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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.

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

999 replies

hopefulgum · 05/07/2013 11:54

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. Grin

OP posts:
mozzarellamummy · 28/01/2014 11:54

Jbrd willitbe jass43 and right.. congratulations on your bfps!!!
Wishing all of you sticky and healthy beans!
hopeful I will lurk your posts on the 5:2 threads as I will miss so much your news..
I am still very worried about what the future holds on for this baby.. I was amazed not to find a single thread about agenesis of corpus callosum on mumsnet.. Is that so rare? From what I understand from us it could even be atypical disgenesis which seems far more infrequent..
I still have a very tiny hope the MRI could tell she actually has a beautiful and normal corpus callosum, but most probably it will be a different answer and I am trying to get ready for some problems..
DP doesn't want to speak about that..
I would like to tell my daughter a little sister will arrive but he says it's too soon.. I don't have a big bump but I am almost 25 weeks, wouldn't it be time and wouldn't it be better to tell her while we still hope for a good outcome so that it will be easier not to show our worry/pain?
There are still many people, not really friends but people I meet at work or school or

mozzarellamummy · 28/01/2014 11:57

People I meet at my Dr's school who still don't know I a pregnant and I don't really know how to tell them... Not that easy..
Big hugs!!!

HelloBoys · 28/01/2014 12:49

I thought I'd tentatively post here.

Am 42 (was 42 last September) not TTC but it would be nice if it happened. In relationship where he says he is happy if it happens but I don't want to conceive as we're early days (3 months).

Got diagnosed with underactive thyroid last year on levothyroxine.

Got pregnant at 17 had termination. Had miscarriage at 21.

I'm flummoxed when it comes to ovulation charts etc but have always had periods fairly regular, bit heavy.

Not using anything apart from withdrawal.

any tips? what could/should I be doing if I do want to TTC?

JBrd · 28/01/2014 13:07

gum I'm sad to hear that you have decided to take a step back from this thread, but I can completely understand your decision! Sometimes, you just need some distance. I thought that you'd been heading this way for a while, from the tone of your recent posts! I hope that you'll be happy with whatever direction your life is going to take you! All the best!

jazz Fingers are still crossed for you!

mozza I wasn't sure if I should mention it, but friends of mine have a daughter who was diagnosed with missing corpus callosum - but they only found out after her birth. It has been a big shock to them, and their life has been turned upside down - not an easy story. Please feel free to PM me, if you would like more details...

Hello Hello! Welcome to the thread! I would suggest that you might want to try using just simple OPK sticks, if you don't get on with the charts, but you have regular cycles? And maybe some ewcm monitoring, that's quite straightforward, too.

I got my progesterone yesterday - man, those are big pessaries (I had expected pills...)! And I have to take them twice daily Confused

But whatever helps!

jass43 · 28/01/2014 17:35

mozarella, there is high variety of outcomes with corpus callosum issues - can be really nothig,as you must know from googling, I am sure! And please, strech that back, push that bump front and be proud of this pregnancy! It is giving you nothing to be so secretive and self-doubting! Of course you worry, but do not lose all this pregnancy to worry! It will end all well, it must, it just must! A little sis is coming, and She will be OK!

jass43 · 28/01/2014 17:37

hello, the best way forward is make your mind up, get yourself some understanding of your cycle (ovulation tests,followig cervical mucus ) and hope for the best. very important - forget that issue of the birhthdate in your passport! it can happen soon or in coupke of years, but there is no reason to think it will not! Oh yes, and do not forget folic acid!

HelloBoys · 29/01/2014 10:36

jass43 - I am now pregnant as of yesterday. still quite flummoxed about it.

did a retest this morning just to make sure and yes, I am pregnant. so seeing doctor later as I've got underactive thyroid and been on meds for that for a month.

It didn't help that we did withdrawal method and obv must have not done it right at some stage. eek.

