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!

Great news to hear mira, congrats!

Thanks sooz
fingers crossed to see you all on the pregnancy boards soon x

@Mira this is FAB news . So pleased for you & DH. It can happen unexpectedly like that; I know of several stories myself. Glad to hear one more .

As for me, I've started taking norithisterone and have to take it til Saturday, then go for a scan on Monday at the clinic & be shown how to inject myself. I will then (urgh!) start injections on Tuesday (fridge is full of Gonal F) for 7-10 days before egg retrieval.

Am trying not to think how horrid process might be and just remember that this is our best chance of having a child. DP keeps warning me not to be too optimistic, but I know the science and the stats only too well. If it doesn't work, then at least I will know we couldn't have done anything else. The "what if" was killing me slowly and causing tension with DP.

Congratulations Miraflores, what wonderful news.

Blueberry glad you are able to give it a shot at IVF, I hope it's not too strenuous for you, and obviously hoping for it to be successful.

Hello there Sooz!

I'm currently on Clomid and planning on starting IVF in the autumn if no luck by then. Have lots of plans and visitors over the summer (I live far from family and they tend to visit over the summer and I just want to have peace and quiet to feel like I've given the IVF the best possible chance).

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and wanted to say hi!

I am 36 (nearly 37!) and TTC for the first time. This is our 8th month of trying and, after having 2 solid weeks of cramps since I think I ovulated, I am pretty sure my period is on its way today. I am gutted! I had convinced myself that the excessive amount of cramping this month meant something was different, and maybe it was implantation or something. Every month i convince myself I am pregnant and things feel different every time - i was on the pill until last August since being 19 so the whole natural period thing is still a bit of a mystery!

Anyway, a couple of months ago I had a 21 day hormone test at the doctors and it did come back normal - apparently, although my period had arrived 4 days early that month so i was confused at what happened, whether i still just had plenty of progesterone going on or I ovulated at an unexpected time, who knows! I am finding it all very bewildering and trying not to let myself get stressed!

Any advice or words of encouragement from others experiencing this too would be so lovely. Lots of luck and positive thoughts to you all. x

Hi Ladies,

Miraflores,congratulations! You bring us hope it can happen. So pleased for you.

Hi Phobemouse!

Not much happening here. I am recovering from abdominal myomectomy for removal of fibroids. Its been 8 weeks since the operation and starting to get there slowly.

I hope everyone else is well.

Thanks everyone for your good wishes.
So pleased for you blueberry you've done really well to get this far after all you've been through the 2 cycle package sounds good. I'd never heard of it! Hope the cycle/s goes well.
Good luck with the clomid baguette hope you get lucky first cycle! Always loved ur username by the way!
Hopefulbunny take it easy, that sounds really sore!
Welcome newbies, good luck and hope your infertility journeys are short!

Hi Baguette! Good luck, I hear good things about Clomid so fingers crossed for you!

Blueberry, I'm so pleased you're starting IVF (you know what I mean). We're all rooting for you, hope the injections aren't too awful.

Welcome Phoebe! We've had some successes here so there is hope! Fingers crossed for you.

I had the period from hell (tmi alert); 2 days brown discharge, stomach cramps and vomiting, followed by 3 days of bright red bleed with more cramping, followed by a day of spotting today and emotions all over the place. Usually I'm very lucky and just have two days with minimal cramps then it's done. I'm sick of it all today and have been depressing myself with reminders of all the young mothers I know who took about 5 minutes to get pregnant...

Tomorrow I will be back on the positive bandwagon I'm sure but you know what it's like some days. I do love coming on here though, where you guys know how it feels and there's no pressure to put on a happy face.

Hope that ridiculous AF is over Sooz, sounds horrid. I do get envious of those blink and they're pregnant types!
Hopefully though you're back on the positive thoughts soon.

You poor thing Bunny, take it easy.

Bluebell wishing you very good luck, like you say you're not going to mind if it works first cycle are you?!

Let us know how you get on Miraflores. Hope you are one of those blooming on pregnancy types.

Welcome to Phoebe, you know you're not out til AF actually arrives... The day 21 tests are if you have a regular 28 day cycle, I think they should ideally be done 7 days after ovulation so you might be able to figure it out that way. You're right not to get too stressed, it doesn't help.

I like to feel like I'm doing something positive so I take my vitamins and a few extra (omega 3, Ubiquinol and vitamin d) and I try to eat reasonably healthy. Fertility consultant advised me not to deprive myself of anything including alcohol, but did say not to get absolutely drunk. Those days are over anyway, can't cope with a hangover!

I'm on CD14 do better go find DH...

Here I am with my little Babi Sasha! She was born on Friday morning and weighed 3.6kg and 56cm long! I had a planned CS so it all went very well, very surreal and emotional! My recovery is going well and I'm whizzing through the night feeds without any issues. Quite enjoy it!

Hope you're doing well and I'll carry on rooting for you!

