40+ ttc: the one where we all get knocked up!

[ababsurdum]

Shiny new thread. Here's the link to the previous one.

Good news Fuzzy, what are the 'hormone priming meds'? Are they different to down regulating?

I asked if that's what he meant, but no. They're basically HRT drugs. They can make your ovaries more receptive to the stims & encourage more even growth of follicles. You take them from cd5, come off them & have a period, then start stims on cd2 of the following month. I'll consult with Dr Google about them later!

Hey all -not doing so great today. Have had no symptoms, my appetite was normal (had none all week) and not fatigued. I'm fearing the worst right now. Send hippy vibes or pray or whatever it is you do as I need all the help I can get

Oh Bloop, sending all good vibes your way.

Sending you my very best Bloop. Just remember that you don't have to feel awful all day every day for it to be a healthy pregnancy xxx

Sending good thoughts your way, Bloop. Every pregnancy is different, and symptoms come and go.

ababs, Thanks for asking. I'm not really sure what we're doing. We've been having lots of sex, as DH has been at home quite a bit. But we're certainly not 'trying'! I don't think that I've ovulated since the miscarriage. I have booked a smear test for mid-Nov, which I'm hoping has the same result as the last time - I had to cancel because I was pregnant. it's unlikely, but a girl can dream.

Lots of sex sounds promising Pies, I'm sure you'll ovulate soon enough.

Bloop I hope you're doing ok.

Ugh I'm such a misery guts. I'll never endear myself to people on pg threats like this /slaps face/ get a grip!

Thanks people :)

pies bonk like you've never bonked before!!! Hope the smear test gets cancelled again ;)

You're not a misery guts. We're all here to support each other

Aww thanks ababs

I've been there, too, Bloop. It's totally normal, I hope!

ababs sorry that I forgot to commiserate over AF arriving for you. Such a drag.

I hope all are well. I'm having some spotting, so it looks like AF is here. Ah well, at least I'll be able to tick that long delayed smear test off my to do list!

Good to get your smear up to date Pies, even if it would have been nicer to cancel due to pregnancy.

I'm ok, cd4 here so not much to report. Need to start dtd earlier this month and I still need to order opk's.

Bloop hope all is ok.

Hi all, just checking in. Bloop don't apologise for anything - like ababs says, we're here to support each other and this whole process is hardly rainbows and unicorns all the time!

Pies and ababs sorry that AF got you, what a drag.

How are you doing Bloop? I hope you're feeling ok!

Good work on the nurse Fuzzy - just had a family member in hospital and completely agree this is a good strategy. Are you considering acupuncture alongside ivf? I know some like and others don't.. But I know some people think it helps.

Sorry abt AF abs and pies. What a pain.... I'm at that stage expecting it to show up (cd27) but wistfully hoping she won't.. Had so many months like that so trying not to get hopes up only to be dashed!

Hope you're ok post GP mares and good luck all!

Hey all!
I'm ok. Symptoms not as strong anymore which is in itself a worry... but then everything is a worry right now. Constantly on knickerwatch. I'm going to tell the GP today to be referred to medical obstetrics. Fingers crossed it sticks around until then.

Bloop can you get in at the EPU? They'll scan at 7w. Our local one has self-referral, although I was sent there by my GP. The drop off of symptoms might not be a problem. I felt ok until 6 weeks with my son - just mild symptoms that came & went - then MS hit full force!

I know that its hard not to symptom spot and worry constantly. I would be exactly the same, especially with my track record. Keeping everything crossed for you xx

mrfuzzy epu don't want to know unless there's a problem. They don't do early scans without good reason. I found this out with my last mc when they didn't scan me at all. I do have mild symptoms that come and go.
Wish I could be one of those women who found out they were pregnant at like 9weeks. All this worrying early on makes a day pass very slowly :(

Oops pressed too soon. Sometimes I get the feeling everything is going to be ok but then my head kicks in telling me not to think that way as it could all go wrong. Ugh!

Clara I've not considered acupuncture. I'm certain that my issue is age-related egg quality, which has been pretty much confirmed by the failed IVF. No amount of acupuncture in the world can change that! I think it's usually recommended for problems like insufficient womb lining to increase blood flow, and for relaxation to cope with the stress of IVF/ttc. I don't think recurrent miscarriage due to egg chromosome abnormalities can be helped by much.

I'm taking a ton of vitamins, omega 3 & CoQ10. I asked the consultant about DHEA but he said that my hormone levels are good & shouldn't be messed with. DHEA will increase androgens which can be detrimental. Care performed an independent study on DHEA & found that the outcomes for the experimental group were actually slightly worse than the control. So I've decided to stick with what I'm on, and hope that there's a good egg in there somewhere!

Clara and mrfuzzy I tried acupuncture for a while. My usual woman wasn't very good for fertility issues (great for other things tho) but when she was away on holiday the woman I saw was fantastic. Sadly she only worked on a day I couldn't make it. It doesn't help egg quality but ubiquinol apparently does (and it makes you feel great too!) . I don't trust dhea outwith medical supervision as it can do as much harm as good.

The more I think about it, the more I think it's down to pure luck which doesn't help anyone

Bloop I agree, it's down to sheer luck how good your eggs are past 40. Excluding any other known issues of course.

I've written this before but in my round of ivf at just turned 41 (this was pre the screening they can do now) they collected 12 eggs. 9 fertilised but by day 5 we only had 2 left. Both were implanted but I didn't fall pg. This effectively shows a whole years worth of ttc efforts with no results!

We've done similar maths ababs. Since turning 41, 3 pregnancies, all unviable. 6 eggs retrieved in IVF. 2 embryos at day 5, neither viable. So we've been trying since Jan - 10 months, 9 eggs, none viable. Compare that to when I was 39 - 2 pregnancies, 2 normal babies but one of them was ectopic, both first month of trying. The consultant said that approx 80% of eggs at my age are not viable. Just hoping that means one good one is due a look-in. Only having one tube means that the good ones won't necessarily be able to catch. I'd love to think that acupuncture could help, but I don't think that's realistic. I've got a friend who keeps wanting me to buy a reiki-infused gem stone bracelet - swears it'll unblock my channels & align my chakras & get me pregnant........

Nothing to lose except a few quid Fuzzy!