Tadpole2013 · 29/01/2014 10:51

jass whispering congratulations... very softly. Thanks
Fingers crossed for you, lady. How are you?

Mozz jass is right. You know how we dream of walking around with our growing bellies and enjoy it all? Well, I know for many of us that is virtually impossible but do try. I know how much a hug from someone who is geniunely pleased for you will mean to you.

Hey diege What's up?

So. I have an appt at the dr's on Feb. 4th. I would greatly appreciate help as to what questions to ask or medication or tests.
I have not yet have had any tests done. Neither am I taking any meds, besides folic acid, of course. Since I'm now 42, and have been ttc for almost 12 months, I really don't want to 'wait and see' anymore. I am now determined to do all I can.

Hello to everyone else! Hope you're being good.

Shoot away with the advice, folks.

xxx

JBrd · 29/01/2014 16:26

Hello Wow, you don't hang around, do you!? Congratulations! We might be bump buddies Smile

I would recommend joining the 40+ pregnancy thread, but I can't seem to find it! Does any of the pg ladies know where it has gone (notsoold, Morien), maybe? The postnatal thread is still around, so surely there is a matching antenatal one (by MN law Grin).

Jass How are you doing...?

Tadpole I think they should definitely test your hormone levels, FSH, AHM and progesterone etc. - the latter should be a double test (one early in your cycle, the other late), which indicates whether you might have any issues with ovulation.
Your DP/DH could/should get his swimmers tested, just to cover things from that end.
Some tests might not be available on the NHS (I had to get my AMH done privately), so be prepared for some push back. In my experience, GPs know very little about issues with conception/fertility, you might find that you are much more knowledgeable that your GP already! So don't be afraid to ask/point things out. I got fobbed off by mine not requesting the late-cycle progesterone test, which seems to be standard everywhere else, but apparently not anymore in my area.
Good luck! Hope you can get some results.

jass43 · 29/01/2014 17:31

Congrats, helloBoys. make sure your thyroid is under control, this thing tends to give miscarriages if unbalanced, so make sure doc knows immidiately and is adjusting your medication accordingly!

I am out. test line went away by today morning, so stopping medication now. My body seems to get more effective in killing them off. Damn.

HelloBoys · 29/01/2014 20:29

Ok I did another test this morning and it wasn't positive Sad. The doctor also tested and negative.

But I had a test done yesterday and it was def positive!

What gives?

I wasn't trying to conceive so not end of world

HelloBoys · 29/01/2014 20:31

Oh and I haven't had a miscarriage.

I've been seeing false positive stuff about on net could that be it. I had my period (or spotting) at weekend but just felt pregnant.

Grizzer · 29/01/2014 21:30

Dear ladies, very up and down news for some of you. I'm sending virtual hugs & prayers. Jass how are you feeling? Sorry if silly question. Could it have been a false positive?
Tadpole sorry for not properly keeping up but have you ever conceived? I only ask because I went to the drs recently & she is always very good & happy to test for various things but when it came to my fertility & lack of pregnancy since my last mc in April she basically said I seemed fertile so there was nothing to be done except to go private if I wanted. I think you are doing the right thing by finding out what tests to ask for because I think had I been a bit more specific about what I wanted I may have had more success.
I am now 3dpo so still a long wait ahead. I felt really good & was confident we'd dtd plenty of times but when I went for acupuncture on Monday she said my stomach was really bloaty & blocked (she's treating me for IBS which I hope will help my fertility in a round about sort of way!) so now I'm worried this will stop me getting pregnant. I know it doesn't really make sense but she has told me that I have a lot of 'damp' within me (no I have no idea either!) & maybe if I have sticky/mucus type substance in me it is blocking my tubes!! I'm trying to eat healthily which should help but think I need to cut down on dairy to see if that helps.
I hope everyone is ok & those that are pregnant can soon relax (a little) and enjoy their pregnancies xx

Morien · 29/01/2014 21:55

Jbrd, there is a 40+ pregnancy thread still...but it's languishing down at the bottom of the heap somewhere. There was a spate of babies just as I joined and then it went really quiet so I gave up posting on it. I look it up every now and then, but it hadn't livened up last time I looked.

