35+ TTC#1 Thread 3

[Blondcat]

We seem to have filled up our last thread so here is a new one.

A wonderful bunch of ladies supporting each other through the ttc journey when trying for a first baby after 35.

Goodluck to all ladies we can do it

@BambiOnIce80 only 8dpo so in the interest of not being a symptom spotting psycho 😂 I am thinking it’s unlikely these are symptoms. I have been looking up food poisoning symptoms instead 🤣

I am sending good vibes for a good result for your partners test 🤞🏻I have always wondered about the overshooting the pot scenario, it must happen a lot. Surely there must be a better receptacle. Maybe this is how I will make my millions.

Definitely think you're onto something there @MrsRRC💡Can't wait to see you present it on dragons den🐉🤑😉

@MrsRRC hope you don't have the plague. There's a lot of it going round. I've added vitc to my ever growing list of vitamins.

My friends husband had a low sample volume but perfect sperm. They told him he needs to drink more water. Maybe he's dehydrated?

Hi ladies, I've been a bit quiet in recent weeks, trying to 'not try' this month - getting on with life and focusing on everything but a BFP.

Still lurking and keeping my eye on the going's on, and fingers crossed for you all.

What is overshooting the pot? (Not sure I even for that phrase right)!!! Xxx

As an add... I'm night sweating like a bitch, and have the greasiest hair: Thinking menopause! Ffs! Xxx

You know what @79andnotout, I reckon you could well be right - he drinks espresso first thing and then doesn't touch much water for the rest of the day 🙄 Think I might set him a 'drink a litre of water a day' kind of challenge 👍

Helllloooo @TheNewbieStep!! I wondered where you'd gone! I was even scrolling back to see if I'd somehow missed a BFP from you or something! How's the trying to not try going?!

One possibility for an insufficient sperm sample could be the most simple one - DP not having a good aim and not managing to get all his sample in the sample container (thus 'over-shot-the-pot'!). Pretty common, by all accounts.

I find I'm getting decidedly clammy at night as AF is nearing too 😒 Nowhere near as bad as when I had the coil in, mind - that was full on drenching night sweats 😓 Very much looking forward to getting my final bloods done next week so that we can see if I'm still in with a chance or not or if I'm already well past it👵🏻😕

My period has finished. 10mls total in the moon cup over three days, 10mls!! Those of you who cup, do you have any idea of how much you produce over your whole AF? My real life friend says she has to empty hers twice a day for nearly five days, that about fifteen times more than me.

Clearly I built up no lining this month.

I did do a pregnancy test just in case it was a random bleed but BFN.

@79andnotout 10ml does sound quite light, im not sure what's "normal " & Ive never actually taken note, but i think i will now. Something else to record!
I usually have one day at least where i HAVE to empty it twice during the day, but otherwise its morning & night, and not usually full full. Total of 4 days ish. If you know what i mean. Thats possibly the wierdest, vaguest description of AF ever!

Mooncups are actually great, cant believe it took me to 36 to find out what they were. Before that they were just the wierd thing advertised on a sticker on the inside of every toilet door at glastonbury!! Although i had about 10 years of no AF as a result of depo & cerazette, so no use for them!.

AF has arrived! I feel mainly relief. Someone else can have my turn this month, hopefully one of you!
All I can think about is how awesome it is to be free to do what I want and not have to think about being saddled with children! I'm sure I'll get the hang of this...
Also the pure joy of drinking real coffee this morning. Yummy. I might OD on caffeine before the day is out.
And gin! I am eyeing up that gin bottle for later.
I'm going to make the most of life this month. And that includes a duvet day today x

@Beeseeinya - I'd be all over the coffee and gin! Enjoy your duvet day!!!

@79andnotout - I'm a very light flow-er too. Mini tampons for 3 days... 4 max

How does one determine what size mooncup one needs???

Do you empty and pop back in - or give it a rinse. Not practical in our Loos at work! Xxx

@79andnotout sorry you've got this worry. I got around to measuring my cup capacity the other day - just below the rim is 20ml. On my really heavy day I would have to empty twice and it would be brimming but probably over the full fourish days of AF I'd estimate my total bleed to be about 60ml.
It's funny isn't it, I was wondering the other day if I was bleeding TOO heavily, and that it can be quite bright red "active" bleeding.
@edidxb I also suffer from terrible skin, especially big cysts along my jawline and on my back. I am fed up and heading to doctors tomorrow to request a prescription for antibiotics (and I'm firmly AGAINST the indiscriminate use of ABs usually) and will also request some CD3 and CD21 bloods and discuss my flow volume etc. DP still hasn't done his SA so we don't have that info but at least we'll have some numbers to go to fertility clinic if we decide to - probably in the next 3 months.
CD 15 here, I usually ovulate CD17 and just haven't worked up the enthusiasm/energy to DTD yet. Been feeling a bit defeatist lately!

@theNewbieStep recommended size is stated by most brands on the box, and usuallu alobg the lines of pre/post vaginal birth, or over/under 30 = small/large, although i bought a smaller "mooncup" brand one and it fits fine, no leaks (im 38) although i found the silicone a bit hard. So i bought one called lalicup again in size small, this ones a bit softer, i find it easier to put in. Ive seen ones called dutchess cup (i think) that send you both small & large sizes in one packet.
Regarding changing at work, I rarely do. Empty, rinse, put back in morning, when i get home from work, and before bed. We do have suitable loos in work (sink next to toilet) but dont really need to use them. I used it whilst at a festival this summer, just took a small bottle of water into the loo with me to rinse.
Ill admit it's a bit fiddly at the beginning, and a little bit messy, but no worse than pads. Theres no smell at all, & you dont get that awful dry dragging thing that tampons do when youre quite light.
Plus if youre expecting AF that day you could pop it in the morning, save potential mess later on, and there's no TSS worries.
Im a total mooncup convert! Sorry if i get preachy!

