Over 40 ttc - winter baby dust for me!

[Orchid222]

Here's our new thread ladies.

Morning, well AF is here in full force but I don't understand why as I am still taking the progesterone tablets and gel. Silly question but if I had 4 follicles, 1 fertilised, what happens to other 3? Doc still wants me to test today but I don't see the point.

Hi ladies sorry I disappeared for a few days the stress of it all got to me. I'm now in the most anxious 2ww since we started ttc remaining hopeful but also being realistic and bracing myself for a negative so it's not too much of a shock if it doesn't happen.
Russ I'm so sorry about your bfn. Why is it so difficult? 😢
I know it's a slim chance but if AF doesn't arrive soon maybe test one more time? I've read online about women getting bfn and after waiting for AF for like a week they tested again and it was bfp so miracles do happen.

Presh sorry to hear AF got you, so disappointing.
Orchid I can imagine how stressful this wait must be for you, firstly for the financial impact and secondly for the emotional as so much more has been put into this. Fingers crossed for you. When do you test?

As for me, AF looks like it'll be coming tomorrow at 9dpo again, just like last cycle. I was really hoping last times early AF was a one off, but it appears not. My rhr is plummeting just like before. This cycle I have tried progesterone cream and B6, what else can I do to raise progesterone? Or could it be something else causing these early periods?

AF arrived yesterday. I've picked myself up off the floor and will soldier on as I do. Just trying to work out what's next and best for me. Yet to hear my doctor's recommendations. Dad is visiting us end of January and that could have been my fresh round of IVF but maybe I step back and work on egg quality even more. I read some article about it last night and will post it shortly. From what I've read, I pretty much follow all of it. Although I bought something else after I read it. Will continue with acupuncture and reflexology and just throw anything and everything I've got! And will stay chilled (hate word relaxed in TTC world! It should be bloody banned!)
@Presh12345 , sorry to hear about AF. Hope your Greek god has some answers
@Orchid222 fingers crossed for you ! Please try to take it easy! Avoiding the word relax! Have you ever heard of the app Mindful IVF. I've got it on the phone and keep listening all the time! It's a breakdown in stages of IVF. Have a look, maybe you find it useful. And maybe it's also for others as there are recordings for 2ww.
@Cleozeta hope AF stays away!
Thinking of you all! And still have faith and hope for all of us!

Read this last night although I do/take the most of it. Thought I'd share...
www.zitawest.com/improve-quality-of-my-eggs/

@Orchid222 - glad you're OK - I've been thinking of you 😊 this TWW will be horrible but hopefully the excitement and busy-ness of Christmas will make it pass quickly for you! When is your OTD? Did you get some ice blasts and any frosties? Xxx

@Presh12345 sorry that AF arrived - progesterone supplementation doesnt hold off AF for everyone - especially if you have good high natural progesterone levels. Will you try again with IUI?

Orchid that should have said nice blasts* BTW...

Thanks ladies. I'm not supposed to test until the 31st. No frosties (unlike yours at 40 Critter a few of my eggs didn't fertilise normally- must be age related plus annoyingly some of my follies grew too slowly and didn't have eggs 😢) and no blasts either as my clinic felt it's best to do a 3d transfer.

@Orchid222 - keeping everything tightly crossed for you 🤞 how many did you have put back? Are you planning to wait til the 31st or do you think you'll test earlier? (Don't forget the trigger shot can hang around in your system for up yo 10 days so be careful not to test too early!)

Orchid - got everything crossed for you. It only takes one x

Presh - so sorry it hasn’t worked out this time. Don’t lose hope though.

Cleo - In my (extensive!)research on fertility I’ve concluded that I’m probably the opposite to you. Ie low on oestrogen but fine/high in progesterone. The two are supposed to be equal but as my progesterone was 50 and I have a luteal phase of 16 days I’m pretty sure I’m ok there BUT this is likely making my oestrogen low. Could you be the opposite way round? Oestrogen dominant which causes low progesterone? Apparently it’s much more common to be that way round. Have you read about the ‘pregnenolone steal’ where your progesterone literally gets stolen by stress to make cortisol? I’m thinking some stress relief might be good for you like Headspace (meditation app) or yoga? Also I’ve read that vitamin c is great for boosting progesterone as is green tea as it metabolizes excess oestrogen out of your system to boost progesterone. Hope this helps. I’m the opposite tho. I’m desperately trying to boost my oestrogen so am actually thinking of stopping my B complex (except folate of course) and my extra Vit c. I’m quite skinny too which is typical of someone low in oestrogen. So I’m eating like a horse at the moment trying to put a few pounds on.

God I need to get out more.

