TTC 35+ Thread 6 Cougar and Silver Fox Club

[M4v3r1ck]

Hey ladies, setting up a new thread! 😃 Hope it works! 🤪

Forgot to attach

How long have you been charting? @TTCat39 I’m interested in your thread, hook me up with a link. It’s so hard to gauge when you’re new (which I am too) and you don’t know what it’s supposed to be really. Obviously everyone is different too but this chart was weirding me out ngl.

Ok so your temps are all above the cover line? Or am I misreading that? Not sure if the full photo is showing @TTCat39

@thislittlebird Last month was my first try at charting. I have to admit that I just took my temp whenever I woke up, which did vary by an hour or so across the month. I am being much stricter this month and setting an alarm, going to bed at the same time, and discounting any after a bad night's sleep.
I am not sure how to add a link to the thread as I'm using the app, but it's called 'BBT - What's your usual temperature range?'

RE the cover line. I have no idea what I'm doing with that. I see my app lets me set one, but I don't know what to do.

Try putting your temps and data into fertility friend @TTCat39 and see what it says. It gave me quite a lot of info about mine including saying I may not be ovulating and I thought it was talking out of its arse

I’ll have a look for the thread. Have you had many tests yet?

Oh also, I temp vaginally which makes a bit of a difference to temps taken orally tmk

@thislittlebird which day did you get your positive opk? Does it agree with ovulation on day 17? Your temps are definitely higher in the second half of your cycle, so I would say that you did ovulate. I've been temping for 10 months and the one cycle that I didn't ovulate, I had no temp rise. Also, do you get sore boobs in your luteal phase? That's a progesterone-related symptom which you wouldn't get if you hadn't ovulated. It is possible to ovulate, but not have a high enough level of progesterone to sustain a pregnancy, so it might be that which is the issue, and not that you aren't ovulating at all?

I don’t get very sore boobs @Kitekat81, vaguely slightly tender for a few days but on occasion I do get properly sore boobs. Definitely didn’t have those this month.

I never really got positive OPKs when I tried before, but with CBAFM I got a positive this month for LH on cd15, and FF thinks I might have ovulated cd17. I don’t know if my body is just trying to ovulate???? So confused. I’m wondering if this lack of progesterone is also why my pre AF migraines have changed.

Do you know how they can tell which issue it is? I’ve emailed Care tonight, who I had my private consult with because I want to discuss next steps based on these results.

@TTCat39 which app are you using? I'll try and upload some of my charts. I don't take my temp at the same time every day - I take it whenever I wake up for a wee in the night, which can be anytime between 2am and 5am! It doesn't seem to make a significant difference to my temp reading, I think for some people it does make a bigger difference though.

@thislittlebird this is my chart in the cycle when I didn't ovulate. My temps followed my normal pattern up until cd 15 so I think my body was getting ready to ovulate, but then I think it changed it's mind at the last minute. You can see from the red line that I never got an LH peak, and my temps stayed low for the rest of the (very short) cycle. I started bleeding on cd 22 - but I knew I hadn't ovulated and it was a withdrawal bleed rather than a period.

I don't think your temps would rise in the second half of your cycle if ovulation didn't happen, unless you took your temps at a different time / used a different thermometer / were having problems sleeping / drank alcohol / were ill. I'm not a fertility expert though, so the private consultant will definitely know better than me! I would wait and see what they say, but you can ask them whether they think that your result indicates no ovulation, or that you did ovulate but with low progesterone.

@Kitekat81 Yeah I see what you mean. I got a much more normal period this month than I have been for a few months too. It’s weird. Honestly every time I think I’ve banished the threat of early menopause (good results etc) it rears its ugly head again, this time with low progesterone. I just want to get some help fast because I am convinced I do not have time to wait.

The only issue I had really was when my temp started dropping at 9dpo it started freaking me out and I kept waking up super early with anxiety.

I’ve asked to talk to someone at the clinic, preferably the same consultant, about how they can establish what the problem is exactly and then next steps and I’m hoping they’ll get back to me Monday.

@thislittlebird try not to panic! I don't think this necessarily has anything to do with early menopause, it might just be a hormone imbalance and I'm sure there will be things that can be done to help. Just wait until you can speak to the experts and see what they say x

@Kitekat81 I need to try not to, I just started googling and some of the results freaked me out...you’re right though, maybe it’s just an imbalance and it’ll be fairly easy to resolve. Fingers crossed I can find out soon.

Can I join please? We're TTC #2. My DD is 8 and we haven't used any contraception since she was born so chances are incredibly slim this will even work (took us years to fall with her) but we're giving a full on last ditch attempt.
We have male factor issues and obviously we've had our miracle. However, DH is very keen on actively TTC so we're back to using ovulation sticks and supplements.
Any advice please? It's been years since we've actively tried and now we're older, more battle weary and less naive!

@WrongendoftheSTIX you are very welcome! Have you got your oh on some supplements to try and help? What age are you guys? Wishing you lots of luck, hope that 2021 is your year!x

Thank you.
I'm 38 and he's is 39. He is currently taking Wellman Conception and I'm taking Pregnacare. He also has Brazil nuts, walnuts and almonds each day after we read online that can help. He seems a lot more open this time to try anything! I saw people on here mention ubiquinol supplements as good for men and women over 35. Thinking of ordering some of that too.

