TTC 35+ Thread 8

[M4v3r1ck]

New thread ladies! Hope this works! 😃

Ooh there are other tinies out there too...I’m also 5’2 and weigh 55kg. I love exercise, I have an event horse so when I’m not riding I’m either walking the dog, running etc, we have a gym at home so there’s really no excuse not to exercise! I always have to keep competition fit for both me and the horse, which is a blessing and a curse (especially when the weather is naff!)

@Marvellouslymadmum so sorry to hear about your salon 😢 hopefully once everything is back to normal you’ll be able to get another one day.

I’m pretty certain I’m now in the dreaded TTW so need to find plenty to do to keep myself busy and not think about it all the time!

I'm out, AF a week early, my body after 20 years of being clockwork has decided to go AWOL twice since TTC, knowing my luck I'm going through the menopause! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Good luck everyone else.

Oh we have small ladies gang, @Twelvestars @JessWi @Marvellouslymadmum!

I’m 5’2 and slightly over the BMI guide. Definitely have an aversion to scales on these oral steroids lol. I’m not super active, I go through the year doing regular exercise and then not doing it for weeks or months. My weight doesn’t fluctuate very much though, so although I need to lose a bit in that regard I’m lucky I guess, but I could definitely be fitter.

I had a personal trainer last year for the wedding but I’ve put most of that weight back on again now, over the winter. Not much, just a few pounds as I say, I find it hard to shift and fairly slow to gain, but faster than a decade ago.

Exercise for me in this process is probably really crucial for my mental health and it’s important that I try to keep it up. Also for my pre-existing conditions like asthma, and a shitty immune system. That’s why I started couch to 5k again, so I have a goal every other day. Saying that, I feel like crap today because I didn’t sleep much last night and now I’ve got to convince myself to go out and run around

Very relatable @02Carol! Mine feels more unpredictable now, but from what I’ve read our hormones can get a bit wonky over 35 anyway, and the stress doesn’t help I’m sure. I had a long cycle in December and thought it was the month! It was not.

I keep forgetting to say @Marvellouslymadmum sorry about the salon, such rubbish timing. Hope you can get it up and running in the near future!

@Noodella18 I found Amazon to be the best, I paid just under £6 for two and next day delivery.

@thislittlebird it's great that we can get hold of all these tests ourselves now! They may do iron for you but I'm not sure it's a standard one for some reason, they don't seem to test for vitamin deficiency unless you specify you may have one as far as I can tell which is odd when we read that so many of them can have such a detrimental effect on ttc!

@JessWi I wish I still had my horse, she would be very ancient by now though! My daughter still has two ponies as we couldn't bare to part with them once she was too big - she grew at such a rate she went through 4 from the ages of 4-11! It's a shame I had to close the salon but it was definitely the right decision now seeing how long this has gone on for, 🤞🏻 one day, I have a bit of a usp which most other artists don't so if I can get nail famous it'll be all good! I'm also just around ovulation/tww time so I'll wait impatiently with you lol

@02Carol sorry af arrived, I've found since ttc what I though was a regular cycle really actually isn't that regular after all 😂

We are the little ttcers haha I'm the same @thislittlebird all the time I had classes to teach and attend (I've done yoga, kickboxing, pole in the past) I'm all good but in lockdown I've been the same exercising well then just stopping and sitting 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm the same weight wise too, my bmi is deffo not where it should be but I don't fluctuate much in weight just a gradual gain or loss, only problem is I seem to gain more than I lose each time so gradually creeps up! 😂 hopefully I'll get busy again once all this is over and body and business will recover

Oh @02Carol sorry to hear that AF arrived 😔 our bodies sure like to mess with us huh. Sending love xx Last year I had a period two weeks after the last one, saw the GP as had concerns it was related to the previous D&C, she did tests, they were fine, and she also suggested it could be the start of perimenopause - but to not worry cause you can still get pregnant in perimenopause. 😒🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😒😒😒 I’m 37.

I hate the word perimenopause cropping up because I feel that they don’t really know enough about it @Farfaraway1

My mother claims to have had an earlyish menopause. I don’t know how accurate that is, she’s not the most reliable of people, and she had me at 36. So far my AMH and AFC have been high which suggests menopause is some way off, but it’s hard to know how much they really know, if that makes sense.