Aw Russki she is adorable, congratulations 🎊. Glad to hear you're recovering well.
I still remember your excitement when you got the note after your blood test!
Enjoy xx

@Russkispy - what a sweet little bundle! Welcome to the world Sasha .

@Sooz - sorry for horrid AF.

@Phoebe - welcome.

As for me, I've started Gonal F injections. The injecting myself bit is OK (am not needle phobic luckily) and side effects haven't been too bad (fullness/bloating and mild nausea). However, I don't seem to be responding well as consultant gave me 375iu to start off with (already quite high) and has now upped it to 450iu as after 4 days, I only had 2 follicles .

Consultant had said he expected 3-8 eggs to be collected, which already isn't a lot, considering some women (even in their 40s) can get 10-15. If situation doesn't improve, then there might be no embryos at all to transfer this cycle .

Fingers crossed for you, Blueberry. Let us know how it all goes.

Russkispy, wow, that came round quick! She's so adorable, congratulations.

Hoping that this fertile window proves successful. But can't get my hopes up too much.

Had 2nd scan today and 4 follicles now developing plus another 3 that may develop. Consultant happy with progress and egg collection likely to take place next Tuesday. Hopefully by then there might be 7 or 8 mature eggs to collect .

Apparently, it's not unexpected that there would only be 2 follicles developing at 1st scan (I should have asked at the time...), so I'm NOT a poor responder I just didn't know enough about it..

Feel slightly uncomfortably bloated all the time, which is at least good for my bikini diet (1 week beach holiday at end of June)

@Sooz Good luck with your fertile window TTC-ing

Good luck for Tuesday, blueberry! Here's hoping for lots of perfect eggs ready to go! :)

Managed to dtd twice in fw. Felt really positive on Friday but that wore off pretty quick! Found out a colleague is expecting her third in 4 years. Since we've been trying she's had one and gotten pregnant with another. Then there are the close relatives of mine who are due within days of each other very soon, both with their third, one of whom is a month younger than me. sigh

I hate to get my hopes up again but I really hope this month is our month. We are so ready for a baby!

Hi ladies, hope you don't mind me jumping in and stealing all your wisdom. I'm 36 and ttc #1, just about to start our second cycle after a dramatically late arrival of af Thursday just gone.

Good luck for Tuesday @Blueberry1

Does that mean you are just about to embark on the dreaded tww @SoozC?

I'm right in there Vics. Less dreaded than it used to be I suppose, mainly because after so long I'm not expecting anything other than af at the end, so I'm not over-analysing every little thing.

Thank you for your nice comments everyone! AF did arrive last month sadly, and I'm now back in the dreaded TWW again! I'm trying to avoid having any alcohol in these 2 weeks but having the odd one or two! I just wish you could know straight away if it's a yes or no or there was some way of knowing exactly what was going on in there to cut out the guessing!

Hello @Vicsteur81 it sounds like we are very similar, I am 36 and trying for the first time too! Lots of positive vibes to you, and to everyone!

@SoozC fingers and toes crossed that the universe surprises you.

Hey @PhoebeMouse tww sucks, hope af stays away.

I'm only 34 TTC #1 but am 35 in October. I have The Fear. It's always there in the back of my mind that I've left it too late and there's something wrong with me. We're only on cycle 1 so I know it's very early days but I'm pretty sure AF will show up soon :-( I was on the pill for 3 years and stopped at the end of January. Using Fertility Friend and February AF was bang on time, March was 1 week late, April bang on time, May 1 week late. Am averaging a 35 day cycle. Not using BBT at the moment, may give that ago for cycle 2. I never realised TTC would be this stressful.

Hey @LynseyLou1982 , I feel you when it comes to The Fear. I was actual quite fortunate in a roundabout way. Had a couple of surgeries last year for endo and my consultant was just fantastic and so positive. I finally started to chill out.
DH and I get to the point where we are as ready as we are ever going to be to start trying and DH decides now is the time to inform me that HE might be infertile! Something about a operation when he was younger, but he's not really sorry. I nearly headdesked myself to a concussion!

@Vicsteur81

Oh no that's not good. What's your next move? I was married at 23 until I was nearly 29. Part of the reason we split was he said he wanted children then when I started talking about actually doing it he changed his mind and had an affair! My new partner is a lot more chilled than me and is taking the 'if it happens it happens' approach whilst I'm the one panicking. On a god note though he's just proposed :-) so I've got wedding planning to distract me from baby stuff.

Congratulations on getting engaged @LynseyLou1982, have you got a date yet or is it still early days?

For not were are plodding along ttc, he is going to get himself checked out to see what the situation is. I think he's read to much on the internet and made assumptions. The operation was when he was quite young and he doesn't have all the details.

@Vicsteur81
Thank you it was a complete surprise :-) Doing a bit of tentative wedding planning. We're thinking of October 2019 so awhile to go yet. Hope everything works out for you :-)