Monday. Until they've finished I don't want to stop work as I'd rather be at work than at home with a load of workmen! I'm still doing mornings only anyway so it's not too taxing.

I feel so great now that it puts how I was feeling a while ago into perspective. I really think there was something out-of-kilter hormonally for maybe 4-6 weeks to make me so utterly miserable (not like me).

Green, how did you get on at your appointment?

I keep forgetting - anyone had any news of Isabeller? She must be due really soon as she was a bit further along than me...

Morien, good to hear everythinkg is ticking along, how quickly other peoples ' pregnancies pass is just amazing!

Thanks for passing on the story, hopeful. You are right, it really makes a difference to hear success stories. Whoever it was that called them 'our' pregnancies, that was very cool! And to that end: many congratulations to pixie and willitbe what amazing and uplifting news - let us know how you're getting on, I hope it all goes smoothly.

at jass for - "husband reluctance is a tricky issue, nutcracker" ho-ho-ho.

JBrd it's agonising isn't it when DH/DP not around at critical time. It feels such a wasted month. I totally empathise with that.

After having sung the joys of charting to grizzer I decided to upload all of my hand-drawn graphs to FertilityFriend as I saw some others were using that. I had been concentrating so hard on my O date each month that I hadn't noticed that my luteal phase was only 7 days long the first few cycles after I finished BF DD1. It added pretty much a day a month since July so now I have a 12-day LP which sounds better and I'm going to read up a bit more on this!

Oh!! Congratulations Pixie and willitbe! Simply fantastic news!
Morien - no guilt about putting up your feet!
JBrd - happy belated! I'll be 42 in three weeks (or so!).
Nutcracker - I have the opposite problem. Try very hard to make him forget about it but literally, every month, he says: 'aren't you ovulating soon?'
Really?! Do I need the reminder?! (But then I think of those of us with reluctant partners and I let it go.

Congratulations pixie & willitbe what lovely news.
Happy birthday Jbrd
Sorry for your loss nutcracker. I think we all have those worries about mc and abnormalities but we keep trying because hopefully it will be worth it in the end. I think we still have a good chance that everything will be ok despite our age - we just need to keep positive and stress free!!
Speaking of being stress free.....
Dh & I went out last night so after a couple of drinks I decided to raise the idea that maybe we might need a little help in our baby making quest. I don't necessarily mean ivf because we've had 3 pregnancies but keeping hold of them seems to be tricky. It's been 8 months since last mc and no pregnancy since. Well ladies, you'd have thought I'd brought out a machete & chopped off his manhood right there in the pub!! He made it very clear that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him & maybe we need to stop TTC soon anyway because 'of my age.' (He is younger than me). It very quickly turned in to a 'let's talk about something else' conversation so I guess that told me! It's all totally my fault & he has super sperm!! Think I might make a drs appointment anyway & see what the advice is but I'm a teensy bit surprised by the reaction. I know no one wants to think things may not be working but just to immediately say it's not him with a problem seems a bit off.
Do we really need men to get involved in this whole TTC business? I'm sure it would be far less stressful if we could just get on with it on our own !

Happy Birthday Jbrd
As far as I am concerned you are still a spring chicken, it is only a number and I am sure you will get there in the end.

Grizzer, sorry about your DH's reaction, but I am not at all surprised. This whole ttc thing is a bloody minefield when it comes to men. When we were ttc my son, which,although DH was reluctant, he had agreed to it, it was like walking on bloomin' glass around DH. I couldn't mention it without him getting very annoyed and if I mentioned ovulation I might as well have mentioned cutting off his penis if the flaccid reaction was anything to go by. I soon learnt to be quiet about O time.

However, we should be able to discuss options with our significant others, as it does involve them. My DH had to have a sperm analysis done because he'd had a vasectomy reversal, but it was a very touchy subject and I had to be very careful. It was me who organised the Dr's appointment, the paperwork, the jar, then I am the one who made it happen (at home), I am the one who carried the sperm sample in a jar between my breasts for the 20 minute drive to town, and I am the one who called the doctor for results. Otherwise I doubt it would have happened. Talk about frustrating! But I was so driven to have a baby that it was all worth it.

Grizzer, does your DH have proven fertility? Does he have children? If he doesn't, then there is no way of knowing if his sperm are all ok. Yes, he has got you pregnant before, but that doesn't mean your miscarriage is all down to your eggs, it may be that his sperm are faulty? Why not do a sample and find out? (often this is easily remedied with vitamins) And if he really wants a baby with you, why not talk to someone about your options? Perhaps you could have a compromise? SAy, keep trying for another 2 months, then see someone?