@Marvellouslymadmum
It’s crazy to me that they don’t test for vitamin deficiency. Should be standard really.

I’m the same with regards to the gradual creep. It’s been creep, creep, creeping for years now, hard to get back to what it used to be entirely.

@thislittlebird yea the GP really surprised me by suggesting that. TBH I was a bit cross afterwards.. she just kind of threw it out there then told me not to worry and that there was no point testing specifically for it as yet.. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t think it’s right to tell a 37yo whos TTC and been through the wringer because of it all with losses etc that she could be perimenopausal but not follow up with tests for it to confirm (the tests I did have were for post D&C surgery). Since that appointment I have decided I am NOT perimenopausal just yet!!!

@thislittlebird menopause is the first thing the doc mentioned when I spoke to her and I was like woah I'm 40 not 50!! I don't know why it's not easier to get tested for vitamin deficiency too, you'd think it would be easier then the shops would sell more supplements 🤷🏼‍♀️ it's funny weight wise I've always found I'm not happy with my weight, yes when I put some on I look back and I'm like actually I was happy with the previous weight! 😂 I'll be happy if I can get back to what I was when I met my partner so that's only around a stone - 1.5 maybe can't hirt with the ttc either

@Farfaraway1 gp's can definitely be very insensitive and mater of fact, I find hospital doctors are much more tactful and sensitive

@JessWi @Marvellouslymadmum @thislittlebird indeed the small ladies gang here 🤣

@JessWi that’s cool about the horse! We also have a mini gym at home and no excuse to not exercise. But since lockdown and the pandemic my energy levels and motivation seem to have dropped. Trying to resurrect the dead and jump back on that treadmill! Ha!

@thislittlebird its such a blessing to be a slow gainer of weight and being able to somewhat not have to count calories or measure everything you eat. But yeah exercise is beautiful and I think it’s fairly one of the main reasons I’ve managed to control my anxiety all those years. And since I’ve neglected exercise during the pandemic, my anxiety has creeped up a bit. Sorry about your sleep... and good luck with your tests. I see your point holding off until the tests but if you have low iron levels, maybe you shouldn’t stop taking iron supplements? I don’t know but it would seem like delaying an already existing problem.

@02Carol sorry AF is here and I totally relate about a once clockwork cycle turning irregular.

@Marvellouslymadmum I can relate with your sentiments on wishing to go back to previous weights! I feel that as I have emerged into my 30s, keeping a healthy weight would require more of an effort on my part than it did when I was in my 20s! I can no longer just have a few weeks of eating whatever I wanted and not worry about the weight piling on!

And I agree @Farfaraway1 about GPs. There are levels of them from godawful to amazing and it depends on one’s luck and their clinic. But of course I agree specialist doctors at hospitals are of another caliber - for whatever reasons -when it comes to dealing with patients.

@thislittlebird that's interesting about getting the home iron test. I've been thinking that maybe I need to get my iron and vitamin D tested, but I don't know if my GP would do that if I asked for it. How does the home test work, does it prick your finger?

@02Carol oh no I'm so sorry to hear that. How long did your cycle end up being? Were you tracking ovulation this cycle?

@Misty84 how are you doing? I've been thinking about you a lot. I hope you are ok xx

@Twelvestars luckily I'm of the slow gaining weight too, so can eat what I want within reason as long as I'm active. I'm also of the curvy and thick thigh variety whereas my sister can eat what she wants and is a stick 😂 but I'd much rather be a few pounds down and it certainly doesn't seem quite as easy to lose as when I was in my twenties or thirties but easier to gain 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thank you ladies

@KiteKat81 Yes, I tracked with CB, cycle was 27 days. Really sore boobs and horrible cramps which I don't get ever.
Don't you just love biology. 😭

@Kitekat81 Still in a bit of a state. I’ve wasted so much time with the NHS. They knew 5 months ago what my AMH was, I don’t know why they didn’t tell me back then that I wasn’t eligible for IVF.
I’ve been researching private clinics but I’m scared by the success rates- they are really low for live births with my AMH level. I need to talk to a consultant to find out what my realistic chances are. I’ve emailed 6 so hopefully next week can get a better idea!
Where are you up to with Create? What’s your nearest one by the way? Mine is the Wimbledon branch.

Also thank you @Twelvestars and @Noodella18 for your kind messages. Flitting between hope and despondency here.

