TTC 35+ Thread 7

[sickofthisyear]

New thread- apologies for the unimaginative title!

Not sure how much I can help @climbershell but wanted to say I'm about 10 miles West of Birmingham too! I'm not too far from Wolverhampton.

I went to see Mr Jeve, he's at p4 fertility and also works at the women's hospital. I really liked him tbh but I've been put off slightly with the whole wanting to charge me for another consultation before prescribing the progesterone he's already recommended... Otherwise I'm not sure who else tbh. The first consultation I had was £100 I think. Other ones I've been told are £150 so not sure if the first one is just cheaper.

@KG1145 ooh. I'm in Cradley Heath near Halesowen. You can't be too far!

Hmmm, that doesn't sound good. I'd rather just book in for a full scan, check ovaries, eggs quality and quantity, tubes not blocked etc than need a consultation before this. Not sure if that's a thing?

@climbershell no not too far at all! I used to do a bit of bouldering BTW a few years ago. During my dating faze I'd suggest it as a first date to avoid all the usual small talk!

I think you must be able to do that and then probably a consultantion after to discuss the results. Mine was a bit different as I'd gone for bloods after a miscarriage so needed the consultantion first so he could take a history and order the tests... Still strangely didn't order the progesterone test though... I know it's not much help but if it gives you a ball park for the consultation part at least.

BTW someone on another group mentioned they'd had tests done through medichecks. Not quite sure how it works but they're online and do fertility checks. So a day 3 test is £39 for example, others more expensive. I haven't used them myself but it's an interesting option. I was considering a progesterone test through them

@climbershell I think being proactive about this is very important. So yes do seek private fertility assistance. As for repeating SA, I would also do it but upon recommendation of the fertility consultant / centre you end up with and provided they offer more detailed parameters of SA and a treatment plan in case result is not favorable. I am sure there are lots of things - other than your GP’s response of “just keep trying” - that can be done for improving semen from lifestyle changes, vitamins, minerals to actual medication. I don’t like how some doctors are so desensitized and complacent to their patients’ problems and issues and their solutions are empty and devoid of compassion or the willingness to act upon something. Eventually they end up wasting patients’ time and energy.

Mmm actually after a quick Google the reviews of medichecks don't seem too good...

Hi all,

Turns out yesterday was my peak and I should ovulate today. I did feel the usual cramps on one side. My apps had me ovulating Monday/Tuesday. Fingers x and I guess the 2WW stars tomorrow.

@Katiekattty my apps have me ovulating yesterday or today, but still virtually no line on opk!

@climbershell I wonder how much they’re off by for everyone. Clue is usually about 2/3 days wrong about when my period is due.

Mine is routinely off by 3 days. Don't know why. 28 day cycle usually means ovulating on d14-15 (which is what my clear blue confirms also) but app insists it's d18 🤷🏻‍♀️ I ignore it!

That’s exactly where I am! Strange good thing I didn’t plan to rely solely on my apps.

@Farfaraway1 clear blue gets me to test from day 7 or 8-17 or 18, but if you know when you ovulate you can not do quite so many.

@Twelvestars it just says it like this
Volume 3.78ml
Count 180
Concentration 48

So I couldn’t figure out what to do with that and was more concerned about his motility and vitality really.

I’ve read some of this abstinence stuff too and it’s interesting how they still say up to 7 days. Husband decided last time without me being involved really, this time I told him to, erm, keep his supply refreshed every other day in the lead up to the abstinence and agreed he would then do 3 days abstinence. Seven seems too many. Like you I’ve read stuff like every other day helps, fewer days being better for quality than more days etc. And one study showed men with lower count had an improved SA the second time they ejaculated in one day. Had to wait a few hours and do it again for this particular study and it yielded better outcomes.

I’m interested to see the difference in results. He had really poor motility and vitality before (morphology was normal), and it was also the hottest day in the mid 30s when he did it. Fingers crossed his swimmers are in better shape this time (and he’s been on the supplement the fertility doc suggested too), would be nice to have one less problem to overcome.

