2023 TTC 35+ Part 5

[VixFromThe6ix]

Hi lovelies,

New thread!!

Please tag whoever you can so everyone knows we are here.

@Bumblebee413 sending you love, hugs and wine vibez! It truly sucks and that's pretty much all there is to be said on the matter. Take care and look after yourself xxx

@Cressie2 I tried exactly the same as you, DTD every day as per the SMEP plan and it just left us absolutely exhausted! I think both partners need time to recover. However don't worry, you can try less frequent DTD and see if it helps. I'm sending love and baby dust ❤️

8dpo here... I woke an hour before my alarm today due to cramps... not overly unpleasant but enough to be noticeable and I'm pretty sure it's what woke me. They've tailed off now but I still feel like some 'awareness' and vague stirrings is the best I can describe. Certainly enough to get my hopes up now which is kind of annoying 😂😩 Going to be a long second week of the tww!!

@SnookyPook That sounds promising. With DS1 I felt pulling/pinching around implantation. Exciting!

Hope you’re feeling ok this morning @Bumblebee413

@Cressie2 I also think we may have overdone it this cycle. Will try EOD next cycle.

Woke up feeling in a good mood today & has lasted beyond people annoying me at work which is nice 😂 wondering if it’s because I’m now 1DPO (predicted) & free from DTD to schedule! I start CBT today (for anxiety) & I’m hoping that will have a positive impact on TTC too.

@SnookyPook that sounds promising, good luck!

I am waiting on a call from the fertility clinic today with my results from my blood tests, so let’s see what they say… I’ve got two online appointments next week with different clinics to get a second and third opinion ok the Finasteride and fresh vs frozen transfer.

Ive signed up to do some acupuncture as apparently that can help and I might do some reflexology too as I’ve a voucher that I got for my birthday…

cd 11 here with ovulation predicted for cd 14/15, and my mother in law is staying with us this weekend 🙈😅 wish me luck 🙈🙈🙈

@El1988 You will have to let us know how the acupuncture is. I considered it when we were TTC previously but was put off by the price.
Oh and the month we conceived was the month my parents and parents in law were visiting us around ovulation.

@happytobemrsg I think mental health is really important during TTC. You should definitely not force yourself to DTD. It took us a long time with our son and DTD on a schedule/ when we didn't necessarily want to really affect our sexual relationship.

@SnookyPook Oo. The cramping sounds really promising. I do hope it's implantation Planting for you. With my son I didn't feel it until after the tww though.

@Bumblebee413 I am so sorry AF arrived.

So I did another opk yesterday evening and this morning. And they keep getting gradually lighter. So I now do think that my LH surge was at some point midday on Tuesday. Which means I should have ovulated by now. I did have a very slight raise in temperature today and yesterday.
We did DTD again yesterday evening. So that was twice yesterday and the evening before. Small chance we just about caught it.
However I do normally feel ovulation cramping and get a migraine when my hormones change. This time nothing.
So I intend to continue testing with OPKs in case I failed to ovulated and my body tries to gear up for it again.
We are off to Devon tomorrow to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary.

Hope your CBT goes well @happytobemrsg
Congrats on your anniversary @FigandHoney , jealous of your weekend away, have been telling OH I would like to book something for the last couple of weeks, but I'd quite like it not to be 100% me doing the effort of finding and booking something, particularly as he has found the time to book a boys weekend away in Oct and then again in Nov....

Really feeling like our relationship isn't brilliant atm which is getting me down and making me feel reluctant about TTC. Period arrived yesterday so no risk of conception just yet.
Just feeling glum :(

Thank you @SouthwestSis I hope things get better between you and your DH. We are re-watching Friends & I just saw the episode where Monica pretends to forgive Chandler in a fight because she’s ovulating & needs to BD. That’s my attitude sometimes!

Now I’m so confused. I was predicted to O yesterday. I had EWCM CD11, 12 & 13 (yesterday). I have had no discharge today except just now. I saw a gloop of EWCM in the toilet bowl. So am I still fertile? Please say I don’t have to DTD again 😳

@SouthwestSis I know what you mean, TTC does really take a toll on the relationship. Can you have some time just the two of you to do something fun and not TTC related?!? I am trying to arrange bits and pieces for myself and DH but with lots going on with work, house stuff, and our daughter it can be hard to find the time.

@VixFromThe6ix I don’t think I’ve seen any update on how you are getting on, hope all is going well.

CD7 today, my day 2 blood results show generally normal results but the high estradiol has got me googling. Result is either diminished ovarian reserve or a functional cyst. Apparently the latter is v common, but perhaps I should be arranging an AMH test to rule out diminished ovarian reserve? I don’t really know how useful that would be given that we aren’t eligible for or in a financial position for ivf. Does anyone know? It’s £75 for the Amh test and I’ve just spent a ton on dh’s sperm test and lots of iron supplements so it wouldn’t be until at least next month anyway.

