Over 40 TTC - lots of baby dust for us...4!

[SparrowSG]

Here's our new thread (sorry, not good at coming up with exciting titles!!)

SparrowSG: 44. 1 DS 2.5. TTC for ever! 1 ectopic 10 wks Feb 2014, 1 successful IVF 2016, 1 failed IVF 2018, 1 MC 12 wks Feb 2019. Planned IVF Oct 2019.
KCM99: 43, 2 DC, ttc no.3 since April. 3 early losses since then.

@rubyroot wow that's interesting! I'm worried that I'll have a chemical pregnancy if I do fall this month as I haven't had a cycle since my D&C but it's a risk I'm willing to take!

Congratulations on your pg!! I didn't realise you could also use the opks as pregnancy tests, who knew!! X

I had a tfmr end of Sept. I bled and bled on and off until end of Dec. Started trying again in March, but no opks and I don't think we did it right time. Partner became more willing in May. I didn't have a cycle in between chemical and current pregnancy.

I also read a study that said getting pregnant first cycle after miscarriage is more likely to lead to a pregnancy. Perhaps its just probability, but it worked for me. Still nervous and aware that anything can still go wrong, 20 week scan coming up 🤞

I should have said more likely to lead to a successful pregnancy.

@rubyroot that's really reassuring thanks for sharing, fingers crossed 🤞🏼

Looks like I may be out again this month and I just want to sit down and cry but I know I can't because oh gets frustrated and doesn't want to continue when it effects me so much 😞 started to bleed just a little at the moment but pretty sure it's af showing up at last. Really thought this could be it but maybe the mc I had just over 2 years ago was the only hope for us ahhhhh need to scream and cry and stamp my feet why do I get my hopes up like this just to be let down again?!!

@tiggerifficmummy. I know, it's so frustrating when AF arrives!!! I had a good old cry the last one.
Interestingly, I've also had 2 cycles in the last year which were 7 weeks long and I REALLY was sure I had all the symptoms of pregnancy (unlike normal PMT) but wasn't pregnant. I am sure that the body was maybe trying to conceive actually. It could be that there was some kind of embryo that never implanted.. you never know.

@tiggerifficmummy so sorry to read your post, I know there's very little that can be said when you feel so deflated. Thinking of you and sending you a big hug and lots of love this evening x

Thank you @Mystie I've had some ice cream and now I'm sulking on the sofa lol at least I know now x

Ooh @tiggerifficmummy I'm so sorry sending big big hugs... 💕💕💕💕

Thank you @Chatbash72 fingers crossed for you still

I'm really sorry you're going through this. I never thought I would have another child after my first. But I kept going. This is my fifth pregnancy and hopefully my second successful one. It's hard to know whether to keep going or not. I guess if you don't, you'll never know. Fingers crossed there's a good egg in there. Sex every day definitely is good advice around the week where you would ovulate. Hugs, ladies x

Sorry tiggerificmummy it feels horrid and completely normal to feel low, big hugs from me too. I know what you mean about other half too- a couple of years in to ttc my Dh was like that when I got upset with af appearing, I guess this last 18 months it’s been affecting me less as I’ve lost a lot of hope as it’s not worked even when we get a bfp .
Good luck Chatbash! Well done all the pregnant ladies keep going. NicLondon1 will you be prescribed steroids to suppress your immune response with a bfp? When we saw the private consultant the other week he said basically they could do lots of other immune tests but the treatment would basically be the same ie steroids which I’m already advised from the Coventry uNk test.
The thread moves so quickly I can’t remember what was put on two days ago unless I can scroll back up as I post! As for me I’m coming up to the fertile week and it’s so strange not to be trying for the first time in years, but Dh and I decided we would wait until three months of super healthy clean living for him has a chance to give him better sperm in case it is dna fragmentation, so I shall be hanging around for the next couple of months not trying. My diet plan is not working out yet as there’s so much going on plus we’re off to a holiday cottage tomorrow in Llandudno for half term, but Dh is doing very well with his- only one blip where he’d had a truly terrible day and had a couple of beers but other than that brilliant so fingers crossed it’s doing the job with his swimmers.