Sorry, I have to go to bed so won't respond to individual posts but I've read them all and am thinking of those for whom things aren't straightforward at the moment.

HelloBoys · 29/01/2014 22:21

Sorry I think I misread my test this morning

Tadpole2013 · 30/01/2014 07:38

Oh Jass Big hug.

Thank you, JBrd If it doesn't sound stupid, what is FSH and AHM? Also, I'm in Germany, so it will be different with the testing. And I have to translate everything!

Grizzer No problems. My last successful pregnancy was in 1992 (!). In 2000 I had to have a termination because I was quite ill. Then quite frankly I was too petrified to try; until last year. I fell pregnant quite fast, actually. We started ttc in March and by May I was pg. Then an mc at 6+5wks. In September a chemical.
My GP is very supportive. I changed Gyneas last year because the one I was with (ten long years!) gave me the feeling that he wasn't impressed with 'older mothers'. The new one is great. The first appt he hold me that there is absolutely no reason not to try and that we should give it a bit of time. He did ultrasounds and said everything looks good.
I'm a big believer in acupuncture. I used to get the worst migraines until I got treated about four years back and have been migraine free since then. Just 'normal' headaches now and then.
I'm sure you already drink lots of water. That helps me with my bloaty feeling which gets worse when AF is due.

jass43 · 30/01/2014 21:36

HelloBoys, if tpyou only did one test, is is highly possible it was a false positive. Howevee, if it was clear good line, not a barely visible one,you would have needed a hcg level around 100. That is clearly a pregnancy level. very sensitive tests sometimes pick up levels 3-5, and give late appearing false positives. maybe that was it? One can have hcg around 5 and not be pg. You say you had spotting instead of proper period - this is of course indicating more chemical pg if this is not normal for you to olny spot.

In my own caše, I had three days of continuously stronger, but still very weak positives. then negative. as i do not run to lab for every pregancy, I will never know. But I suspect it was a chemical pg. I just read an encouraging story on pred thread about someone with 8 mc - with proven immune issues, I amtechnically unexplained - who finally had a baby without immunesuppressants. That encourages me also to forgo pred from now on, because it has not brought me any success. that means i also can wait it out until 14DPO ot sth before testing.It would be huge relief. i will continue with progesterone support though, as this has no side effects pred withdrawal is horrible even after 3days on it. So, I feel horrible, but it is pred, i will be better tomorrow, I know!

jass43 · 30/01/2014 21:44

tadpole, start with simple and useful tests. AHM, FSH cannot really be helped, but they are not an absolute predictor on what might come. On the other had, low progesterone or thyroid or clotting issues are real risk to pregancies you might have in the future. I would start demanding these would beverified, and physical check for polyps etc in the uterus which can cause mc. I would push for these tests before I well pg, since tou have 2mc already. Why risk more heartache if you can check for obvious and treatable risks? Cover them and take it from there. Push this nice doc a bit! i also have met one who was very clear he does nothing to help me or anybody else to concieve avove 40, and hinted I have a mental issue with aging, so want to keep on producing babies! wonderful bedside manner (inLuxembourg, so continental treatment for me as well).

HelloBoys · 31/01/2014 11:37

I've got ovarian pains now (Mittelschmerz?) so I can't be pregnant right?

jass43 · 31/01/2014 11:42

Do an opk, if you want to know whether its OV. Alternatively, if you have lots of slippery cervical mucous, you might be ovulating. Where do you think you are with your cycle?

HelloBoys · 31/01/2014 13:35

jass43 - I just HAD my period last week. What's OPK? I don't know about the mucous but the pains (brief this morning) felt like mid-cycle pains).

