35+ TTC #1

[elisev]

Hi all,

Just wanted to start a thread for all of us over 35 just starting out.

I am: 36 (37 in Nov)
Cycle #1 CD 22

I've been 'prepping' my body for this for a year, lost weight, increased my fitness levels and been taking vitamins etc so I feel like I've been mentally preparing for this for AGES, as a result I'm finding the waiting game torturous! I've been tracking my cycles, 27 days average, and using OPK's - just started that this month. We dtd the day before getting a smiley face and then twice on the day we got one.

Are there others who feel impatient/worried like me because you feel time is not on our sides? So bloody stressful!

Hey all, do you mind if I join in? I've joined the 40+ threads but having just read some of this thread think I've got a fair bit in common with blueberry. Stats:

Age 40 (when did that happen?)
Cycle 11 (ish)
CD 19
DPO 4

I had private fertility tests done at the end of last year and they were all (surprisingly) amazing. I'm taking various supplements, healthy diet (veggie for over 20 years), exercise regularly and currently chomping on pineapple (anything to help).

Sorry to hear about the vagueness Blueberry. Sometimes I think these places are far too clinical in their approach to patients and don't understand the emotional aspect of TTC and fertility. Hope all turns out to be not-so-vague

Welcome city! And what supplements are you taking if you don't mind me asking?! Sorry you find yourself here...

I've just been to get my cervix looked at at women's health outpatients lots of heavily pregnant women there
The dr told me I needed a punch biopsy whilst the flaming dildo was inside me but made it sound sort of optional then while I bumbled trying to decide as I was a bit scared and in pain. She said I won't force it on you (like she was irritated with me) then pulled out the thing and left me to get dressed. Now I feel bad i didn't get the biopsy, OH suggests I ring back and see if they can get me in later for it. Wish someone had suggested it at the time! The nurses were really nice tho. I have asked dr.google and feel a bit better now. Some drs need to learn better bedside manner!
Sorry, rant over!

blueberry how did it go? Thinking of you, hope you had a better time than I did this afternoon!

Hi mira! I'm not sorry to be here. Its great to have some virtual support.

Supplements are as follows:
Mulivit with iron
B6 and B12
Omega 369
Calcium and vit D
Maca
COQ10 (ubiquinol)
EPO
Agnus castus after ovulation
Folic acid
Think thats everything! Possibly too much but some of them I've taken for years due to being veggie.

Btw ouch re flaming dildo! Its not the most pleasant of things!

Poor @miraflores, sounds like an unpleasant experience . Hope you had a or afterwards!

Hi @Citybumpkin, welcome! I am also taking gazillions of supplements (ubiquinol, conception vitamin, Royal jelly & Maca), but so far (3 months of rattling like a pill bottle!), no progress has been made (boo!).

Our appointment with consultant today was informative. DP's SA was fine except for motility, so Dr recommends IVF with ICSI. Was hoping we could avoid. It's not impossible we conceive naturally but unlikely .

Oh, blueberry, sorry it's not really the news you wanted to hear. Big hugs

Sorry to hear that blueberry.
How many SA has ur OH had? Maybe it's worth doing another sample?? My OH had an SA with NHS (which are notoriously bad) and was told liquefaction time was over 2 hrs but then at private lab it was fine! I know it's not the same but I think these things can be fairly variable.

Thanks blueberry and city for the sympathy, we went for a meal and cheeky cocktail after

I'm only taking epo and conception vits...maybe I should look into taking more

Oh blueberry so sorry about your news. How long have you been TTC?

mira I sometimes feel that it is overkill with the supplements but I know that when I've stopped taking one/two then I feel crappy. I avoided the conception vitamins as I'd read some not so positive articles about them so thought it best to go the individual supplement route and figure out what I might be missing from my diet. I added things like COQ10 and maca due to recommendations from MN threads and other fertility related sites.

I'm having a bit of a meltdown this morning thinking city will never have a bumpkin.

Sorry to hear how you've been feeling city but you are so not alone
Us women really get a rough time sometimes don't we? Indulge in it if you need to but know you'll come out the other side (but hopefully with a baby)

@mira it was 1st SA, so Dr explained that a 2nd test would be needed to confirm results. But TBH it's probably not necessary as if we continue TTC naturally then problem or no problem there is nothing to do & for IVF, ICSI can solve that problem.

