Forty and over trying for a first baby - join us here

[JessieMcJessie]

A year ago today I started this thread

Any 40+ladies out there TTC #1?

and, 1000 posts later, it has filled up with the shared experiences of various fantastic women who find ourselves hoping to start a family after the age of 40. And listen out Daily Mail - not one of us deliberately "delayed motherhood" to concentrate on our careers or frivolous pursuits. By and large we just didn't meet the right person (or decide to go it alone) till we were quite long in the tooth.

Trying for a first at this age has its own special challenges. The old thread contains its fair share of sad tales of early miscarriage and disapointing test results. However it is also a great place for success stories and positive thinking and it has been a lifeline for me over the past year.

Although those who already have a child or children and are trying for more in their forties are welcome to join (and we absolutely understand the real pain of secondary infertility), part of the value of this thread is the opportunity to share experience amongst those of us for whom failure will mean no children at all, rather than a smaller family than we'd like. It's also a place where we all share a sense of total uncharted territory where pregnancy and childbrirth are concerned!

There are a number of stalwarts who have been with me from almost day one and I hope you'll join this new thread too, but we all hope to graduate eventually to the pregnancy boards so new joiners are very important! If your fortieth is looming it's fine to join a bit before.

A newish poster asked last week if people could post their "stats" and I think that's a good idea. So I'll kick it off (feel free to include whatever info you feel like giving):

Jessie McJessie 42, TTC since October 2014 (13 months) having only met my DH at the tender age of 38. 2 chemical pregnancies, one blocked tube, low AMH, one failed IUI, 1 failed IVF and about to start our second IVF. Just moved back to London after 6 years in Hong Kong.

So, off we go. We have a special skill at scouring the media for stories of celebs having babies over 40. And there's no such thing as TMI .

Thank you, Citizen. Got AF this morning. Not sure what ideas spotting for 5 days. Hmmmm. Anyway it's here now. I'm ready for Clomid+trigger and IUI for my next cycle. So I'm off to Riga next Wednesday for check ups, scans, ultrasounds etc to. Will keep you posted from there.

Congratulations Jessie, best wishes to you and your new bundle of joy.

Great to hear from you too Daisy, how are you managing the pregnancy with twins? Hope you are getting the chance to take it easy.

And fantastic news too Loueeza, glad to hear all is going well with you, I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes smoothly.

I am just in the middle of you both at 27 weeks

Good luck to all xx

Meeting with my doctor last Wednesday went very well! Had a HSG check with dye for Fallopian tubes and they're both OPEN! My left which was blocked is absolutely OPEN!! And I'm growing 2 follicles, one is almost 10mm and the 2nd is 9x6mm! Waiting for a dominant one to grow up to 20mm. So far so good and relieved about the tubes. Oh and the doctor said I got a beautiful lining! She was very happy with it! A much better improvement from March and previous times when she checked.
Had my 2nd ultrasound on Saturday, and got 3 follicles in total! 18, 17 and 15mm. And tomorrow morning I'll be injecting myself with Ovitrelle And I'm scheduled for IUI on Monday, 1pm! DH flew over and we will use his fresh stuff. Doctor is very happy with my endometrium and lining. Thickness of endometrium was 10.5mm. she keeps saying everything looks so beautiful inside! Fingers crossed for me!
All went well yesterday. 2 follicles grew to 20mm each! 3rd follicles was around 15mm, I believe. Risk/chance/potential of twins, doctor said. endometrium grew to 14mm thick. DH's washed sperm was high class! Doc was very happy with everything! Then they put me on a drip, and gave me more drugs to take till testing 2 weeks later.
HCG and progesterone blood tests need to be done on 10th and 12th receptively. Told my dad about the procedure and ask him not to ask me for updates or raise hopes or expectations. I'm very calm about it all. Love all scientific side of it all. One of my friends called me a geek! Haha also told my acupuncturist and she's very pleased with the results. Asked the doctor if she thought that acupuncture made any difference in how things are so far, she highly recommended to carry on with acupuncture, and I will. flying home tomorrow night, resume my volunteering which I've missed and starting a little part-time job at the local NHS hospital, as an administrator. This part-time job will allow me to move freely if needed a second IUI as I'll definitely coming back here. The care is just outstanding! Positive thinking is a must but won't be too upset as I've got a plan B and C if/when it comes to it. We've been checked out and we're not infertile which is a main thing. We're just giving a little nudge to make things happen sooner/quicker. Fingers crossed for us

Good luck to all!!

Russkipsy - that all sounds very exciting and positive. Just want to wish you all the best and fingers crossed for a good result. Do keep us posted won't you?

