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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.

Original poster

How easy / hard did you find it to conceive age 35+?

89 replies

FrannyandZooey · 03/07/2006 21:42

Just read this in the Guardian which says "Fertility drops precipitously in women older than 35"

I am 35 in a couple of months and this has made me rather nervous

Were you able to conceive age 35+? How long did it take you?

OP posts:
pecka · 03/07/2006 21:44

spook is 39 and just got pregnant the first month of trying

moondog · 03/07/2006 21:44

i was 37 and it took six months(but dh was away for half of that time)

harpsichordcarrier · 03/07/2006 21:46

precipitously woooooooooo
I was 35 and it took me oooh a couple of weeks

imaginaryfriend · 03/07/2006 21:47

I was 37 and it happened the one time I made a mistake with contraception, I wasn't even trying.

There are other factors to take into account such as what age you began menstruating. I know so many mums who were over 35 when they got pregnant it can't be THAT difficult.

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 03/07/2006 21:51

"precipitously" has got me worried

I don't think I really want to have another baby yet but I don't want to fall off the fertility cliff either

OP posts:
Fauve · 03/07/2006 21:52

37, first time (ever!) without contraception, straight off.

WideWebWitch · 03/07/2006 21:54

F&Z, I got pregnant fairly quickly with second child at age 36 I think we tried for about 6 months ish iirc but weren't doing anything much, no taking temps or anything, just sex

Fauve · 03/07/2006 21:54

As always with medical stats, they don't take the individual into account. People are different. Quinoa eaters get preggers more easily.

Coolmama · 03/07/2006 21:56

I was 35 when DS was conceived and it happened within one month of stopping the pill -

juuule · 03/07/2006 21:58

dd2 at age 35y5m,
m/c,
dd3 at 37y1m,
dd4 at 38y6m,
dd5 at 40y5m,
2 m/c,
dd6 at 43y10m,
2 m/c

So conception rate quite good but carrying to term declined after 40 but seems to have been quite good between 35 and 40.

NotAnOtter · 03/07/2006 21:58

got pg at 36 first month ( miscarried) and at 37 first month.
We go hammer and tongs though

sideways · 03/07/2006 21:59

I was 35 with dd and it too about half an hour .

Much harder now I'm trying again at 39.

See here for tips: old timers

Alipiggie · 03/07/2006 22:00

35 with ds1 and was 37 with ds2. So don't think it was too hard for me. Wasn't even trying for ds1 as had given up thinking it wasn't going to happen. Stress played a major part there I'm sure. Once stopped worrying along came ds1. Ds2 easy in comparison - 8 mnths after ds1 born

NotAnOtter · 03/07/2006 22:00

it was my first miscarriage though in 5 pregnancies so that is another factor with age

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 03/07/2006 22:01

"Quinoa eaters get preggers more easily"

do you have scientific evidence for this Fauve?

OP posts:
nicnack2 · 03/07/2006 22:02

35 with ds2 first attempt. DH really hack off

gladbag · 03/07/2006 22:09

36 when trying for ds - got pregnant the second month (I was v surprised as I'd presumed it would take much longer).

Fauve · 03/07/2006 22:12

Nah, but the stats don't take into account healthy lifestyle - some people are very unhealthy, and I can't believe you are! Not that I had been THAT healthy actually during my life before conception, but I did start my periods very late, which may have helped. Also, I expect you're aware of all the alternative health stuff to help with conception - acupuncture, etc. - if needed.

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 03/07/2006 22:18

No, I am not really aware of any of this stuff. It was news to me about the plummeting precipitously, for a start.

There is a shocking bit in that article as well about it being easier to conceive with a man in his mid 30s as 1 in 4 20 something men have fertility problems Seems like they have been adversely affected by factors in the womb

OP posts:
Mercy · 03/07/2006 22:23

With dd I was nearly 37 and took 4 months of half-hearted trying

next pg which ended in miscarriage, I was nearly 38 and took 2 months

with ds I was nearly 40 and it took one night

I am also a smoker and a drinker, so probably to some extent I'm living proof that it's luck of the draw in terms of fertility.

It's not just the fertlity:age aspect that needs to be considered. It is just physically more tiring the older you get, not so much being pregnant but the energy required.I'm permanently knackered!

CristinaTheAstonishing · 03/07/2006 22:31

For me it took less the older I got. V strange.

Arabica · 03/07/2006 22:31

I conceived DS when I was 39--took two attempts. Got pg again when I was 43, the first month we tried. M/c 10wks later. Am now 44 and nearly 36wks pg. I've had the pg from hell, but the baby's problems aren't maternal age-related, according to my consultant.

NotAnOtter · 03/07/2006 22:39

fairly crap article - nothing new !! I like having babies old!!!

Blu · 03/07/2006 22:43

Took me about 10 mins at 43. But the average is made up of lots of very different individual cases - so no-one else's experience will inform yours.

harpsichordcarrier · 03/07/2006 22:44

at "about ten minutes"