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

[ababsurdum]

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

Congratulations Pooger! What a great start to 2017!

I need to go back to sticks/temping. I couldn't muster the energy over xmas.

Thanks citybumpkin. Got myself a dr appointment for coming week. Going constantly from overexcited to worried sick (am I too old, my God can I do this again, I am going to be sixty-two when this one will be eighteen...etc).

Nevr immagined myself an old....er mum. Just everything got to pushed out....should have started trying years ago.....

Alibaba, I've used ovu tests before, the cheap one-step worked fine for me in my "heydays". It showed LH surge on day 15 or 16 . However, I've got some weird results recently, LH surge on day 11, 12 and 13 in one cycle (the same dark lines for 3 days) followed by a months with no surge at all. I don't know what to think of it. It's either me or the test.

When was your last pg Mack? I used to get a week's worth of positive opks after my MC last year. It could be your body settling down. My surge is super short and I ov the same day. Some people get several positives followed by ov the next day or day after. It totally varies. And no positive opk doesn't mean you didn't ov.

What time of day do you do the opk? Apparently afternoon is better as that's more likely to catch the surge.

Do you get symptoms of ovulation - eg ewcm, ov pains or higher temps, feeling shivery (following ov)?

Sorry, I realised you already told me it was May. Same as me.

Hello all, may I join you? I've been lurking a bit.

I am very soon to be 40 and have been ttc only a couple of cycles for number 2. I think af due today as have all the signs and I think I ovulated early this month, I was very well with quinsy last month so not surprised! I also blame visitors over the festive season limiting bd time!

Anyway, I've worked out I will be 40 before any more chanced to get a bfp! Hey ho, at least I can have some bubbles on my birthday!

My cycles have been more irregular since ds 4 years ago and although always short at 24/25 days, sometimes 22 days, sometimes 28. They took two years to come back as I was bf as well.

It was stupidly easy to conceive ds (I did temp chart and opks that month to try to work out my cycle and happened to get pregnant). So I'm steeling myself for it to be a bit harder this time.

I get a bit poas crazy so I'm setting myself the challenge to wait till af day!

Hi Violet and welcome!

Hope AF doesn't arrive and you don't have to properly join

If it does turn up then it's very early days for you and I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Good luck to you and hope age 40 sees your wish come true!

Hi Ali and everyone else. Yes, I now test in the afternoons, somehow I missed this piece of info, and before I used to test in the mornings (just like with a pregnancy test). Despite no signs of positive, I had the typical ovu discharge. I never chart my temp. So several positives are not unheard of - it is good to hear about it.

Can you tell me please, how you are able to pinpoint the exact time of your ovulation ? Do you feel it, or some super tests available out there? Thanks.

I know when I ov because it's normally pretty regular (nearly always cd11 until recently) and I feel it.

I start to feel my ovaries around cd5 and start getting ewcm (if I'm well hydrated). The sensation increases until I feel like my ovaries are going to burst and then I get strong ovulation pain for 12-24 hours so I'm guessing this is when the egg is released.

Some months I use opks (currently using CB dual hormone kit). And some months I temp and chart so I see a clear temp rise 2 days after ov.

Than you. I'll have a look of the ovu kit.

Just stopping in to say hello! Nothing happening here. Cd 12. Thinking of trying the ovulation sticks, see if that helps, as I'm beginning to question my calculations.

Massive congratulations pooger! What a wonderful start to your year!

Good luck to everyone for this month!

Thanks Tober! Hello and good luck to you too - fertile week coming up, yay!

Good evening everyone,

I've finally decided to go for a fertility check-up. I've googled it, and it seems to involve a fair number of various tests and it seems rather pricey. I have children, so I do not consider IVF treatment at all, and my last healthy pregnancy was nearly 5 years ago.

I compiled a list (very likely not complete) to make sense of it.

1. smear test
2. urine test (chlamydia, gonorrhoea)
3. 1. blood tests - hormone tests - AMH, FSH, LH, oestradiol, prolactin and progesteron

3.2. blood test - viral tests -Rubella, CMV, chicken pox

1. ultrasound scans - SIS ( to assess uterus), AFC (to check egg reserve) and HyCoSy (to check if fallopian tubes are open).
2. some more invasive tests, I think, that I haven't looked up

A also looked up various clinics, and they don't seem to offer those all in one pack, so I would need to tailor made it. Or just start with one or two.