I have got my second appointment at the clinic this afternoon. I'll get the results of my AMH tests and I assume they will tell us if we can go ahead with IVF. Feel really nervous. We only have one go on the NHS so it feels a lot of pressure. Anyway, I'll see what they say!

Hope everyone else is well.

Thanks Citizen! Will keep you posted and good luck with your appointment today and keep in touch! Fingers and toes are crossed for you!

Hola lovely ladies, had my HCG and progesterone blood tests today and results came to me after 3 hours! With a little message:

Please find attached your results which are indicative of a positive pregnancy test. You can print this PDF file and pass to your GP/Midwife team.
NORMAL Progesterone levels during pregnancy:
1st trimester (weeks 1-12):
32.6-140 nmol/L

And my progesterone level - 131.9
And HCG - 100.9

I can not believe it! And still can't believe it!!! I'm in shock, I think!!!
Called my clinic in Riga, chatted with my nurse (told me to carry on with my vitamins which I'm still taking after IUI), and then with my acupuncturist! DH is over the moon!
And I thought AF was coming as boobs became sooooo sore a couple of days ago! And nipples are sooooo sensitive! Don't even know dpos when I felt it as I've stopped following and monitoring symptoms. I haven't even POAS!
Yesterday's tests put me on CD27, 14 days post IUI.
My next HCG and progesterone blood tests are on Wednesday. Will report then.
And this morning I found a Boots cheapie test as I want to make itore believable and tangible for myself and I could see my BFP!!!

Had my second bout of HCG and progesterone blood test and got results. The levels went up significantly from yesterday. progesterone is 176.5 and HCG is 324.8. I know I'm pregnant but the news hasn't sunk in yet! Tomorrow will be seeing a GP and will take it from there.

Coming out of lurking to send CONGRATULATIONS!! Wonderful news

Thank you, flip! So so surreal! Can't even describe it!

Been following you Russkippy - soooooo happy for you and your DH. Just brilliant.

Congratulations Russkispy! That is lovely news to read on a Monday morning. Hope you are feeling OK?

Thanks Citizen. I'm awake around 3-4am every night then struggle going back to sleep. Feeling gassy and bloated but other than that I'm ok. As I work part-time, I try to catch rest as much as I can.
How did you appointment go at the clinic? Are you going ahead with IVF?

Hi Russkispy - really hope you can sleep a bit better soon and I think that's a great idea to get as much rest as you can.

Thanks for asking about my appointment. It went a lot better than I thought it would and yes we're going ahead with IVF in November (of course I'm hoping that I'll get pregnant before then but I realise that's unlikely!). The consultant said that my AMH level was a lot better than he would expect for someone my age so that's good. We're going to do the short protocol which I think most women do if they are my age (41) but I might be wrong about that. There will be less drugs and it will take about 3 weeks instead of 6. We've got a nurse's consultation appointment in 2 weeks and then I think I start with my next AF which should be around 20th November. Am excited but also of course nervous. Am scared of the drugs but want to do it if I will get a happy outcome. I realise this is not guaranteed but want to give it a go. Am due on AF in 1 week's time and already symptom spotting and am sure imagining sore boobs and tiredness!!

When are you due? When will you get your first scan?

Hope everyone else is OK?

Cityzen, sounds very exciting and I really hope it works for you! Please keep us posted. Do you have friends and family around you to support you?! I hope so! And I'm glad it's the short protocol!
I'm due some time in June and booked an early scan in a couple of weeks. Just hope it sticks!

I haven't reported much lately as I had been waiting for my cycle to get back to normal and am also trying to conceive naturally before I booked in more IVF appointments. Anyway I finally went for an antral follicle scan today. I spoke to the consultant about the fact that I am hoping to try with my own eggs first but I needed to know if I have a chance especially as IVF isn't available on the NHS where I live. Anyway I had 2 on my left ovary and 6 on my right. It's not the greatest result but she said I should definitely have a go with trying with my own eggs first and I'm happy with that. I start treatment in January. I hope everyone else is doing well.

Hello there, can I join your lovely group? I'm just a few months shy of 40 (read that's ok at the beginning of the thread ) and have been board hopping for ages trying to find a home. TTC #1. Started age 38 and the disappointment month after month after month has begun to take its toll. Reading all the stories, support and good humour on here has really helped. Hope you're all doing well.

Hi Gingerchoc - welcome to the thread. Sorry to hear you have been trying for a while - I can totally relate to your disappointment as can the others on here. Everyone is really friendly and welcoming and supportive.

I've been trying for 2 years and 8 months. I started when I was 39 and now I'm 41. In that time I've had one chemical pregnancy and a miscarriage at 6 weeks. Tomorrow we've got our nurse appointment for IVF and if all goes well I should start the short protocol on my next period. Am a bit excited but scared too especially of the injections!