Morien, I cannot believe you are 35 weeks, so fabulous! I am glad you were able to have some rest over the Christmas break. I hope the work on your house will be finished in time for you to do a bit of nesting and getting yourself ready for your lovely new baby.

I can't wait to hear if Isabeller has had her baby. So exciting!

AFM, I am pleased that I have ovulated. Hurray! It was a little late this month, day 16, and I wonder if that's because I am doing the 5:2 again? However it isn't completely unusual. Looking back on my charts, I ovulated late in each of my four pregnancies in my 40's. I hope that bodes well. DH and I managed to DTD the day before and day of ovulation, but it was three days before the day before, so I am not sure that timing is great. It will have to do. I had ovulation pain yesterday, on both sides, so maybe I'll get twins!

Happy New Year everyone and belated Happy Birthday JBrd !
Congratulations Pixie and Willitbe !
I don't know anything about progesterone supplementation Willitbe, when I got pregnant this time I was just advised to take daily aspirin and the usual pregnancy vits. I'm 45 too,will be 46 by the time baby is born in April,it shows you can never say never!
Morien ,wow 35 weeks already, the countdown is really on now!
gum that was a lovely story you posted. You can relax now this month, you know you've ovulated and had well timed dtd, the day before sounds ideal !
Hi to everyone else.
Pup was barking and got me up at 6.30 AGAIN so I thought I'd have a quick catch up on Mumsnet,going to make some pancakes now for the rest of the family when they get up!

Hi everyone!

hopeful - fingers crossed!!
I also managed to get some action in during my time this month. However, I didn't test. But all the signs were there.

Still very happy to hear that our pregnancies are progessing very well!

Thanks for your comments hopeful. We do have an almost 4 yr old & my first mc was at 18 weeks & was due to lots of problems the baby had with heart & lungs so I've only had one unexplained mc (6 weeks). There's no reason to think either of us has any issue but dh's diet involves very little healthy stuff & I believe what you put in can definitely effect what comes out!!
I will see my gp and see what she says & then talk about it again. I think you're right though, if I sort it all out he'll go along with it but otherwise nothing will get done! Still hoping we won't need to do anything though, maybe this month will be it......

Grizzer, the really positive thing is indeed that you have managed to get pregnant, so most probably your husband has some useful stuff. as his attitude is what it is, this is most useful. of course, testing him and giving him fertility vitamins would be best, but maybe if he is not open to testing, you can convince him to take vitamins to increase your chances? that would be a good start to involve him. of course his reaction is ridiculous, but men are tiresome beasts, so it is what it is.
I would go and get my own side sorted and checked, and explain to him all what that involves. if he still is not ready to reciprocate by following what you want to do (of course you have to arrange it all, but that is a small problem, i agree with Hopeful, would be worth it), you probably just need to hope for the best.....

my DH has never had tests neither, but since we have 4 kids and numerous losses, doctors all seem to think it is my immune issues rather than his sperm. On the other hand, DH has himself suggested it might be sperm issue as well, not only my problem, so here he is different. But, even if it where, i doubt he would do snything about it, he would just accept that the fate is we have no more kids.....

I really came to ask a question but forgot.... It seems i have had now a cycle which was anovulatory, and probably a second one in the row. i have also been on b6, Agnus castus and coQ10, for these two cycles. I thonk i did not ovulate becUse according to opk sticks i should be 14dpo, have BFN, and no signs of period appearing. Since LP can not be more than 14 days it must mean I did not ovulate at all, despite strong pos OPKs. I am not even spotting, and i usually do for a couple of days before af. I do tend to have very short LP, so o should be happy it is now longer, but as it goes longer than 14 days, i have my doubts. could it be that for some reason thr stuff I am taking is affecting my ability to OV?

Jass, I have had this before, I may have even had a 15 or 16 day LP. I do think the Agnus Castus can affect the length of your cycle. I don't think the other supplements would be a problem, though B6 is known to extend the LP if it is short.

Another thing to consider is that a + opk doesn't guarantee you will ovulate. I have read that although the surge indicates that ovulation is imminent, it doesn't always happen. Did you have a temperature rise? This is the best way (without monitoring) to see if you have ovulated.