Thank you all, I am feeling slightly less sorry for myself today. At least I know now it was just horrible as I'd convinced myself that this was it 😕 but here's to keep trying , I don't track ov though, not sure if that's a good or bad thing really as it means I tend not to get so worked up about it all (normally) I just go by a couple of apps on when I should be ov. Maybe I should start if so what do you lovely ladies recommend?

Tiggerifficmum I track my cycles with an Ava bracelet (Had for about 2.5yrs)which takes bbt then input into fertility friend app, I have found it very helpful for pinpointing ov and therefore dtd for me as I ov about day 18 and have had upset cycles after some of my mcs. I think I’ve found it helpful to try and find out as much as I can to deal with it and it’s been better than ov kits and taking bbt with thermometer for me. Quite a lot of money but it’s been worth it and when it went kaput earlier in the year the company replaced for free.

I think tracking ovulation for us over 40's is particularly helpful, as we get older ovulation can happen more erratically and unpredictably, even if only by a few days the tracking can make all the difference, even if just knowing when to expect AF and monitoring the length of your LP.
I used ava too, even though it was expensive to buy, I got most of my money back over time from referrals

Thank you @Cleozeta @Widdendream77 I'll look into that one! I was trying to keep casual about it all by not getting to invested in tracking ov thinking at first that it wouldn't be that hard to get pg as when we first started trying we had a bfp within 3 months however that ended in mc and we waited as instructed by docs for a few months before trying again but as it's now been 17 months I'm feeling the need for extra assistance! If there's anything else any of you would recommend both for tracking or vitamins etc please do let me know thank you ☺️

@tiggerificmummy I just used one step cheap ovulation test strips on amazon. The line gets darker and darker as you get closer to ovulation. But my cycles tended to be pretty regular as did ovulation, which was for me around day 10/11.

So looks like I'll be coming back here some point... I had some light bleeding yesterday and got emergency scan at EPU. Showed 6 weeks, when I should be 9 weeks (pretty certain of my dates) so just waiting MC to properly start . This is my 3rd MC but is it any point for pushing recurrent mc tests, or do they even do them at this age (turning 41 later this year)?

@DeviousBrie So sorry to hear that.... but yes, you would definitely qualify for recurrent miscarriage tests. I've just gone through them - still waiting for some results but already found thyroid antibodies which are linked to it.
@Widdendream77 Yes - they will prescribe a very low dosage of steroid once I get a BFP. My "diet plan" is out the window too, and currently involves a lot of cake, chocolate and just cannot quite give up the coffee completely...!

@tiggerifficmummy I think Ava is great when your cycles are under 35 days, but last time I checked it didn't work for longer cycles. I actually use Ovusense which has been great for tracking long cycles.

I'm in the ovulation week of my final "natural" cycle. @rubyroot thanks for the tip, we are DTD as much as possible!!!
If no BFP, we've decided to move onto a Superovulated IUI, which apparently is like a mini-IVF dosage of drugs so you ovulate 2 or 3 eggs.
Then if that fails, will go to IVF in the new year.
Feels good to have a plan at last.

Thank you @NicLondon1 and @rubyroot I'll look at those, my cycles are usually 26-31 days this is the only cycle that's ever been longer! So I'm usually pretty average 28 days

@tiggerifficmummy I’ve been using Ava to track ovulation for 7 months, I tried tracking temperature but I wasn’t consistent so Ava helps.

I have a referral code if you want to use avawomen.ref-r.com/c/i/12607/32019937 to save £20.

Brilliant thank you @KediKat I'm going to have a look at all the options this weekend x

OTD today and it's a BFP! I'm 9dp5dt today. Couldn't believe my eyes! Especially after having a brown discharge on Saturday. Thought AF was on its way. Fingers crossed is all going to be ok!