2023 TTC 35+ Part 2

[VixFromThe6ix]

Hi ladies,
This is a new thread as we maxed the other one. I tagged everyone that posted in the last 12 pages. If I'm missing someone, please tag them in the comments.
@Eirlys1986
@Muriel84
@Un7breakable
@vitahelp
@Mirla
@TheFanciestPants
@Mummyme87
@FiddleLeaf
@Anna531
@Poppy708
@Golaz
@LeopardLover
@Floralsandsmiles
@Bumblebee413
@TrudyProud
@13Bastards
@DinkyGT
@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7
@TTCnumberfour
@Cirque1
@39starstartry
@Freya8
@Angelsrose
@TheBirdintheCave
@AgeGapBbe
@BengalMama
@BB2023

Thanks @Mummyme87 , I’m obviously very pleased but that medical side of me and I think the side of all of us older ttc is tempering it with managing my expectations so that it isn’t too disappointing if it goes the wrong way. How are you getting on? Feeling ok? X

@Muriel84 yep a longer luteal phase, the longest I've had. How are you feeling today?

@Eirlys1986 tentative congrats!! I can see that! I used that test yesterday for the 1st time and no line whatsoever, it was stark white

@Eirlys1986 congratulations. I normally never see these but I 💯 do. Fingers crossed the line strength moves in the right direction

@Eirlys1986 oh yes, the medical side of me has me doing regular HCG at work, panicking, went down to gynae yesterday as for some stupid reason I rechecked my progesterone at the same time as HCG and was 121 down to 113, thought it was over… turns out it’s not something you repeat when it’s over 60 and changes daily 😐 I’m definitely more worried this time than I have been previously. But I try to be positive. Have ordered my higher dose of folic acid, need to collect, gp wondered how I had so much early intel 😝 will have scan middle of next week to make sure it’s in the right place. So little milestones

I dreamed I had implantation bleeding last night, yikes. The disappointment as I gradually realised it was a dream due to other stuff just not making sense... 🙄
Tested this morning and not a hint of a line. 10/11dpo so whilst I know it's not a definite no I think it's for the best that I'm managing expectations. I was thinking about cream cakes yesterday (they're not usually on my mind, lol) and it made me wonder because I craved them when I was pregnant a couple of times a decade ago (ended in miscarriages). I don't want to get my hopes up so I think testing was a good idea.

Thanks @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 😊, I shall tentatively accept your congratulations 😂, I am hoping the stark white appearance of the night before vrs today means no crappy evap lines with this test.
Thanks @TrudyProud , I am confident on seeing the line which is more obvious in person. I sent my partner a picture of the latest late morning one and he replied he could “barely see it”…..so I’ve informed him all you ladies are more experienced at looking at these tests than him so he can keep his pie hole shut 😂
@Mummyme87 ohhh I don’t think I could hack actual series HCG bloods testing, I didn’t know that about the progesterone once over 60 so that’s interesting thanks 😊, good luck for your scan next week is that an nhs staff special or private? X
@Mirla you are right that 10/11dpo isn’t necessarily meaning you are out. My v faint results from today are 10dpo and my last pregnancy I tested negative on Frer right up until 14dpo then suddenly positive having been negative the day before. I know what you mean about testing being good to manage expectations though. It’s good to hang onto hope until AF arrives but also to temper that with protecting your feelings a bit too. The best of luck xx

Thanks @Eirlys1986 , and tentative congratulations to you!

@Eirlys1986 yes I didn’t know about progesterone either, though it continued to go up. Who knew. Scan is routine because I had a ruptured ectopic 3years ago, so just need to confirm it’s in the uterus. They said with my climbing bloods and high progesterone it’s unlikely to be in topic but need to confirm.

also the boots tests are very reliable I think. Never had an evap or indent from them. Looking good for you

Thanks @Mirla 😊.
@Mummyme87 sorry to hear about the past ruptured ectopic, as you say hopefully with all bloods etc going in the right direction you shall see everything nestled in exactly where it should be next week 👍🏻. I can’t believe clear blue get away with selling there extortionately expensive crappy tests when boots earlies are about £5! I do think the clear blue last night was definitely still an evap as I did one today out of interest and it’s negative on same pee and the positive boots. I shall never use them again and will advise others of the same!

*as

@Eirlys1986 men eh? 🤣. The faint positive I showed you guys last week Monday . Showed my husband and he went back to sleep as he "couldn't see anything". When I retested on Wednesday he responded "now it looks real" .

