Trying to conceive over 40

[October1979]

Here is a new thread for us girls

@October1979 @Marvellouslymadmum - where did you get the progesterone cream from? Are there any negatives to taking it if you don’t need it? I’ve never had mine checked - so I’ve no idea, but if it’s like Asprin in that it can only do more good than harm then I might give it a go?? What do you think?

@Honey2 I don't think it can do harm. You take it after ovulation until your period arrives. If you are pregnant I think you should keep taking it until 12 weeks as a drop in progesterone can cause miscarriage. I put it on in the morning and night and should get 150mg of progesterone from that. I think it's for menopausal women which I am not. Regular cycles. I just wondered since I had so many chemicals if it would make a difference and my gp was no help at all. From what I've read you need 100mg to 200mg to support pregnancy. As long as you don't go nuts and make sure you are strict with how much you apply I think it should be ok. You apply it to different sites on the body on rotation.

Thanks everyone fingers crossed. It does look stronger lines than the last 2 months but you never know. Trying not to get ahead of myself as I've had so much disappointment xx

Here's a better picture. Now worried as I had my second AZ vaccine on Monday. I did a test and it was negative so thought it would be no big deal.

Congratulations @October1979!
Wonderful news and also gives the rest of us hope! xx

Ooh @October1979 that's exciting news! Congratulations. I don't think having the vaccine this week will cause any problems as the risk seems to be if you get a fever post vaccine, and I imagine that's more an issue once the egg has implanted and growing in the first 12 weeks.

Happy birthday @Catconfusion - glamping sounds fun. Hope you're having lovely weather.

@Mum2baby07 I'm doing ok thanks. Not much to report other than am really tired! I had 4 naps on Sunday. Was ok in work yesterday but came home exhausted and didn't move from the sofa all night. According to the what I've read, if all is progressing well the embryo is doubling in size this week from 1.6mm to 3cm so that explains the tiredness! I still can't believe I am actually, really pregnant. Waiting for a 12 week scan date now, and currently 9weeks+4.

AAAAAAHHHHHH @October1979 YAY!! Crossing everything!!!!! Xxxxx

Tested this a.m (11dpo) with frer - BFN. Should I test again tomorrow? I’m now a convert to early testing! Allows a little more social life freedom than waiting until AF is late! I though it would make me more anxious but actually it’s the opposite. DH and I agreed if I test early instead of late, as an early ovulator my 2WW was more if a 3WW but now we feel like maybe we can chill and do this for another 6-12 months.

Congratulations @October1979!

Any tips on what you’ve done to get 3 in a row? Did you DTD every day in fertile window? Are you using opk? I used to get progesterone cream many years ago. Will look up where to get that brand from.

Sorry for all the questions!

Thanks @birdbybird I use Clearblue opks and also Ava bracelet. Once Ava predicts my fertile week I do it every other day. Once I get a peak on my Clearblue I do it both peak days. However this month I only did it twice as husband was away. Once 5 days before ovulation and once second day of peak. Ava predicting my fertile week ahead of time really takes the stress and guess work out of it for me. I've conceived 4 out of the 6 months I've had it. Where I had nothing for 8 months before that xx

Wow congratulations @October1979! You certainly don't have a problem conceiving! I really hope this one sticks for you!

2nd day of peak... is that the day of ovulation for you?

@October1979 yay!!!! I’m so pleased for you. That’s a good line for 12 dpo too. I hope it gets stronger from here on. I think timing is everything as definitely feel that’s why we’ve got several bfps since we started trying. With my long cycles I’m extra vigilant for precisely when o is happening. It sounds like Ava is doing a good job for you. Xx

Thanks for the birthday wishes. It’s been lovely to get away. The weather has been a bit pants and we were up most of one of the nights with ds as he’s got a cold but it’s still been worth it. Sadly it cd 19 for me and no peak yet. I can only assume the lack of sleep and eating less healthy foods might have affected it. I also had a load of spotting at the beginning of my cycle so maybe my hormones are off after two back to back chemicals. If may be a long road to O but still hopeful this could be our cycle. Xx

@birdbybird I’ve had two chemicals in a row and another earlier in the year too so feel we’re timing things well.

O usually comes the day after the last peak opk so I keep testing it out. Last cycle I got peak on Wednesday, Thursday and one on Friday morning. O was on Saturday. I’m lucky that my surge happens over a few days. Some ladies have a very quick surge so it can happen over 24 hours. I test every morning at 10am as LH is stronger in the sample from mid morning onwards. If I get a peak I test again late in the afternoon. I use the Fermometer app to analyse the strips and say the percent LH. I sometimes get false surges but the real one gets up to 150% - 200% LH. I always ovulate when it’s this high. I also do my temperature each morning once I get a peak. I got fed up with doing it the whole cycle. Once my temperature is up I can confirm it’s happened.