I got my positive OPK (Clearblue 11th) We DTD in "fertile window" on 6th, 8th, 10th and morning of the 12th. Think we given it a good go but am aware it's unlikely for us so 🤷‍♀️

Hi @WrongendoftheSTIX! I just started using ubiquinol the last few days. Can’t say anything else about it at this stage but it’s been fine to take so far.

Hi @WrongendoftheSTIX! I’m 42 and my DH is 49 so you’re spring chickens compared to us ! We had an early (6/7week) MC over Xmas which was our first attempt (we met late) so we’re here with you!

So, supplements. He’s now taking natura for men which has a high quality version of folate and other vitamins, plus a separate 100mgs of ubiquinol. I’m taking natura pre-natal, D3 and 100mgs ubiquinol. I took advice from the book It Starts With An Egg which has a whole section on supplements and is BRILLIANT as it’s not quackery crap but the author is a micro-biologist who underwent IVF.

I’ve also had my AMH tested, my vitamin D levels and thyroid. All normal.

Off for a scan of the fibroids and follicle count on Tuesday! What fun! Lol! Xx

Hi, could I join please? I'll be 35 next week, I have a 3 year old and have been trying for another for a year now. In that time I've had a MMC and a chemical. I've read it starts with an egg... Most of it anyway... I'm taking prenatals and did start on ubiquinol but my usually regual cycle went a bit haywire. I blamed the ubinquinol (although have no idea if it was that!) and stopped that. I seem to have settled on about 27 day cycle.

I'm struggling a lot with sadness, especially as it's coming up to what my due date should have been.... And the constant pregnancy announcements of friends and family! I feel like im spending all my time just waiting for something to happen and I've put life on hold for so long. I've got quite a stressful job that I don't think is helping either.

Ive been using cheapo ovulation sticks but the test line never seems to get dark enough so not sure if I'm not ovulating 🤷‍♀️ oh, I'm also an mhfr carrier but not sure of the significance except for i may need more folic acid.

AF started today so I'm out this month. I'm going to order the clearblue tests and am thinking about seeing if I can get acupuncture to help with stress and anxiety. Does anyone have any recommendations with the ovulation tests or acupuncture or any other suggestions at all.

Sorry for such a long message! Kaleigh

@KG1145 a lot of what you’ve said is so similar to me!
Cheap opks and never get a dark line, want to try acupuncture, putting life on hold, have a stressful job! 🤦‍♀️

I’ve just bought a thermometer to see if tracking my temperature helps me find a peak. I used to use CB which worked well for a while but it’s too expensive to maintain (I’ve been TTC for 19 months).
Constantly feel stressed and just don’t know how to manage that, going for walks helps a bit but I miss my gym classes which always lifted my mood. I’ve bought some herbal remedies but I’m always panicked that I’m taking something that might hinder chances of conception! It really is a minefield trying to work out what will help, what won’t help, feeling guilty just for having a glass of red wine even though it immediately relaxes me. Whereas friends get pregnant after 2 months trying and they didn’t change a thing while we’re jumping through hoops🙄

So sorry to hear that your due date is approaching, of course that will fill you with sadness. Lockdown lows don’t help anything either. Thinking of you xxx

@KG1145 hi, you're in good company here. Sorry to hear of your losses I've now had 2 mc but over a 4 year time frame, we were casually trying but have stepped things up. I can't ever get a good reading on the cheaper opk either. Af has arrived for me today too amd I'll be starting the cb digital advanced connected as soon as it's over. I bought them from eBay for £24 for a box of 25 tests, they have. A short expiry date but I'll be using them all by then anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️ I don't have any advice about the acupuncture I'm afraid as I've nit tried it but may look into it on the recommendation of others here once Covid is a bit more gone lol xx

Tentively rejoining this lovely group 😕 I was on the very first thread last year as 'musiceverywhere' and amazingly conceived on cycle #2 at age 39, a few months after having Mirena out.
Sadly that pregnancy ended in a TFMR and I delivered a little boy at 16 weeks. 😞 So it's been a fairly shitty few months and we really weren't sure if we had it in us to try again. We've now agreed to give it a few more months and I'm on day 2 of cycle #2. Getting harder as I get near my original due date so the support will be welcome. Nice to see some familiar names (but sorry you're still here I suppose).

@sickofthisyear That’s so awful, I’m so sorry, I can’t even imagine the pain of having to go through that. You definitely deserve some happiness now xx

@Misty84 thank you. We have a daughter so are very lucky but it definitely was a shock and very difficult experience that never leaves you. I won't go into it too much on here as I have posted on other more appropriate threads and this is a positive thread! ☺️ but I would just say it brought home to me the reality of increased risk when TTC at an 'older' age. My baseline risk is higher now.
I have spent a lot of (wasted) time regretting that we didn't try sooner after DD- but that's a lot of what ifs and if onlys that get you nowhere Look forward to reading through and catching up with everyone!

@sickofthisyear Yes the risks are scary, I’m spending all this time desperately wanting to see a BFP but it still doesn’t guarantee all will be well!
In an ideal world I would have started trying earlier but I only met my partner at 34 so there was no choice, I was just so grateful to have met him in time, obviously had no idea how hard this part would be!!! Honestly it’s just ridiculous! Xx