@City - 6-7 months TTC. In calendar terms longer (since late Feb), but I was at peak marathon training in Feb & March (for early April marathon), which can reduce fertility and there have been at least 3 months (inc last one) when TTC was so badly off target there was zero chance of conceiving. I have also had several meltdowns because I never imagined myself not having children and that's now looking quite likely .

Forgot to say thanks city and blueberry for ur supplement advice, how do you take ur maca, in powder or tablet form? Also where do you source them, I don't think all those available in shops where I live...

Oh blueberry your posts really do resonate with me (well apart from the running - no chance of that here). I've always wanted children just never had a partner who was willing. Current DP is a bit hesitant as he is older and has been there/done that but has said anything to make me happy. He has already offered to change nappies and look after bumpkin when I go to the gym to work on my pelvic floor (who said romance is dead?!) Is it worth a few more months of trying naturally just in case? Can we agree that we shall BE positive together from now on?

mira maca is in tablet form from Holland and Barrett.

Btw I stopped taking the pill 5 years ago when I was planning TTC with exDP so surely that wouldn't affect things now?

@city the pill doesn't affect your fertility, but it can take a few months for your cycle to settle afterwards making ovulation difficult to predict. My sister in law quit pill just before wedding & was pregnant less than 6 months later (at nearly 37).

Has your DP been checked out? Having fathered children at a younger age (like my DP) is no guarantee as there are many things that can impact male fertility including age. I was sure that there would be no problem with my DP because he's also very healthy (slim, never smoked, doesn't drink much) and fit (runs 4x a week).

@miraflores I am taking high potency (vegetarian friendly) Maca capsules that I got online from a company called supplement place. I got veggie friendly ubiquinol capsules from another online supplier called Healthspan. It is very annoying that I can't find veggie friendly stuff on the high street!

Blueberry, well after 5 years off the pill I should be pretty much okay then.

DP not yet been checked out. We're aware of the fact that age may play a factor in a decrease in his sperm happiness. How old is your DP?

@citybumpkin My DP is 49. Age is a factor in fertility but less so for men (not fair!). When I asked consultant he said there are a myriad of things that can affect a man's fertility and the only way to find out is via semen analysis. If you live within an hour of the clinic, your DP can produce a sample at home and take it in (rather than have to do it in the clinic which can be a bit off-putting!).

Blueberry, my DP (54) lives overseas and is making an appointment re a SA in the new year. This TTC is all a bit stressful really.

Started bleeding looks like af early
So no little xmas pudding for me!

Right so next year will try some supplements maybe ubiquinol and maca. Thinking of trying temping not to look for triphasics but to see I'm ovulating when I think I am. Although I'm not a good sleeper so not sure it'll work for me.
Hope someone on this thread gets an xmas bfp! I think we deserve it!

So sorry to hear that mira . Look after yourself, perhaps a consolatory glass of wine/chocolate. Not much I know but destress a little. I've finally managed to temp for nearly a whole cycle. Its a pain but I have a pretty chart to show it!

Here, I am bloated, crampy and have a weird inclination towards salt & vinegar crisps. Not trying to think too much about it.

Sorry, mira, that sucks

I am coming to terms with the fact that if I'm not preggers this cycle then DP and I will have to hold off for 5 months...because I bought my wedding dress at the weekend! Totally wasn't expecting to but it was so gorgeous! So I think 4 months preggers is the most I can be to fit into it, hence the waiting.

On the plus side, my progesterone number looked good and it'll give us more time to get DP his SA and for me to lose some more weight.

In the meantime, I'm 9 or 10dpo and I've been feeling nauseous today...

Sorry miraflores. Have you tried a pharmacy for the supplements...women there must TTC too.

Fingers crossed city and Sooz.

Sod's law would decree that you get a BFP now Sooz after buying the wedding dress!

I'm waiting, currently CD 23, DTD days 11,13,14,16,17, 21 will test on CD31 and if BFN wait for AF or test again Christmas Eve. DH is getting his hopes up more than me.