35+ TTC#1 Thread 5

[BambiOnIce80]

New Year, new thread! 🍾🥂

Basically: a wonderful bunch of ladies supporting each other through the TTC journey when trying for a first baby after 35.

Here's hoping 2019 brings some BFP luck to us all!! 🍀🤞🏻🍀🤞🏻

Remind me how long your last cycle was and what CD you are now @Carley32? I know you were pretty much back to normal and you thought you were ovulating this week, but can't remember your exact numbers (I'm a rubbish MN friend!).

@BambiOnIce80 you are not at all rubbish. I can’t remember or reply to half the messages you do lol. You’re fab.
My last cycle was 31 days and I am now on CD20. I took a cheapy test 2 days ago and a CB one today. I’ll try a cheapy later just to be sure because the tests never coincided last month. I hope I didn’t miss it 🙈.

hi @Bambi!

I agree, that's my feeling too.

@Kescilly I agree with @Mrs RRC - Whitstable is gorgeous although maybe a bit cold in the winter. What about Lyme Regis in Dorset? One of my favourite places in the UK. Cosy pubs and delicious fish and chips, and a couple of good coffee shops

I am also feeling the drag of being back to work, although happy to be back in my gym and healthy eating regime. Going to a friend's wedding on 19 Jan, so want to look slender and rested!

@PheobeBuffet, always happy to chat healthy eating and gym activity - what sort of workouts do you do?

This weekend we are heading to my parents in Bournemouth - hoping for some sunshine so we can wrap up for a stomp up Hengistbury Head - my husband jokes he feels like a labrador when I insist on taking long beach walks on our visits. (We live in London).

That's perfectly understandable @Carley32 - I write essays and talk random 💩 3 quarters of the time 😂

Righty-ho. Let's look at it as ov is usually (but not always) halfway through your cycle. In that case in a 31 day cycle you'd be expected to ov somewhere around CD15/16 and should start on the OPK's from about CD12/13 to make sure you don't miss it. For example, my cycles are usual 28/29 days with a BFP OPK around CD14-16. I start the OPK's on CD12 because I occasionally get a BFP on CD13 (my ovaries really do like to keep me on my toes 🙄).

Have you got a fit bit (or something like it) that logs your sleep? I remember you said you're a light sleeper and didn't think temping would work, but I have to say I'm quite liking the level of information temping gives you. I think I ov'd 2 days after my BFP OPK this cycle based on my temping chart and that shifts my fertile dates by 2 days compared to OPK's alone. I thought I was a good sleeper, but the data from my new whizzy running watch (thank you father Christmas aka. DP 😄) says I have quite a lot of interruptions in my sleep! I still mostly get about 3 hours together and my temping chart is looking pretty good... Maybe worth checking out your sleep rhythm data and reconsidering the temping?

@BambiOnIce80 😂 well it never seems that way to me. Maybe I missed it. I guess I was relying to much on my apps and comparing this cycle to my last.
I’m thinking I may have missed it but not had any symptoms previous to this week.
It’s all such a mind boggle isn’t it 🙈.

Oo the watch sounds exciting good work DP? Yea I have a fitbit I usually take it off before bed because it irritates me lol. Maybe I’ll give it another go and think about temping. I’ll try more regular testIng on opks next month too. It’s so frustrating not knowing weather it actually happened!

I found you! I'd been watching the old thread thinking it was very quiet and had ignored the notification, sorry!

The two days off were great thanks @BambiOnIce80, and yesterday and today (while back at work ) I've been having what I assume are ovulation pains for the first time ever. Only weird thing is they are on the right, so maybe a sliver of ovary survived the cyst surgery and is working? I got a positive opk this morning so about to have a shower and jump on DP!

Hi ladies 👋 another one here with severe lack of motivation. I've been wfh since Wednesday as I couldn't bear the commute and the public itchiness. Luckily it is easing now. @BambiOnIce80 I also got a Fitbit from 🎅🏻 but mine was a non-branded type (apparently I was naughty last year and 🎅🏻 said it's unlikely I would wear it full time 😠). @Kescilly have a look at mr and Mrs Smith website, they have lovely boutique hotels there for couples. My vote would be Bath area where you can enjoy the thermal spa in the winter with great restaurants and pubs. It's a lovely city.
Nothing exciting to report about my weekend but will take the Christmas decorations down. Looking forward to having a clutter free house again.
Btw, welcome to all the newbies. There are so many of us now that is difficult to keep track, in a positive way of course 😊💕

Yeah I was wondering if there was a sensible way of summarising what is going on with us, once a week or so, as a reminder. On some other forums you have signatures which is useful, but there's nothing like that on mumsnet.

Mine would be:
39, TTC#1 for 18 months, likely perimenopausal (or just grumpy), maybe getting NHS IVF soon, if not giving up TTC in 9 cycles and getting more pets instead...

@79andnotout 😂😂😂

As a newbie, I like this idea @79andnotout!

I guess my summary would be:

35, just started TTC #1. Totally new to mumsnet so still learning the abbreviations! My husband is from overseas and was just granted permanent residency in the UK, which is why we’ve had to wait. He won’t let me get a dog so we’re having a baby instead.

Good idea @79andnotout

Mine is
35, ttc#1 for 14 (just starting cycle 15) cycles
Fibroids blocking my tubes, waiting to be referred to gyne for further investigations and possibly surgery. Hoping for fertility clinic referral but dh needs SA which is delayed

@BambiOnIce80 af is on her way 😔

I've been lurking on this thread for a while, reading all of your messages and learning so much.

I hope you don't mind, but I have a question...