I told him there's no such thing as partially Covid positive nor can you be partially pregnant. The box even says a 2nd line in the timeframe no matter how faint or thin is a positive so enjoy this!

@Eirlys1986 yep the Boots one I did was stark white, no even hint of a gray evap line. And I can see the colour in your latest one today, so wouldn't think it'd be an evap anyway!

Clear blue are awful, so had a terrible evap on those 3 months or so ago. It was blue also. I don't buy them now at all

I hate clear blue and frer for their awful evaps and indents. Boots for the win!
my DH couldn’t see my lines either, I was shouting the look harder, and how couldn’t you see they were so obvious 🤪 bloody men.
everything crossed for you @Eirlys1986 when will you retest?

I might do one tonight and then tomorrow morning again. I’ve got piles of the things in the cupboard now! 😂

@Eirlys1986 I look forward to seeing them!

😂 @Mummyme87 , I will post them if there is any significant improvement in the lines. Otherwise I will stop flooding the group with images of sticks soaked in my pee 😆

Hi ladies, I'm 36 in my 5th cycle of trying, in the TWW having tried to do SMEP (or as close to as my partner could cope with) for the first time this month. I've used clear blue OPK test so think I'm either DPO 7/8 and thought I'd join this chat as you all seem so lovely and could really do with some supportive ladies to get me through the next couple of days who understand.

Currently in the phase of trying to hold out until Thursday when my AF is due for a test, to live in the hope bubble a little longer that this month may be it. Hats off to you ladies who can bear testing more frequently.

Totally relate to the unhelpful work chats too... This month one of my younger colleague keeps asking me 'do i not want kids?' and the other person i manage has just announced they are pregnant and are 'delighted but weren't even trying' so it's been a tough April and May.

@Elen123 urgh both those work situations sound major league sucky, even though I am now hopefully in early pregnancy I still do not feel like sharing anytime remotely soon with the work colleague who overstepped the mark with me asking how my “ttc efforts were going?” despite me telling her we weren’t trying to get her off my back 😡. I think tbh a lot of the time if people haven’t actively ttc or had to wait to conceive/worried about being able to they just don’t get it and say absolutely stupid clumsy things with no thought. The fact they are emotionally thick doesn’t make it any less easy to cope with though x

@Eirlys1986 Which DPO day do you start testing from? I'm admiring your bravery and stick collection!

@Eirlys1986 also so true! It has done one good thing in forcing me to be brave and reach out to you guys. So I'm going to force myself to see the positives today! Even though Im feeling just want answers and to crawl into bed.

@Elen123 this time I started at 8dpo but that was triggered by the aforementioned colleague who I supervise coming to tell me she was pregnant and needed her work patterns altering as not feeling well. It was a childish reaction but I couldn’t help it! I think without that I maybe would have held out till today but lord knows. It’s caused a bit of uncertainty at present obviously but I feel ok with that. I’m not sure the stick collection is something to admire, more of a reflection of my levels of neuroticism, but thanks anyway 😂. All the stuff I’ve looked at indicates 10dpo onwards seems best time to test if you plan to begin early and can’t hold your patience till after AF due.

Ps @Elen123 I conceived my first when I was aged almost 35 years and it took 6 cycles. My friend took 18 months and then magically conceived first cycle with her second so it’s really random. However we found the month we essentially did smep plus some additional proceive max was when we had success. That could’ve happened either way. We did the same thing again this cycle.

@eirlys thanks for the advice and honesty! Really appreciate it. Keeping everything crossed for you that it all progresses well.

I have endometriosis so an added complication so knew it wouldn't be easy but life didn't work out trying earlier so here we are. It would give me a massive boost to have a hopeful faint positive line to return to work on Monday. But don't think I'd cope very well with the disappointment if not.

Think a weekend of lovely dog walks with our happy go lucky spaniel is in order!

@Elen123 dogs always save the day, I know mine does x 🐾

Ok, in a somewhat unsettling follow-up to my dream with implantation bleeding, I just now had some slight pink spotting. So either that's something unusually early happening relative to AF or my dream was apparently a portent. Just going to try to convince myself it's pre-period spotting because I'd rather have a positive surprise than have dashed hopes.

It's funny how we mostly fall into two camps; those who test early and admire those who have restraint in waiting, and those who need to wait and admire the persistence of those who test early!

Welcome, @Elen123 :)