35+ TTC#1 Thread 4

[BambiOnIce80]

We're very close to maxing-out our previous thread, so time to start afresh 🙂

To borrow the intro from @Blondcat (our old threads founder):

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

Good luck all!! 🍀🤞🏻🍀🤞🏻

Right!!!
In the interests of Science (and having rather a lot of spare time on my hands at present) I have just trawled back through the previous 35+ TTC#1 threads and it would appear that everyone who started a thread got their BFP!
@BambiOnIce80 you're up!!

Hey all! I was on the last thread a little bit!
I am currently 9dpo with a negative test this morn but im ever hopeful :)
Hope there are many bfp on this thread

Blummin heck @chelonia thats a lot of posts! And promising! Woo!

@wheresthehope 9dpo is still early. Youre not out til AF shows, fingers crossed.

That would be amazing if starting a thread was my missing fertility ingredient @Chelonia! 😂 And lovely kitty, by the way 😻 If there's no baby by then end of this thread, then there could well be a bambi kitten instead 😉 How'd you get on with your CD21 bloods? Meant to say that you don't need to get the CD0-5 ones done in the same cycle as the CD21 progesterone. They're looking at different things. CD21 progesterone is to check you ovulated and the CD0-5 can be to check for various things, but usually to rule out PCOS, signs of menopause and your ovarian reserve. Hope this helps 🤓

Definitely agree with @CNizzle @wheresthehope - 9dpo is super early, even for a FRER. You're certainly not out yet! 🍀

@CNizzle, I guess if you've covered yourself by DTD often, then even if the BBT and CBFM isn't adding up you've covered all your bases. I read that it's pretty normal to have an 'anovulation' cycle every now and then (pretty sure I get one about once a year) and you can generally tell by AF being 5-7 days late. I'm not saying that's what you've got going on here at all - just that if AF is pretty late it would be a way to tell if you want to rule it out 👍🏻

Welcome @MrsShelts16 💐 Hopefully it won't take you long to conceive 🤞🏻 I'd probably recommend casually getting used to your cycle on a free app (I use Flo, but there's loads and loads out there) and get used to what little twinges and niggles are normal for you at different stages of your cycle. Trust me - when you're in the two week wait after ovulation every little sodding niggle is turned into a hugely significant pregnancy symptom by your inner symptom spotting psycho, even though you used to get those niggles before; you just didn't pay any attention to them!! 😂

Thanks for starting a new thread @BambieOnIce 👍

I’m now 2 days late for af, but i’m sure it’s on its way. We only managed to dtd once before I was struck down with the uti from hell and various other nasties.

Onwards and upwards though. @NotMaryWhitehouse - I’ve only got a positive opk (as in it was darker than the control line) once. It does gradually go darker, but not like it’s supposed to, and then disappears. Think i’m going to have to go for a CB monitor, but I keep putting it off because of the expense (same with acupuncture) I just need to clear my overdraft again

@Chelonia your cat is gorgeous 😻😻😻 Love black cats 💕

@pixieN I got my clearblue monitor off ebay. It was new but bashed box. £45, but theres plenty of 2nd hand, used once (promising!) Available.

I went back and forth on the monitor because of the expense. But I figured if it took us a long time and we needed treatments, it might end up seeming like a small sum in comparison. To keep costs down, I used the full amount of sticks for the first cycle but not subsequent ones. I would test until I got my first Peak reading and then ignore its demands until the start of the next cycle.

Also what a gorgeous kitty!

OooOooh bloods are back already.
Progesterone is 30.3 😱
Dr has messaged to say "confirms ovulation" but I dunno, isn't it a bit borderline? 😕

@Chelonia - that's the same as me. I think I do ovulate as I get a clear temperature shift on BBT, a strong peak on both CBFM and internet cheap OPKs, and get sore boobs almost straight after.

Depends on the reference range @Chelonia. The reference range can vary from lab to lab, let alone from country to country! In my corner of Scotland it's >30 to confirm ovulation, but your corner of NZ may have a different range. Maybe ask your doc to print the result out for you? The reference range (and any interpretative comments) should be printed on the report 👍🏻

@CNizzle ooh that's a good idea, hadn't thought about buying one off eBay..... might do that.

Just never quite like the idea that I haven't quite understood things properly, which is how the cheapies have a habit of making me feel!

Presume must surge overnight, the temptation to nudge poor dp awake in the middle of the night/before the crack of dawn is overwhelming!

In another note - can't remember who I was talking with about the random powers of grapefruit juice.....but- drank two bottles of it last week-yesterday and literally had NO cm. none. 🤔

That would be me @NotMaryWhitehouse 🍊 I have to admit that I've been rubbish and the closest I've gotten to drinking grapefruit juice (given that I really, really don't like it!) is either having tonic flavoured with grapefruit, a wedge of pink grapefruit in my G&T or grapefruit gin liqueur with my prosecco... yeah, I probably drink a little more than I should 🙄 Managing to keep to

@BambiOnIce80 ha ha! I actually quite like it, just surprised that mass consumption has actually had less impact.

Hello all, here we are thread 4 and still no ruddy BFP!!!!

Just finished AF. I didn't even cry this time.