As you have read through the thread there have been quite a number of women who have conceived and had babies. I find this thread very positive and supportive. I really hope you get your bfp soon!

Joey - best wishes with your treatment in January. Not long now. When I went for my first appointment at the IVF clinic in July I worked out I would probably be having treatment in November I thought that was a really long time. It has gone really quickly though so I hope it does for you too (or preferably that you get a bfp in the meantime!).

Just typed long reply and lost it - hope I'll get the hang of this soon.
Thank you so much for the welcome and wishes for a bfp, Cityzen! I am so sorry to hear of your losses and how long you've been on this journey. Happy for you that you're embarking on IVF - very exciting! Hope the appointment goes well tomorrow and that the nurse puts your mind at ease re the injections. I'm still awaiting referral to a fertility clinic. Not sure it will happen as GP thinks I have to have been trying for at least 2 years (despite my advanced age - terrible phrase, I know!). Must be down to money, as this makes no sense to me. Meanwhile, am on the dreaded 2ww...

Welcome gingerchoc. We are a supportive group. I first joined when I got my disappointing amh result back and was going from panicking to crying simultaneously. The people in this group cheered me up and have kept me going in my dream to have a baby.

As to the fertility referral I'm very surprised you have to wait that long. At my clinic it was meant to be a year but I managed to get in earlier at 6 months - my AFs went a bit crazy when I came off the pill so I went to my GP every month until (I assume) she got fed up with me and sent me off for an appointment.

Hello Joey, thanks for the welcome and wishing you all the best for treatment in January. As for my GP, my baseline tests came back as normal (though I think prog was on low side and my LP is only 10 days) and I suspect this is why the lack of urgency. She's being very understanding about it and I think will try to get me referred once dp's results are back, but she says she'll have to argue the case. Perhaps, though, I should make another appointment to move things along. To be honest, I am probably in a bit of denial about this possibly not happening naturally for us and scared about what may lie ahead. Off to acupuncture again tomorrow - 2nd cycle with that but am already getting some pre-af signals so doubt this is our month.

Ps. I am taking every supplement under the sun, plus this month eating pineapple after ovulation and having the heating on full blast to ensure "warm uterus" - just to show what a loon I've become!

Had acupuncture this morning and slept peacefully. And just finished our very first scan! A little babi 15mm long with 170bmp. Heard the heartbeat! And it's only one! No twins! Haha doctor was happy with how things going and develop. NIFTY scan/test is booked in 2 weeks

Congratulations Russkispy - what lovely news! Glad to hear that you slept peacefully too - that must be great.

Gingerchoc - how is the 2WW going? This month I have been eating brazil nuts because I heard they can have a positive effect on implantation!! I'm sure it won't make a difference but I do like them and if it does then that's great! I am also in the 2WW (last one before IVF) and of course am desperately hoping I get a BFP! I realise that it is unlikely but you never know!

Thanks for asking about my appointment. It was not as positive as the last one I had. The nurse wasn't very warm or empathetic and I found her quite patronising. I am scared of doing the injections. Thankfully my dh was there and paid attention when she told us how to mix up the injections etc!! I'm OK with doing them myself but I'm worried I'll mess up the dosage etc. I keep having to remind myself that lots of people do this so I'm sure I will be OK!! I had a scan and I didn't have very many follicles so I felt down about that. However, I'm now trying to remain positive and looking at the end goal. If I don't get my BFP in 2 weeks then it all begins!! Am excited but scared too.

Joey - how are you getting on? How is everyone else?

Hello Cityzen! Really sorry to hear that your last appointment wasn't as positive. You'd think that with ttc being such an emotional journey the nurse would have made an effort to adopt a better bedside manner than that! I'm glad your dh was there to support you and take in all the instructions. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it and be injecting like a pro before long. How is the 2ww going in the meantime?? I've not been on here for a while because my last 2ww sadly ended in an early loss. I started spotting nearly 6 days before my period was due and freaked out because I thought my cycles were getting massively shorter and I was heading towards the menopause, but I had a blood test done at the doctor's 2 days later and it showed elevated levels of hcg - concluded it must be from implantation. We retested bloods the next day and they had doubled, and I also got a very faint positive on a cheap home test. I had already started bleeding, though, and didn't hold out much hope. Anyway, upshot is it's all over now. Didn't know about the brazil nuts. Love 'em so will definitely give them a try next time alongside the pineapple Good luck with the 2ww and keep the updates coming!

Joey, how are things with you?
Russkispy: congratulations! Lovely to read such happy news. Bet hearing that heartbeat was the best sound in the world