So my question is, where shall I start? Which you think are the baseline ones? If there is such thing at all? Also, I read that progesteron test is called the 21. day test, but some say that it needs to be 7 days after ovulation and not on day 21. (I cannot pinpoint my ovulation.)

Any thoughts and suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Hi Mack,

I had the following done through GP:

Pelvic ultrasound
FSH blood test
Progesterone blood test
Sperm analysis

I'm due to have a vaginal swab next week. I would say these are the basic. Progesterone needs to be around the time it peaks at 7dpo. Or halfway between ov and AF.

Ultrasound at beginning of cycle counts the antral follicles and nearer ov they can measure follicle and lining. I actually had mine done at the end of cycle but they measured the corpus luteum and lining.

Have you been to your GP yet? My tests all happened quite quickly. I have been referred to the fertility clinic for another scan, AMH blood test and sperm test but not sure I'm going yet.

Ali surprised you can get so much done through your GP. Mine was rather reluctant. I got bored or arguing/waiting and opted for private testing. I'm somewhat angered as that as a first time potential mother at 40 plus I'm penalised. Hey, NHS, I really didn't want to leave it this late but thats how my life is - we don't all have that predescribed by society/government life so perhaps you need to "get with reality".

Btw just to clarify, my desire for children isn't a recent phenomenon. I've wanted them for years, especially since early 30s. My then partner said no so I stuck with him. When I was 38 he decided to leave me (for an OW with two very young children). I'm just saying that I'm not one of those sudden "ooooh I want children" women. Far from it. Just me, wanting a family...

That doesn't seem fair City. I think mine felt sorry for me as I really suffered after the MC. I will have to pay for the fertility clinic tests (if I go).

The bloods and swab were all done at the GP, just the ultrasound was at the hospital.

And gggggrrrrr to your ex.

How are you feeling City?

Hi, thank you for the prompt reply. I'm due for a smear test on the NHS, but (quite rightly) I'm not an NHS priority so I go private for the rest of them. But also I want to be reasonable with testings.

Ali, Why are you not sure about AMH testing?

Progesteron and FSH seems a good start. (I've found a service, where they do a blood panel for £150, testing for LH, FSH, estrodiol and prolactin and separately for progesteron for £66.) My last cycle was 24 day- long(to my surprise) , my previous 28 days, so I suppose, here, I will be guessing with a bit of ovu test.

Also, just to clarify Ali, the pelvic ultrasound was to do a AFC, and at the same time your uterus was checked as well?

Another question - if I decide for an FSH and a progesteron test - can they be done on different cycles?

Oooh that blood panel sounds a good price - is it in London by any chance?

The ultrasound I had was just to check everything anatomically as my periods became lighter since MC - I guess they were checking for retained products, scarring or anything else. So it wasn't really a fertility thing - they didn't do AFC.

I would like an AMH test but I would rather be treated naturally rather than with hormones or IVF/IUI at the hospital fertility clinic.

You can have FSH and progesterone done in the same cycle - so FSH would be cd1-3 and progesterone 7dpo.

Hello, it is in Hitchin. I just talked to her, fully booked, so I need to wait for another cycle. (I think, it is a small one-man enterprise.)

I suppose that some hormone tests combined with a general pelvic ultrasound would do as a start.

May I ask how old are you?

I'm 41, you?

Could you pm the details of the lady in Hitchin as it could come in handy?

Thanks

41 also.

www.hitchinbloodwork.co.uk/ It offers only hormone tests.

However, I've found the Create Fertility Clinics (amongst others)and it has an office in London too (it is too far for me) and they focus on various scanning. I do't know the prices though.

I vaguely remember the name Nargund (she is in this clinic), once I heard a discussion about mild IVF, and I think she was interviewed. This site even talks about natural IVF. In case someone is interested.

Sounds good, I'll look into that.

I'm booked it for more bloods next week plus an initial consult with a guy Clara recommended who treats naturally.

Hi, can I join? I'm 44. Been lurking for a while but not been having AF as still bf DD but haven been having positive opks for months so have been hoping to catch an egg. Now had a slight bleed 10 days ago, too light for AF really but went for a fertility checkup and was told it looks like I'm on CD10 and am going to ovulate this month, yay! I had an ultrasound, oestradial, LH and prolactin done and all were normal. We went to a private clinic as wouldn't expect the NHS to investigate me because of my age. Good luck to everyone here

Hi Caluna, welcome!

It sounds like you're just starting out. Glad all tests were normal and you're ovulating. Good luck for this month!

How old is DD?