We dtd every other day on peak days and on the day of o if we can. Last cycle we didn’t on o day but I still got a positive test. As long as it’s within a day or two or O you should be ok and in fact it’s better for them to be waiting for the egg.
Xx

@Lastyearttc I think I ovulate late on the second peak day or the morning after. I have been lucky conceiving since December. But before then nothing from feb 20- Nov20. I think tracking with Ava and I started doing 2 opks morning and evening helped.I found my surge happened at night. If I'd waited to the morning to test I would have gotten my 2 peak days wrong if that makes sense. @Catconfusion thank you. Fingers crossed although I am half expecting bad news it's hard not to with so many chemicals xxx

Tested today on my Clearblue fertility monitor which is 50mlu and got positive. Also think frer has gotten slightly darker. I've attached my Ava chart for anyone who may be using it or interested. Starting to freak out a bit xx

@October1979 I find your surge at night comment interesting. We dtd this month on CD 9/10/11/13 with positive opk (cb static smiley) on CD11. Tried to get CS 12 too but DH was too knackered 🤣 Do you think with that much “coverage” (🤣) I got two peak days? I’m still kinda unsure of what routine we should be in 🤦🏻‍♀️

Lovely dark lines !!! Xxx

@Catconfusion thanks for the insights into your opks and LH surges… it’s soo interesting as it can clearly be totally different for each person. For example (as you suggest) I have a very quick surge - and when I do I have never had a reading on Femometer higher than about 90% - but clearly I am ovulating as I have had 2 pregnancies in the last 5 months. Also this month I didn’t even catch my LH peak on the remoter strips - I normally test twice a day once it starts to get higher but this month I must have missed it because I never got a peak yet I know I have ovulated as I have had a clear temp shift! Just goes to show the importance of temping ( and also checking CM)

Just a thought - low LH surges, this shouldn’t have any effect on preg viability right?? As long as the surge triggers the egg release that’s all good no??

FF has confirmed I ovulated on Monday this week so 4dpo today… the wait begins again!

Very interesting on LH surges and ovulation I agree!
Just got my first high this morning using fermometer for the first time. It's 77%, so nearly a peak which is 80%+
Do you think I should test again this afternoon then? What time is best? Or just wait for 10am in the morning?
Next challenge is to get the OH over as we don't live together 😬

@Lastyearttc I would test again later on today. If you are someone who peaks quickly, you might miss it. Good luck. Xx

@Honey2 I don’t think the strength of the surge matters if your temp stays up after. It might be you’re not catching the peak if it happens quickly. I once had a cycle where I had a weaker surge. I had a few days of high temperatures but then I started spotting and AF came. I spoke to a fertility nurse and she said the surge probably wasn’t quite strong enough and the egg didn’t fully pop through. As long as you have a prolonged temperature rise, it’s happened Xx

Hi everyone! Just an update: all went well at the scan, baby's in the right place and measuring 5.5mm. Even saw the flutter of the heartbeat 🥰 Going back in a couple of weeks for another scan, I'll be 8 weeks by then and they'll be able to date it more accurately too. Wishing you well and lots of baby dust

@sabtom that’s such fantastic news!!! Really pleased for you xx

Great news @sabtom you must be feeling on top of the world congratulations . @Geriatric1234 I think you are covered. Even if like me your surge started the evening of cd10. You can use Clearblue connected ovulation tests twice a day. If you want to try out the theory. They connect to your phone and track for you. I used my old Clearblue fertility monitor in the morning and Clearblue connected ovulation tests at night about 7pm.

I had a conversation with the women who i bought the progesterone cream from to see if it was safe to use for piece of mind. There was a phone number on the website . She was lovely. Said a lot of women over 40 are her customers and they use it ttc and right up until birth as the placenta doesn't always supply enough progesterone. She says it has helped a lot of women. It's harmless as hers is natural bio identical progesterone which she says is better than the chemicals. She suggested I use 200mg per day. She also says progesterone tanks at birth so it is good for preventing post natal depression. She agreed there was not enough support for older mothers x

Yay @sabtom that’s fantastic news. Congratulations. Hopefully time will go quickly until the next scan. I found the 8 week one the most nerve wracking. I was told if all looks well at the 8/9 weeks mark, your chances are excellent. You’re already over the most dangerous period for mc now there’s a HB so it won’t be long until you can relax even more. Xx