Tmi - one of my boobs was very sensitive today - last time that happened i was pregnant - too early to test yet tho

@CurlyWurly1991 what makes you ineligible for IVF? Sorry no advice on the amh test. I took it but was told it's not the most reliable source and it cost me I think $75. So could have just saved the money
My update is... I'm pregnant. Took my first blood test on Tuesday which showed 304, so I'm going for blood test #2 in an hour hoping that number has doubled.
I did a clear blue test yesterday and it said 2-3 weeks.
I don't know, I just don't want to fall in love with the idea of a baby and then things going wrong.
I've found a t-shirt on Etsy saying "big brother in training" for my boy and I just left it in my shopping cart. Like part of me is like yay! And part of me is like we've been here before three times, hold your horses till after there is a heartbeat.
So I'm in a bit of a limbo. And I can't even have wine to help myself feel better lol

@happytobemrsg when did you DTD last? Sperm can hang out for 5 days, so there is still a chance if you've DTD in the last 5 days. Best day to DTD is day before. If you're ovulating today and had DTD yesterday or even day before you're fine.
When I started with IUI, they said it's always better to inseminated the day before ovulation. And I won't argue since it worked for us. But yeah I think you're fine.
But in the future (if this cycle is amiss) maybe try OPKs just so there is a second source of confirmation besides just CM.
Fingers crossed!!!

@VixFromThe6ix We've DTD every day from CD6 to yesterday CD13 so you can see why I’m reluctant to go again 😂

Haha oh man... I think you're fine not to DTD today :) you two must be exhausted!!! @happytobemrsg

@VixFromThe6ix ohh wow that is amazing news! Congratulations - I did wonder when I saw those tests getting darker once the trigger had cleared. I hope the blood test gives you the result you want and you have a healthy and happy pregnancy xx

@VixFromThe6ix Yay! Congratulations. I am so happy for you. I really hope this us your sticky bean. Have you booked an early ultrasound to confirm heartbeat?

@happytobemrsg You can sometimes get EWCM after ovulation depending on what your hormones do. So CM isn't fully accurate.
I would agree with @VixFromThe6ix that if this cycle is a miss, use opks maybe for 3 months / consider temping. And when you do that log things like CM. A bit of work. But it would definitely help you to get to know your body.

Hope the sore boobs are a positive sign for you @worldwidetravel2017

@VixFromThe6ix as far as I’m aware we aren’t eligible on the nhs as have an existing child. No funds to do it privately. I don’t think we would go to those lengths either, tbh. But there might be less intensive fertility support that we could access, I suppose. In any case it’s only just coming up to 6m so still relatively early days.

@CurlyWurly1991 Will they also do an ultrasound to check for cysts to rule that out? When we started the testing process last time they booked me in for blood tests and the ultrasound.
I am not sure what knowing about low ovarian reserve would really do in terms of helping with the situation if you can't do IVF.
I would instead spend that money on good vitamins to make your eggs as good as they can be. And remember it takes 3 months for that to take effect.

@FigandHoney yes I agree. The way you have put it is what I’m thinking - what’s the benefit of knowing if low ovarian reserve? It just takes one good egg, right?
Im compiling a list of supplements to try. Have Proceive that I might try at a half dose because I didn’t react well first time.
any recommendations for CoQ10 supplements ?

I had ultrasounds in Aug 22 (due to spotting) and all looked good. No evidence of PCOS on the blood tests.

Thanks @SouthwestSis . I completely get how you are feeling. I am also always the one who has to carry all the mental load/ do the planning.
For my birthday I dropped plenty if comments about wanting a soa day. But in the end I caved and just booked it myself. Would have been nice if he had arranged things.
But I would say if you want a little trip away bite the bullet and book it. Will also help you to reconnect and distress a bit.
Was listening to a podcast yoday about how to keep stress low and pleasure high whilst TTC by Pillow Talks. Might be worth a listen?

@CurlyWurly1991 I am taking Proceive Plus this month. And intend to try it for 3 months. Think that has Ciq10 but actually not as high as I have read other places one should take.
Also my ovulation seems to have come 4 days early this cycle. Which I guess is good because I have a tendency to ovulate late. Not sure if it's because I took the proceive Plus.
Have you read It starts with the egg?

@FigandHoney listening to it at the moment. I already take a hormone complex, EPO up to ov, fish oil after ov, vit d and folic acid. Now on iron and vit c too. I have to be a bit careful about overloading because I have a liver condition. Proceive made me feel manic and anxious which I read can be a side effect of the methylfolate in there (actually this is referenced in the starts with the egg book). Could find an alternative but blood tests show my folate levels are really good anyway. It’s all just so expensive though isn’t it, and I feel some of the industry really plays upon the vulnerable a bit.

@CurlyWurly1991 Sounds like you are covering yourself well. Definitely expensive and I do agree I think they do prey to a certain degree on the fact that people get desperate. I couldn't remember the part about methylfolate potentially leading to anxiety and maniac. Although I did take a supplement with it just before I got pregnant last time. Which I'd why I specifically looked for one with it this month. The one I was raking previously I had bought from amazon and it was German. It now doesn't seem to be as easily to get anymore.

@CurlyWurly1991 we are on the list for IVF and actually got an email last week that our funds will be released between January and March 2024. We have a boy. I guess it's different in the UK. But to be honest, I did not want to do IVF either. It's so intensive that I couldn't fathom taking care of an active toddler but also doing th shots and everything else to prepare for IVF. So now I'm an a predicament because I have two weeks to respond with deny, accept or delay. And I don't know what to do because if this pregnancy doesn't pan out I will still want that last option. The timing is just ironic in all this.
6mos is not long at all. I hope everything goes well for you and you get your sticky bean soon. 🤞🏻🙏 we've been trying since January this time and last time it took two years on and off.

@FigandHoney not yet. I think they wanna see that my HCG is increasing in an expected way before they do. I'm also just 4 weeks so that ultrasound will feel ages away.