TTC 40+ - It starts with the egg

[feelingkenty]

Hi all

Spring chicken of 41 trying to conceive. Somewhat seriously in that I take all my vitamins and rattle when I walk and my DH has had a vasectomy reversal BUT not so serious I want any fertility testing done.

Anyone else in the same boat?

Three other children, conceived/ born when I was 34, 36 and 38 (although sadly my youngest died due to illness earlier this year).

Another baby would be nice but I am not yet desperate... we'll see how that goes

Also (and I know there's a couple of other 40+ threads) I would love to discuss Joanna Pages recent pregnancy at 44 and Alex Jones' before that. Do we think they are doing the things and it's more of a "not trying, not preventing" or totally a surprise with no additional supplements etc?

With DC3 it was a complete surprise I must admit, thought my early symptoms were me being peri-menopausal!

DC1 was also a surprise and DC2 was actively tried for - took about three months and one of those was anovulatory so I ended up with an appointment for a fertility specialist due to being 36 before finding out I was pregnant.

This time I am cutting back on alcohol, taking ubiquinol, Vit E, B complex, Vit C, prenatal vitamin, EPO and myo-isolitol as I've had GD every previous pregnancy. Thinking about adding Vegan Omega 3 and a flaxseed supplement too.

What I think I need to do is thicken my lining as my periods are much lighter than they previously were.

I'm 39 and want to start trying for number three next year (have a 3yo and 9mo). I've started reading up on all the supplements but don't really know where to start. Previous pregnancies and conceptions were easy (also had GD in both) and really hoping I'm lucky a third time too.

All these 'suprise' celebrity pregnancies in their 40s give me hope!

The surprise pregnancies do give me hope!

I read the book It starts with the egg to get an idea of supplements - I'd never gone further than pre-conception vitamins previously so this was like a deep dive.

Not sure I've got it right but I found the book v useful

I'm 40 and ttc on and off since about a year ago. I quit coffee and alcohol about 10 days ago (the headaches and fatigue have only just finished!) and am on folic acid and vitamin d daily, and sometimes sprinkle flaxseed on my smoothie or porridge. I'm paying more attention to my body rather than my period app for ovulation clues now. Fingers crossed for us all x

I've cut down on alcohol and coffee (not completely cut them out though) but I am prepared to cut back further if required. Realistically I need to lose weight anyway, and cutting back further won't hurt.

I'm definitely more in tune with my body re ovulation than I used to be. I use the OPKs but I can pretty much tell when I get the LH surge (TMI warning: as I get a gush of CM and the urge to jump my DH almost instantly ), as well as ovulation pain which I never used to register.

I'm terrified of weevils which puts me off sprinkling raw flaxseed. Have started Omega 3s in the form of krill oil but may swap to an algae DHA supplement when this bottle is empty.

I don't mind the vitamins/ supplements but I do tend to take them after dinner (we have an early dinner due to my 2 other DCs) so there is plenty of buffer

I'm in the same boat! 41, got fertility testing when I thought I may as well refer to NHS IVF as 'back up' as it can take so long to go from referral to testing to treatment. I was shocked that my 'back up' wasn't going to be offered as my AMH is 0.2 (severely low). I was already taking vitamins for PMS before ttc (EPO, omegas, vit 6, b12, folic acid, magnesium, calcium), then added Ubiquinol. . Now I am upping the ante based on ISWTE and adding more vit d, vit c and vit e, as well as alpha lipoic acid. Aaaand, recently started changing over to stainless steel pans and non toxic household and beauty products. It's not exactly in the budget but a ton cheaper than private IVF...Have now quit alcohol, sugar and am in last days of weaning myself off tea (gone from stewing the bag for 5 mins down to 10 seconds, slowly slowly...).

Welcome and good luck

I've not cut out alcohol yet (nor coffee) but am cutting back.

And also buying stainless steel containers for food and lunch storage etc rather than my plastics.

I don't worry about the Vit D as I live abroad in the tropics but yes to all the things:
Myo-inositol
Ubiquinol
Vit E
Vit B6
B complex
EPO
DHA
ALA
Zinc and Iodine
Pre-Natals

I've been taking them all fairly regularly for approx 3 months now so if they do help it should be from now on. If nothing else at least I feel my hair is starting to grow in thicker so that's a positive

And Vit C too ^^

Do you buy all these vitamins separately and if so what quantities/doses should they be? Or is it a multivitamin?

I buy them all separately so it's a bit £££, best not to buy them all at once.

In terms of quantities I used the book It Starts With The Egg and I've gone from there.

From memory it's approx:
400mg Mayo-inositol
2000mg Vit C
500mg Vit E
450mg Ubiquinol
3000mg EPO
200mg B6

Then the rest is just whatever the B Complex/ prenatal/ Prenatal DHA, and hair and energy (the zinc and iodine) have in them