Irregular cycles (over 40) &ttc

[Sparks654]

Hi ladies - wondering if anyone managed to conceive with irregular menstrual cycles after 40? I always used to have regular cycles and since 40 have found they have shortened - sometimes down to 23 days apart. A gynae I saw said that very short cycles can be a problem in terms of the luteal phase being long enough for good implantation. Wondering if anyone could share their experience/knowledge. Thank you.

Do you know from LH testing when in your cycle you are ovulating? That will give you a sense of your luteal phase length.

Some women manage to lengthen their cycles by taking B12/ supplements like pregnacare.

If your BMI is elevated, lowering it can help with hormonal imbalance (oestrogen dominance and resulting cycle issues).

Short cycles aren’t an issue necessarily it can be more of an issue if you have a short Luteal phase (between ovulation and your period), as there isn’t time for implantation to happen. Have you been tracking ovulation with temperature or tests? If you’ve been trying for a few months I’d speak to GP for tests. You can take progesterone to increase length of luteal phase but likely would need to get it privately

When you say irregular, do you really mean irregular? I conceived at nearly 44 with short cycles of a similar length to yours, but they were roughly the same length each month. I also had incredibly light flow on my periods yet a scan around the time of conception showed I had normal build up of lining. The nurse claimed I must have efficient bleeding or something, implying that I had the same period blood in less than a day with 1 or 2 pads total as a woman who bled a more average 3 to 6 days with multiple pads per day. Which seemed nonsensical to me but here I am with a 4 year old at nearly 50 years old.
At your age, I recommend the following: ubiquinol supplements, reflexology, acupuncture and lose weight if it will put you in a healthier BMI category- lower carb is especially beneficial.

@goldenrachita - thank you for sharing your story and advice. I mean that one monthly it might be 22 days between cycles, the next 28, but, at least I guess I do get my period each month, and flow is generally similar, I just worry that the irregular nature is a sign of perimenopause. I think I do need to track my body temperature. Basically I have been having some health issues, and needed to improve my general mobility before TTC which means that I haven't yet been tracking my ovulation, but I am going to start now. I have also held off going to a fertility clinic firstly partly fear, but also massive expense and I don't want to go thr IVF route, which I believe is what most offer.

Regarding supplements - I have heard about ubiquinone - I started on a low dose of coq10 but it had weird effects and stopped me sleeping so am a bit wary now! BMi is normal so at least that's good. I think stress has been affecting my body lately too, so I am trying to manage that best I can.

Can I ask - did you try acupuncture before you TTC? How long did you take the supplements for? I did try reflexology (for another health issue) but found it not to be that relaxing!

@sirensong thank you. Re testing - I need to start doing that, although I tend to see that ovulation signs are quite soon after my period, which makes me think that that my luteal phase isn't too short. I have been taking b12 but probably not quite as diligently as I should given that I am vegetarian. BMI is normal though.

@Peonies12 yes I might need to go down the progesterone route, have you had experience of taking it? I am wary of taking too many things that might destabilise my mental health and have heard from women that fertility drugs have tended often to do that.