Any PCOSers on here? Any of you been offered Clomid? Anyone with experience of it? Thinking of asking the GP to dish some out...can cause multiple births..... maybe that will deal with the IVF elephant with OH. LOLS.

@bambionice80 thank you for starting a new thread for us all and I really hope that is your lucky charm!
Good to see @kescilly and @blondcat and @melamine still around with us after their BFP too. Good luck with the scans this week too.

I have just been to Hong Kong on holiday and got back yesterday so have had some days off the thread. I have also tried to keep busy with that and not thinking about the TWW! I am currently 11DPO according to FF but I wonder if it is 10 instead. I have started thinking of the Big Brother commentator when I think of CDs. "It is currently day 11 in the TWW"......I think I am going mental!

I have some pretty strong symptoms of incredibly tender boobs but have also had that in the TWW so desperately trying to stay positive and not think too much about it.

@chelonia I would say those progesterone levels are pretty high. In my pregnancy that ended in miscarriage my levels were only 12 and I had to go on 3 types of tablets, pessaries and injections which unfortunately didn't work.

My mum is now visiting for the next 4 days so I am about to sit in the garden with a glass of wine (in the TWW) which I know isn't ideal but you have to carry on.....

No PCOS per se, although I do apparently have some cysts on my ovaries- they're just not stopping me from ovulating. However, the old NICE guidance on infertility used to recommend a 6 month course of clomid for unexplained primary infertility, so I had a 6 month course probably about 5.5ish years ago. It was the ACU that dished it out to me (think you have to be under the fertility clinic to get it?). Obviously didn't work in my case (which is probably why the new NICE guidance doesn't recommend it for unexplained infertility anymore - probably didn't work for enough of us 🤔), but it worked for one of my mates with PCOS on her last shot at it 👍

My lasting memory of it was the epic night sweats and hot flushes! 😓 When I was worrying about perimenopause I was concerned that the clomid might have depleted my ovarian reserve, even though there's no evidence published that I could find to that effect 🙄 You're probably best off having a good chat with your GP and weighing up the pros and the cons 🙂

Evening all 😊. I need to start making some time to check this thread throughout the day, so much to catch up on.

@PixieN only once it takes 🤞. I also put buying Cbfm off because of the cost. But think I am going for it on my next cycle.

@Blondecat @Kescilly good luck with the scans. I am a little cautiously excited for you both 🤞

I maybe asking a really daft question here, but why go for acupuncture when ttc? What does it benefit?

@TheNewbieStep , Ive been given Clomid every time for IUI. Had to take from cd5-cd9. All my IUIs done abroad and part of the IUI protocol. Never had any side effects from it. Follicles grew nicely when had my scans on cd10 to determine the trigger day and IUI. Every time triggered on cd13 and IUI on cd15.

Hope you had a lovely holiday @edidxb? Must be nice to have your mum visiting 🙂

@Carley32 the world health organisation says that there's some evidence that acupuncture improves fertility/gives us a better chance of getting pregnant, but it reckons it needs more investigation before it straight up recommends it for female fertility (so I thought "sod it, might as well give it a go" 📍😉). I went 4 times, but have cancelled going when DP lost his job (the guy I was going to was £50 a pop, which soon adds up when he was recommending going at least 3 times a month!).

DP starts his new job on Friday, so I might look into starting again but with a different acupuncturist. The nurse at my GP's recommended a nurse who specifically does fertility acupuncture. After the initial session, she does 30 minute sessions at £37 a throw. The 30 minutes appeals to me (I always felt a right plum laid there for an hour, looking at the ceiling with needles sticking out in various places! 🙄) and the cheaper price makes it much more doable...

If you're thinking about it, maybe ask your surgery if there's anyone local they'd recommend for fertility acupuncture? You could have a chat and see if it's for you or not 📍😉

Morning all! 😀
@TheNewbieStep nice to "see" you, how are things with you? I did see on another thread your dad was not good, was thinking of you
@NotMaryWhitehouse for what it's worth I get an immediate result from drinking grapefruit juice! Like, within an hour there is noticeable cm, and I really don't get any at any time during my cycle (having next cycle off as DP away so will take notice and confirm as won't be drinking the juice then!) I'm not a huge fan but we have a pink grapefruit juice here and it's much nicer than white. I drink almost a pint each evening when Er required!
@BambiOnIce80 the blood results are all available to me in an online portal, v fancy, but the lab itself doesn't provide ref ranges or comments on the value. The fertility clinic gives a rundown on the interpretation here www.fertilityassociates.co.nz/info-for-gps/hormones-explained-fsh-progesterone/ so I guess that's their cutoff too, over 30. Really need to actually book an appointment and discuss with them I suppose!! Given its so borderline I wonder if they might give me a bit of progesterone to help a bean stick! Anyway getting ahead of myself here, need the day 3 bloods first!
Heading to Dr today about stoopid back, will ask him to send me for AMH too.

@Chelonia did I read your in NZ? I am in Christchurch :)
10dpo for another bfn this morning! not feeling much in the way of symptoms either and I don't feel this is my month.
How long has everybody been ttc? I started july 2017 with one mmc in june this year.
Ive just started jogging and going to try cleaner eating and cut down on the drink but this time of the year will make it hard!

Hi @wheresthehope ! waves we're in the much-hated Auckland