Lol Littlemimosa .. I'm def not going anywhere atm as I have the cold from hell and feel/look like the girl from the Exorcist!! 🤢🤧
Only managed 1 dtd session this cycle and currently on 2ww so chances are virtually zero
Happy Christmas to all my fertility sisters xx

Am just joining you in the tww... unless yesterday was my peak day ??? Which I still struggle to understand.. we have been at it like teenagers 🤣🤣 but That's never a guarantee for a bfp.. in the mean time I shall be pigging out on lots of pregnant inappropriate cheese and pate.. sending hugs and baby dust to all 🤗⭐️⭐️⭐️

@littlemimosa it sounds like you are a bit of an oestrogen / progesterone expert! I think my progesterone is okay, 51.5 when tested and my LP is about 13 or 14 days, but how do you know if oestrogen is low? I’m definitely not skinny, but I’m not fat either, my bmi is 22 I think.

Thanks little mimosa - interesting stuff! I think you are probably right. Last time I had my progesterone tested it was 28.4, but that was a while ago now. Lp has been 11 days for quite a while but last cycle was only 9. And I had a CP the cycle before which I suspect may be related.
I'm going to be necking the vit C and green tea today now to see if I can hold ofg AF. Would have been due on Sunday with my usual 11 day lp but can feel it iminent already.
So glad I am going back to the clinic at end of Jan, I'll ask them about progesterone supplimentation. Normal GP will do bugger all.
So odd how UK GP's don't see low progesterone as a problem until you've had 2 losses. I'd rather sort it before another one!
I've read tips for raising Oestrogen are things like soy, green tea, vitex

@Chatbash72.. well it all comes back to it only taking the once for a BFP to occur...however unrealistic at my old age!!
I'm still working along the lines of the 1st time when we only dtd once maybe twice I think in one cycle and DS was the result!!

So AF has landed. 9dpo. That gives me an 8 day LP
And thats with progesterone cream, B6 and Chinese herbs. Don't know what else to do, but thats 2 months in a row now that my LP has shortened by 3 days! Fuck.

@Cleozeta - have you tried acupuncture? My 10 day LP went to 12 - 13 days plus lining was thicker while doing acupuncture.

Critter - yeah been doing accupuncture a while now.
Just had a thought - I wonder if it may be the DHEA that has shortened my LP? It's the only thing new that I have done in the last 2 months and it is a hormone....

Hey girls, sorry been away work manic and doing all I can to get all done by tomorrow so i can have an week off!

So just paid my clinic today blahhh !! Talk about depressing ! On the up side I got a positive opk on second month and nothing last month so dtd Sunday and today ! Literally left work early to catch DH before he left for Bristol for the night! Talk about commitment bless him, he had the day off and hung around all day to dtd 🤣🤣🤣 literally last chance saloon before treatment but also the best month for timing! Now joining the TWW!

Cleo, it sounds like it’s too much of a coincidence not to be the dhea x

Reality - good work! Sounds like you have it covered. Are yoi going for IVF next cycle?

Rose - so do I. I hadn't connected the dots at first and was getting quite stressed, but now I think about it it does make sense. Shame as DHEA is supposed to be so good for egg quality and quantity, preventing mc etc, but then it's clearly no good if it screws up my LP. So going to experiment this cycle and drop the DHEA and take vitex instead as vitex is supposed to be really good for raising progesterone.

Mimosa - interestingly, I think the DHEA caused me a problem as I think it may have raised my Oestrogen (in turn lowering progesterone) could be one for you to try!

Loving your work @Realitysucks 🤣
@littlemimosa Sod's law is that this month loads of ewcm.. feel like a snail and then a little ov pain yesterday and today.. 🤦‍♀️
@BooseysMom yes I know it only takes one.. but if they've got my hubbys sense of direction I'm screwed.. they'll need sperm sized satnav
@Cleozeta so sorry af has landed.. remember that it takes 3 months for eggs to mature, so even if you stop the dhea there will be some of it in your system.. not sure the body takes on board changes instantly.. it could be a few cycles.. but there are other good egg quality enhancing supplements out there.. xxx

Yeah thanks chat. Hopefully what I have taken will make a small difference, but I won't take any more now, unless my next cycle is the same even without it

I'm out sadly. Af arrived really early .. 7 days po! And I really thought I was in with a good chance this time as timed it right and have been taking vit d spray
I gave myself a deadline until Xmas and I burst into tears this morning when I realised I had hit it. I can of course extend it but I know that chances are slim. We won't do any treatment as we already have one dc so if it doesn't happen naturally that's it! Good luck to everyone still in

Hi ladies, I've been out of touch as really busy with work and we had a family bereavement sadly.

So my ivf cycle was a bust, complete failure as didn't get to transfer. The follicles only produced 2 eggs in the end, one immature and one didnt fertilise! There was a problem all along with right ovary but we went ahead anyway. Which was big difference to the cycle i did just previously in November when i produced 6. They say this can sometimes happen, and i had a dodgy cycle a couple of years ago when i was trying to conceive my son. Anyhow, i hope it was that.. will find out more with appointment with FS.

It is very strange since as a result this is the first month in all my ttc months that i have no chance of being pregnant during 2ww :-( as we were trying naturally as well. The upside is that at least i can enjoy xmas with a couple of drinks - but im not supposed to be drinking!! Arghhh. Does anyone else find that hard?

Good luck to those currently in 2ww and sorry to those with AF arriving, what a pain it all is.