JBrd · 31/01/2014 14:07

tadpole I agree with jass that progesterone, blood clotting factor and maybe thyroid activity are probably the first things to ask for - all simple blood tests. And yes, get them to do an ultrasound, that can often be very informative.
AMH - Anti-Muellerian Hormone, is an indicator of your egg reserve (but apparently doesn't say much about the quality of the eggs).
FSH - Follicle stimulating hormone, is involved in regulating ovulation.

If they test for those, go for it, in the UK you will usually have to pay for them (I actually bought an FSH testing kit on Amazon, as that's a simple poas test, for AMH you need blood).

However, the testing routine for RMCs might be completely different in Germany, so I guess you need to have a long chat with your doctor. But lucky you, you will be able to go directly to the gynaecologist, rather than having to battle it out with your (well-meaning, but clueless) GP, like we do in the UK!
I grew up in Germany, and the health system is one of the few things I still miss... Never had any experience with what it's like to have children there, though, left well before I got to that point.

Hello If you had your period last week, it's quite unlikely that you are already ovulating - do you normally have regular cycles? OPK is ovulation prediction kit. But are you sure you had your period? I remember that you thought you were pg at one point - could it have been implantation bleeding? Sorry, difficult to answer sensibly without knowing where you are in your cycle.

Morien Can you remember what the thread was called? I cannot find anything... Or do you have a link (even better)?

Grizzer Acupuncturists can sometimes talk really strangely, can't they?! I remember going for a consultation last year to discuss treatment for my mcs, and also got told a lot about sticky bloods and not eating right (I am a food snob and eat really well). They live in a different world...

HelloBoys · 31/01/2014 14:35

JBrd - I have NO idea what's going on and can only see doctor now on Monday afternoon. Confused

i don't know where I am in my cycle either. All I know is I had period last week thought I was pregnant, 1 positive test and 2 negatives.

At least I thought I had my period. I have been on levothyroxine for underactive thyroid does this mess things up? otherwise my cycles WERE regular and normal.

jass43 · 31/01/2014 14:54

Hm,Hello - your doc will not be really able to tell you were you are with your cycle, you have to figure that out patiently yourself. So, you had your period last week - you would then be around cycle day 10, would you not? that means ov might be close, get them ovulation prediction tests and read carefully the instructions. maybe you capture the ov soon. still, if you did have really that positive test with reasonably visible line, you are more likely going through an end of a chemical pregnacy. In that case you are hardly ovulating. But if the two test taken at the same day, not later, were neg, you probably never were pregnant. In that case you might indeed be coming close to ov, if you have shortish cycles. Doc, even if doing ultrasound, can tell whether your uterus lining is thin or fat and whether he can see a follicle, but he will give no more precise info. It is down to you now to follow that cycle, write down all what happens, check for signs of ovulation and generally get into tune with your cycle.

if you had period why did you thereafter think tou were preg?was the period lighter/shorter, brown blood or normal looking? all this helps you to figure out where you are.

Inshock73 · 31/01/2014 16:18

Hi everyone,

I'm really thrilled to have found this thread, its so reassuring to know I'm not the only one!

I'm 40, had a miscarriage at 9 weeks last year after conceiving the first month of trying. I've now been TTC for 6 months and no joy. I've been to see a fertility specialist who tried to reassure me he's confident it will happen again but may take a little while due to age but I'm at a loss as to why it isn't happening.

I test every month with an OPK and get a smiley, do the baby making dance like my life depends on it (to the extent bf has now started to complain he feels used!!) but then AF arrives like bloody clockwork every month.

So far I've given up alcohol, caffeine (rooibos has been my saviour!) I've cut back on all things sugar, I'm eating oily fish, fruit and veg, I'm taking folic acid.... it's driving me insane!! God I miss my morning latte and afternoon bar of chocolate.

Can any of you 40+ ladies give me any tips before I give the rest of my salary to the fertility specialist?

Thanks all.