Yeah totally love the mooncup, but i abandoned it after the first go - think i just didn't shove it in right. But went back and tried again and now love it. I am the only woman at work so it's great not to have to stick any pads or tampons in the communal bin. I put it in at home and then don't touch it until the night.

Yeah in general I'm not that bothered about light flow, but this one was really light. But it makes sense if my luteal phase was really short. Maybe my body just reacted badly to going straight back into doing circuit training after a long break of laziness! It is good having an actual measurement of it though, and you get a really good look at the colour and consistency. You can go all Gillian McKeith on it!

Sounds like a good idea @Beesingya - duvet, gin and coffee! Onwards and upwards.

@TheNewbieStep - just go for the smallest one I think. I think the determining factor is vag-baby vs no vag-baby.

Last night before bed was feeling sick. As in I wanted to throw up. Slept badly, was feeling sick and when got up had a diarrhea! All morning! And still feeling sick! Coming and going. But not vomiting. It wasn't anything out of ordinary for dinner last night. Pasta and green vegetables. I'm 7 days past IUI/ovulation. Don't even know what to think of it? What do you make of it?!

And smelling food makes me feel sick!

@Russkispy

All the signs.....

@TheNewbieStep , really?! So early in 2ww?! I'm 42 and still feeling clueless about these things despite me having a DD of 16 months.
With her , I didn't have any symptoms! And was genuinely surprised when after doing blood test, it came positive! I was so naive back then! Makes me smile actually

I don’t think I’ve ever had to change mooncup in the day, but on day 2 I’ve had it reach overflow in the evening once or twice. I reckon I get to 2 x total cups-worth over 5ish days.

Sounds promising @russki!

Goodluck @russkispy

Sorry af arrived @beeseeinya

Sorry to hear about af @Beeseeinya - coffee and gin sounds good though.

You’ve sold me on the mooncup ladies. I think i’m going to try one after all your positive posts!

Hoping for bfp news @russkispy and @MrsRRC (and that it isn’t illness) Feel like i’ve got the plague 😷 I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol for ages or been to any exercise classes, never mind dtd. My DH is currently sleeping in the spare room as i’m keeping him awake at night with my coughing & spluttering. He might as well put a cross on the door! Still battling bugs and currently on antibiotics. Nightmare! TTC is definitely on hold for a bit 🤒😏

Soo many of you mooncupping! I'm going to give it a whirl! So other brands? Any recommendations?

@TheNewbieStep - I use the Dutchess (snigger), but that's the only one I tried, and I bought it as that was the first one I came across when I search for it. No complaints here. I have the small size (B I think?) and it fits fine. I fold it in half to get it in there (like a coffee percolator filter paper) and then give it a poke it if doesn't unfold straight away. I sleep with it, run with it, etc, no bother. Only thing I found is you do have to keep on top of your pubes otherwise you end up pulling them out with it (or maybe that's just me). Good for the environment, good for my wallet, and gives me more things to mull over. Can't go wrong!

Hope you feel better soon @PixieN - that doesn't sound like fun!

@TheNewbieStep I can't remember the brand or size of my cup, sorry, but one thing I think everyone should know is that it's totally okay to cut off the annoying little stem on the base!! It actually isn't designed to be used to remove it. (Honestly, NEVER do this as I first did, it creates suction and is bloody painful on an already angry inflamed uterus which is just looking for more ways to make your life miserable!!) I found the stem stuck out of my slightly and rubbed and generally made me uncomfortable and more miserable, it almost made me give up on using it. But Google said trim the stem so I went whole hog and carefully took the whole thing off with some fine sharp scissors. Immediately 100% better There are grooves on the base of the cup to help you grasp it so don't worry about that.
Well, I've just been to our lovely doctor who is really on board with getting us conceiving, we've arranged CD3 and 21 bloods, I was totally prepared to need to pay for them but apparently I don't need to which is a bonus!! In less good news he can't give me ABs for my acne as it would be doxycycline which is a pretty nasty one and no good in pregnancy so has prescribed a topical treatment.
Will have to get DP to apply it to the spots on my back and shoulders, that should get him in the mood for DTD, bleurgh!! 😏

went to bed at 8pm, totally drained! Slept till 2am and just woke up. Diarrhea stopped yesterday lunch and I had solid stool in the evening. Sick tummy /nausea stopped some time around 4am. Think I'm back to normal?! What was that all about then?!

Sounds like it may have just been a bug @Russkispy? Still fingers crossed though.

Agree with never using the stem to pull out the cup. I have long nails and just carefully grip the bottom of the cup the pull out.

Mines a pink thing from amazon. Can’t remember the brand. Think I paid £11 for it!

I use the stem but also put some pressure on the side to release the suction. I don't find the stem rubs at all on me, even when running etc. I do shove it up a bit though, so it's not hanging out at the bottom. Pleasant.

@Chelonia - I feel very bad for you with the acne outbreak, it must be awful. I don't know how anyone with acne copes, My skin gets dry and irritated easily, when I worked in the lab I was always getting itchy inflamed rashes especially on my face, but acne is a whole other level to deal with. Hope the topical creams work.

@Russkispy - yes, it sounds like you might have had a bug.