40+ ttc: 2018 full of bfp's!

[Orchid222]

Ladies, the old thread has now closed so I created a new one but can't post the link, hopefully you'll find it and we can continue.

Oh and JoJo yes you need to take care you don’t take over the RDA for Vitamin A by combining your supps. It’s not good apparently for baby.

Ali congrats on ordering a Mooncup! My only regret is not getting one when I was younger. It’s revolutionary.

Thanks Mimosa. I saw your one on Amazon and it’s around 550mg so I’d take 2 but starting next cycle.

Have you always had short cycles? How long is your luteul phase?

Thanks for the info on Pukka. Will do that. Do you take yours on an empty stomach? I’ve been taking first thing before breakfast.

No. I’ve always always had 28-30 day cycles. Until recently. Probably the last year. Ovulation seems to have slowly crept further and further forward over the last few years although my luteal phase is usually quite long. Always a minimum of 16 days. I can still have a day 10/11 ovulation but more and more its even earlier. I’ve even had two cycles in the last year where I’ve ovulated whilst still spotting on CD5. It gets me really stressed out. There’s just no time to dtd. How long have yours been like that?

Hi - found you!
@Orchid - going from BBT, I ovulate 1-2 days before the OPK is darkest.

I am going for IVF. I'm going to try one cycle and see how awful it is! I have 1 DC and would like 1 more if at all possible. Think I will stop at 3 cycles/end of this year, whichever comes first. (made me feel sad typing that but am very lucky as I have a DC).

Welcome Coastal. Please don't think your eggs are bad, they weren't bad a few months ago so they certainly aren't bad now! It might take a little bit longer but as others have already said, time is on your side. If it comes to that and you decide to go the ivf route I think at your age with no children you will get it on nhs and maybe even end up with twins. 4 months is not long and as Mimosa said try to calm down. I know it's easier said than done because I'm not doing great on that front myself but I've decided to be as calm about it as possible this cycle.
Mimosa-I don't think I ovulate as early (my cycles are 30-31 days and opks go dark on cd16-17) but based on what you've said we started dtd at the start of cd7 just to be sure we don't miss it.
Happy-good luck with IVF and let us know how you get on. We're getting DH's sperm results on friday and then I'll see my ob-gyn next Tuesday but if this cycle doesn't bring a bfp I think I'll try IUI next and if that fails, also IVF. Having read that article about IVF I might try to do it abroad though.

Mimosa - I take the Organic India ones and it says take with food. I will research.

Cycles went to 26 days in my early 30s but in the past year (perhaps longer) they’ve gone to 24-25. I get the odd 28+ day cycle and the odd 21 day cycle still.

We’ve given the go ahead for IUI next cycle. Orchid, are you doing natural or medicated IUI?

Hedgehog- that’s so interesting. Another person who thinks they ovulate before a positive opk. I wonder if this is true for more women than our tiny bit of research says?! I wonder if people are missing the boat due to relying on opks?

Ali - ooh good luck next cycle. How do you feel about the iui? And that is so odd that the Pukka ones say take before food and yours say take WITH food! Hmmm...

Alibaba- I'll see how my appt next week goes and what he recommends but thinking of medicated IUI to increase the chances, what about you?

Thank you ladies for keeping me in check/sane! I ageee I do need to calm down a bit. I'm a bit better today. I think it's just the day I get AF I go a bit mad because it's the hope for that month sucked out of me!

Agree I need to relax a bit. Am already having acupuncture and may try and book massage for Sunday afternoon. Deciding to set our wedding date for may/June depending on what consultant obs says on Monday will also help I think - a shift of focus and it's only a small wedding (c.40 people) so won't be too stressful to plan.

Sadly we don't have NHS where I live so we will have to fork out if needed. I suspect obs might say (and which is probs sensible) keep trying another few months then if nothing come back. I guess we could potentially leave ivf until after the wedding though I turn 40 in sept so in an ideal world would probs like to get going on that before then.

And breathe!

Got to get work ready now but will try read some of your comments more later to see if anything I can contribute to your situations x

Orchid - I’m tempted to do medicated too but doesn’t that give risk of multiple pregnancies?

If I were going to do it I would do medicated. Up the chances.

Mimosa - apparently Shatavari is traditionally taken mixed with warm milk and honey.

When I used to take Chinese herbs, I took 30 mins before a meal.

Did your herbalist offer any advice?

I've just made an appointment to see the dr on monday. Starting to regret that now as I feel like I'm timewasting. Who else has been to docs? What did you say? How did dr react?