According to FF I am now 3 DPO, so I am in the 2ww. I shall try to put all thoughts of pregnancy and baby out of my head and hopefully the wait will pass quickly. According to FF, if I were to conceive this cycle I would be due 27/9. I think we have our holiday booked around then, so it would be Sod's Law wouldn't it??? With a bit of luck, I will be pregnant and we'll work around it. I don't mind giving birth on a lovely island. We always go with our friends, and the wife is a midwife, so I am sure all would be well, plus they have a nursing post there. Actually, I have just checked and we go a week after due date, so that would be fine, I'll just take a one week old on holiday.... easy

thanks Hopeful, then probably it is agnus castus together with b6. indeed i have no idea whether i actually ovulated, since i do not temp. i have never worried about it, since i used to fall preg every other cycle or so, so clearly ovulating. I think i will continue with agnus castus and try to temp maybe next cycle. AF seems to imminent now, already some spotting and period pain. if it really comes on in one day it will be positive - i think a lingering spotting before AF is also a sign of things not being right. i never had it before, it started after my second MC. Am convinced it is all linked. But, whatever. What will be, will be.

Thanks for your advice, I'm feeling guilty for making dh sound terrible - it was unusual for him to react like that. I think it had never occurred to him that he might have a problem and for me to suddenly bring it up in the pub was perhaps a bit of a shock!!
I went to the drs and she said we have quite a good track record of fertility having had 3 pregnancies, 2 of which were within a year. She said there were tests I could have privately (counting how many eggs I have left for example) but not on the NHS. I am trying the healthy eating, exercise and sex method for a few more months. I'm also having acupuncture which I hope will help.
Jass sorry I can't help, the whole process is a bit beyond me - I figure if a 16 year old can can preggars after one night then surely I can too?! I always assume if I get a positive ov stick then I will ovulate within 24 hrs. I usually ovulate around day 14 but then had a couple of short, weird periods and then ovulated on cd10! I think sometimes our bodies just behave strangely - no explanation!
Hopeful you know it's going to happen now you've booked that holiday don't you? It will always be the month when we think 'well if it isn't this month that's ok....' Fingers crossed.
I think I'm 9 or 10 dpo now. Stupidly I'm looking for signs when in reality I don't think we got it right at all this month because we were with family (and squeaky bed) during peak time. Wish I could stop thinking about it but every little twinge reminds me!

Hi Everyone

Grizzer is your GP referring to the AMH test? I had the test done
privately and it showed a serioulsy low ovarian reserve (1.3 where 20 is
deemed to be normal). It was a bit of a shock to me (it shouldn't have
given I am 44 but I feel so much younger surely my eggs do too?? ).
My FSH was ok though at 8 and have conceived twice since then so I am not
really sure what is proves or disproves (except maybe that I have crap
quality eggs)

I started a new job this week on top of everthing else so I am a bit
frazzled and isn't fitting in with my plan to be calmer and more relaxed -
ha, ha. I went to see my GP on 30th - she was lovely and just held my hand
when I burst into tears when she asked how I was (and I thought I was
keeping it together ). She said she would refer me to the recurrent
miscarriage clinic but didn't hold out much hope of us being accepted as I
have only had two MC in a row and they were very strict as they couldn't
cope with the volume. She did however look up all the blood tests that the
clinic would need and has ordered the majority of them for me and advised
me that I should probably look to make a private appoitment because it
could be at least another 12 weeks even if we were to be accepted. So I
had 8 blood tests taken and am awaiting the results. After some
inviestigation we decided to try Professor Lesley Regan who is an expert in
the field. I have called her private office every day for a week and left
a message but noone has called back yet - which is not inspiring me with a
great deal of confidence. A friend of mine went to see her after multiple
miscarriages and believes it was the treatment that led to her having 2
children in her 40's (latest one at 47!) so I will perservere. Note I am
the one going to the GP, going for Blood Tests, doing research and making
appointments. Conception appears to be womens workt??

My AF turned up early on my EDD for my first pregnancy - how rubbish is
that? I was and all at once, poor DP didn't know what to do
with me. So I am now waiting for AF to leave the building in preparation
for TTC again - I confess to sharing the fatigue for SWI for days on end
but needs must. The thing is my DP (and sorry if this it TMI) likes to
make sure that I orgasm every time we DTD. I would be quite happy with a
quicky every now and again but it's important to him that I am enjoying it
and I worry that he will lose his mojo. DTD on demand is bad enough but
having to enjoy it seems a step to far