@climbershell ring your GP practice and request the results via email. What I found was they seemed to just have a top line “these results are normal” result and then when we did some digging the receptionist told my husband she didn’t have the detailed report. Then she called him back and said it was in another part of the system, and she emailed them over once she found them. They will have them somewhere if you ask.

On this topic someone I know on here had a DH with under 20mil I think and now he’s back to normal after supplements and lifestyle changes (including less alcohol from what I recall) for a few months.

My husband wears the fitted boxers but I just got him some looser ones from Next and encouraged him to sleep in them, which he does do sometimes now.

I had a consultation booked at the same time but for after the scan and blood test privately.

@twelvestars yeah exactly, it’s been a nightmare trying to get doctors to react and act upon what I’m saying. They dismiss everything and told me “most people conceive while they’re waiting”, ok cool but not everyone does soooooo maybe get a move on with that referral for us, thanks!

One of my apps is weirdly accurate, I think it’s Glow. It always seems to be very spot on. And fertility friend but that app is getting OPK data.

@Farfaraway1 yes I'd say cd10 is a good place to start

@climbershell if you can find a private scan clinic near you they often do those checks without needing a consultation. You can also ask for the written report for the sa from your doctors too, which should give you all the numbers

I use 5 different apps purely because of how different they are and can get predicted variations on ovulation and af by up to a week. But then my cycles vary quite a lot. I did find that before I was tracking bbt and opk I wouldn't have a clue which one was right!

I've found one that does the scan and consultation to go over results for £300, Amh another £105. Others are £500-700.

I presume I'd need my partner to ring up and he's so bad at getting round to calls 🙄

Just realized that price is for an advanced scan only, no hycosy.. So no checking tubes damn

Ah yeah, he’d have to call up. It’s annoying but they will sort it if he asks.

I looked at the prices recently for a hycosy and it was about £500 at the private arm of Guy’s. It is not cheap.

I have annoying clear blue monitor news. So on Thursday or Wednesday I managed to accidentally drop the monitor device thing in to water that was sat in the sink. I grabbed it straight after and dried it, it seemed fine and it worked afterwards.

This morning I go to use it as it’s not working 😭. I paid £60 for this bastard thing and now it’s not coming on. I should have stuck it on the dehumidifier at the time but I assumed it was ok. It’s on there now, but I’m so annoyed with myself for doing that. Idiot.

Ignore me, panic averted, it was the batteries and I had dried it ok after all 😂

@thislittlebird oh damn! 😥

This opk is stressing me out. Still next to no line cd15. Now I'm worrying I have a short luteal phase, as if tests working properly (relatively light control line too), unless I suddenly get a rapid surge my luteal phase will be less than the minimum 10 days required for developing a baby!

@thislittlebird 🤣🤣

@thislittlebird 😂😂😂 crisis averted

A real rollercoaster of a morning in this house, and I had a duff clear blue stick with no end to wee on. It’s all go!

How long are you cycles? @climbershell
10 days plus for LP is supposed to be fine

@thislittlebird 26-30 days, last 3 were 27,27,28

Here are my opk 😥

@thislittlebird 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

That's the kind of thing that happens to me. Glad it's working still.

This cycle has me totally confused. My CB told me I was at peak, solid smiley on Monday, which was a week too early, so I decided to test again on Thursday and I'm now flashing smiley!! 🤨
And now my boobs are sore which I don't really suffer with!?!?
🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

@thislittlebird oh no! That's really annoying 😕 hopefully it'll just take a few days to dry out, have you checked the batteries aren't wet? May be a good idea to take them out and replace them. Nevermind just read the second comment 😂

@climbershell it's probably just late ovulation but saying that I can never get a peak on the strips that's why I stopped using them for the clearblue instead.

@02Carol I haven't tried it but I would imagine the Lh hormone is just on its way down again after the peak and ovulation so it's a lower level similar to before the peak?