I have recently started BBT'ing. When I googled the range of temps of the average temps pre and post ovulation, mine don't quite stack up. I'm not sure if this is anything to worry about, but wondered if I could check it with you guys. I am using FF to track everything. I am currently 5DPO with my lowest temp at ovulation being 35.79 and then increased to 36.17 on 1DPO and up to 36.40 today at 5DPO. Are these temps okay?

I'm probably over-thinking as I had a MMC at 10+1 in November. This is my first proper cycle since MMC.

Hoping you can help and share your wisdom x

Oh phew! I found you! @BambiOnIce80 thank you for the new thread! Happy New Year everyone! Let's hope we all get our BFP this year!!
As for me, Took Clomid cd5-cd9, had a private scan on cd10. It showed 12 follicles, 6 on each side! (Only had 7 with IVF). Shagathon successfully completed. I came first, excuse the pun. And now in tww. My clinic is on standby for sending me meds for a fresh round of IVF. It will be a short protocol again. And they will use a couple of new techniques for egg fertilisation including PICSI if needed. So will see how this cycle pans out. In the meantime having regular acupuncture and reflexology and tons of supplements
Also found an app FemaleFertility. It's hypnosis and meditation for fertility. Very nice and calming indeed.

Russkispy: ancient 42 (43 this April). 1 DD, almost 29 months. TTC#2. 1mmc last June. . 2 failed IUIs in October and November 2018, 1 failed IVF in December. no frosties.

Glad you managed to find us @Pinkywoo 😊 That sounds very promising that your right ovary might be back in the game 🤞🏻Lots of DTD required from you this weekend! 😉

@QuantumGirl I take it you will be wearing your fitness tracker as if it's melded to your arm to prove to father Christmas that he's very bloody wrong?! 😂

You're not out until she's here full blown @VenusStarr 💐 I hope she doesn't full on arrive 🤞🏻🍀

I'm not allowed a dog (yet! 😏) either @Joboanna 🐶 Not having huge amounts of success on the bambino front either, unfortunately 🙄

Excellent idea @79andnotout, as always 🙂 My bio would be: 38, TTC 10 cycles with DP, but 51 cycles in total (just under 4 years of TTC with the ex 5 years ago). Previously diagnosed with primary unexplained infertility, but do have double figures of cysts on right ovary and single figures on the left. Never had so much as a sniffter of a BFP HPT. Waiting for first ACU appointment due in January/February (allegedly, if the bloody appointment letter ever appears 😕).

Hi again @Amanda81 👋 I'm only on my first go at temping, but as such I've been reading a 💩 tonne of articles around it (science geek, so I can't help myself! 🤓). I think everyone's baseline is very individual to them and the thermometer they're using, ie. my baseline on my thermometer is between 36.07 & 36.14, but if you leant me yours I might get 35.77 to 35.84, if that makes sense? The important thing is that you get at least a 0.4°C temp rise from your base reading to indicate ovulation. Mine's leapt up to 36.34, 36.54 and then 36.71- at which point my app said I'd ov'd 5 days earlier. The app seems to want 4 days of sustained temp rise of >0.4°C before it'll indicate ovulation rather than looking at your literal temperature and how it fits with others, if you see what I mean? Hope this makes sense/helps.x

Oooh thanks for the suggestions everyone! Keep them coming! I don’t know many places down south although I have been interested in Bath for ages. We’ve briefly visited the Cotswolds and Oxford, but nothing else. I’m going to google all the places mentioned.

I’m 35, and 19 weeks pregnant with my first ever pregnancy. TTC’d with my ex unsuccessfully, married a Brit, moved here from the US. Was shocked when TTC actually worked on our fourth cycle. Was thinking about getting more cats instead. Also just had my visa extended, yay!

@Amanda81 I am useless with temps but didn’t want you to feel ignored! Hoping others with experience temping can help.

@BambiOnIce80 thank you, very reassuring. I was starting to get concerned that I had low progesterone, odd how a MC can make you look for absolutely anything to help you try to understand it all. I am feeling very silly for not knowing any of these things before TTC before the MC...trying to think back to my sex education, I am certain nothing in detail was covered...other than speed meets egg = baby. If only it was that easy

@Kescilly thank you, how kind

@Kescilly fab news on the visa 😁 you could also consider a Eurostar trip. Bruges is great for foodie types.

@Amanda81 Also haven’t bothered with temping, because I think it would send me round the bend and I am a light sleeper so think it may not work.

I’m 38 and 5w3d, we started TTC properly at the end of September and I had a chemical pregnancy back in October so am quite anxious about this one. I was never really that interested in kids until I met my husband and we were going down the fur baby route until he confessed how much he wanted a baby, it took a bit of time for me to come around to the idea but I got there in the end!

Have now caught up on the thread...

My by-line would be:

36, TTC #1, first cycle will be after my next AF. I have been pregnant three times previously though (twice in my 20s - wrong men, wrong time) and once with DH last year which ended in MMC. We already have 4 'fur' children (AKA spoilt cats).

I know a lovely, quirky boutique hotel in Bath btw (depending on budget as on the pricier side). They have a room open 24/7 where you can help yourself to B&J ice cream, sweets and popcorn!

Right...off out for my monthly 'girls at the pub' gossip catch up...

@Amanda81 - I temp, although I can be a bit erratic with it. A generally overall trend of lower to higher temperatures, with a pin pointed ovulation date is what I look for. I temp vaginally as mouth just didn't give me reliable readings. I don't overanalyse it as I'm not very rigorous with times, and so many things throw it off (drinking, bad night sleep, travel etc), but I can always spot ovulation so it reassures me.

Here's one of my recent charts referenced to an average.

Thank you @79andnotout

I will have to figure out how to chart against an average on FF. So very new to all of this.

Do you find that drinking skews your temps much? When I drink, it normally consists of 1/2 a bottle of wine shared with the DH.