I went before even starting just to get things checked as I have a thyroid disorder. They were very nice and gave lots of info. It’s not a waste of time

I went when we had only been trying a couple of months because I had PCOS and a cyst removed in the past and I suspected another one. They offered the 21 days tests to start with. I will go back in a couple of months if nothing happens. You are not time wasting don't worry.

I’m going to GP on Monday about a separate issue and I feel I’m time-wasting but sometimes it’s the only time to speak to a GP even if it’s a quick question. I only go a couple of times a year so try not to feel bad.

I spoke to my consultant again about the 40+ stats he gave me for IUI and he said fertility is very individual and not all 42-year olds have the same fertility. And that those having IUI at his clinic had lower than average fertility and other fertility issues so stats are low for that reason.

He still thinks I have 25% chance of IUI working per cycle.

Ali - I’m not seeing herbalist til end of next week sorry.

Cleo- I went to gp after 12 months of ttc. I just stated the facts and she did blood tests there and then and also referred me for an ultrasound scan. The word is you should see your gp after 6 months of ttc if you are over 35. You would not be time wasting at all. I’ve now been back to gps and been referred to a fertility clinic in Feb. My gp is lovely and reacted as I wanted her to.

Thanks everyone, glad I am not the only one doing this! I've been trying now for nearly a year, I just feel it's time to move things on or give up. Decided to move things on! Hopefully tests will be more acurate now I have a regular cycle again. My only worry is my doctor is a man, so not sure how sympathetic he will be to the whole thing!

Alibaba-25% is great! Is that clinic in Twickenham? Was the consultant recommended to you or did you just book an appt and got him? I'm thinking maybe I should save my money, not go to see my ob-gyn and head straight to that clinic and try a couple of IUI cycles myself. As for multiple pregnancy i actually wouldnt mind. I always wanted 3 children and given how long #2 is taking I probably won't have time for another so for us it would be a blessing.

@littlemimosa did you see the article on last thread. that suggests that the OPK issue gets more common with age and is common around 40 to not be in advance of ovulation

@cleo my GP was fine and he was male - booked me in for AMH and progesterone blood test straight away, also did other tests in the blood panel checking for STDs etc as these can impact fertility

That sounds positive hedgehog, hopefully mine will be like that. It would just be good to know where things are at, and if its worth continuing, especially with my perimenopause outlook

Cleo - I was nervous about going but my results have actually reassured me that everything is normal when I was worrying about all sorts.

Hedgehog- yes I read the article about opks and can totally believe it’s true about age but it did make me wonder how much it could also be true for women of all ages. You only have to spend a day on this board to see yet another post by someone saying something along the line of ‘Ive got ewcm but my opk isn’t showing positive yet’. I really think lots of people are relying too heavily on opks and waiting to dtd and probably missing the egg. Just my two pence worth!

So we only managed to dtd once this cycle around ovulation (due to ridiculously early ovulation) but already I’m symptom spotting. Aaaaaa

You're right @littlemimosa, I wish I had started temping in August which was when I started TTC.

Have got my first IVF appointment on 23rd. I've had the consultation so this is to go through all the consent paperwork and discuss the timeline and procedures. I was fine with IVF in theory and I'm now terrified - think i need to do some more reading to have a better sense of what it will entail. We've got one more try before then but not sure I will know outcome by 23rd. Would be amazing not to have to go because I'm pregnant! a nice dream but not very likely.

I had a giving up moment today. Was in floods of tears this morning. But then got a more positive email from Twickenham guy and feel a bit better. Still not convinced by the 25% stat though.

This guy is fairly well known but tries natural methods first. Have you seen your ob-gyn before Orchid?

I think it’s good to get an overall picture from bloods, sperm analysis and scan. Plus a high vaginal swab which can be done same time as smear. Getting mine next week.

Hedgehog, what terrifies you about IVF? The drugs, procedures or the tww? How many rounds will you get?

Alibaba-I've seen my ob-gyn many times before but not since we started ttc so I wanted him to do a scan and whatever else he can and get his opinion but I'm now thinking it'll just prolong the whole process so I might as well go to your clinic now and get things moving. I just had my bloods done and DH is getting a call from the gp tomorrow with his sperm analysis results. I'll book a smear test for next week but where do I go to get a scan done? Can you share details of your consultant? If not it's ok I'll call and see who I can get an appt with, I'm close to the clinic so that's handy.