@02Carol 27 days sounds ok for a cycle length. How many days was your luteal phase?

@Misty84 yes that is really frustrating that they didn't tell you as soon as they knew your amh, so at least you knew what to expect. Where I've got to is that I've booked a consultation with Create and another with a 'normal ivf' private clinic so I can compare the two. The nearest Create clinic to me is Manchester which is four hours away so if we end up going with them it's going to be a massive logistical operation with lots of overnight stays away from home which could be a bit of a nightmare. The other 'normal ivf' clinic is only an hour and a quarter away from home so logistically that would be much easier. We'll go with whichever sounds most confident of success though. I am really nervous that we are going to be told that we have a really low chance of success based on my amh. I'm even worried that we might be told it's not even worth trying, but I just have to wait and see and not think about it too much in advance. You are lucky if you are in London as there are lots of clinics to choose from, I'm in Scotland and we are really limited on options up here! I've heard that Lister are also good for low ovarian reserve x

@Kitekat81 Yes Lister is another one I’ve contacted. Sorry to hear that all the clinics are so far from you.
I have exactly the same fear as you so please let me know how you get on and I will do the same.
If the chances are too low I guess I will have to consider an egg donor...something I never wanted but expectations will have to change if options are taken away. For now will try and stay cautiously hopeful that there is a chance.

@Misty84 sending you lots of hugs. Yes, you are very right to be angry that the NHS wasted such valuable time that otherwise could’ve been used wisely...

@Misty84 fingers crossed the consultants respond quickly and positively.

Bad luck @02Carol and you're not out yet @Noodella18!

No idea what's going on with me. My 'AF' yesterday turned out to be not that (I use a menstrual cup and will spare you the details but usually day 1 is very obviously period, this was hardly anything over the whole day). I used my out of date cheapy this morning and was the whitest of white BFN, but very strong control line so I don't doubt it was working fine. Today nothing.

These symptoms really must be psychosomatic, because if I had £1 every time I read on the internet 'this has never happened to me before TTC'... but this type of intermittent spotting from 8DPO...? Never ever for me (except when pregnant second time after my MMC).

Anyway. Hope all have a good weekend!

@Kitekat81 yeah that’s why I did it really, because I thought my (terrible) GP would be unhelpful if I called. Superdrug have a selection of home tests so i ordered the iron and ferritin one, it comes with a lancet so you can do it yourself, prick the finger and then squeeze it into a tube. But I’m a bit squeamish so he did it for me. Then you post it off and you get an email from a Superdrug doctor with the results a couple of days later. Was a good service, I just wish i had a real idea of my iron rather than an inflated version in seven seas.

@Twelvestars I don’t know if I have low iron tbh, I just tested it in the new year when thinking about what could be wrong with me. Had to stop seven seas now because the drugs I’m on say don’t take iron supplements with them, so I’ll be off them for a few weeks yet.

I definitely have to count calories more so now, but I’ve done it enough that I roughly know and If I've over eaten a bit it won’t make a great deal of difference, it does help not to gain quickly.

@Marvellouslymadmum yeah, one stone down would be great. When I started all this I had planned to get there for ttc but everything else health wise has got in the way.

That’s frustrating that they didn’t tell you before @Misty84. I wish there was more sensitivity to how time isn’t on our side. Six months waiting for nothing is ridiculous.

@Pamparam that all sounds good weird, and yeah i have no idea why these things happen but they very much seem to. What day are you? Day 20 here and I’m not ovulating so far this month which is whatever, we aren’t trying this cycle because medication, I need to not worry as much as I can.

*very, not good

@Misty84 I was reading a bit about natural ivf earlier after a few mentioned it and it says it's especially recommended for people with a low ovarian reserve, so could absolutely be an option for you.

@Pamparam I hate how our bodies play tricks on us it's just so cruel! It would be nice if someone invented something that told us exactly what was going on and why

@thislittlebird I feel like Covid has had such a detrimental effect on my weight and how active I am I just hope I can get back to where I'd like to be afterwards! Can't help with the ttc either

@Marvellouslymadmum and @thislittlebird - I feel I need to lose weight as well, I have put on more weight than I would like in the past year and need to get some off, hopefully that will also make a difference - if I don't conceive this month, I'm going to go for it big time - I'm already eating healthy and taking all the vitamins and supplements etc, I just need to make more of an effort with exercise.