TTC number 3 aged 42

[FiB83]

Hi

Not really sure what I'm looking for here but if nothing else I'll use this as a diary of my feelings etc. I joined a chat years ago for my first pregnancy and am still friends with some of those lovely ladies so hoping to find some people who are on their TTC journey and we can share experiences l.

As the title suggests I'm 42, I have two beautiful children aged 7 and 9, we decided to try for another baby a year or so again, I needed to lose some weight so did that although I'm still overweight according to my BMI but you know how it is... I'm fairly average at a size 14-16. I still have very regular cycles and don't believe I'm anywhere near the menopause yet....

Anyways, I'm 9dpo I think, I don't do opk or anything like that, tried one month but didn't enjoy feeling obsessed over it and it didn't work anyway..I feel I know my body quite well and am aware of the signs of when I'm ovulating if I am. With our first child it took a good 2 years with one chemical pregnancy in that time before.ewe actually got our baby. With our second child...well we thought about trying and then I was pregnant... Amazing how that happens isn't it!?

So here I am, 9dpo and with virtually no discharge at all. 2 days ago I had a huge amount of white cm that was abit stretchy. I've had a headache on and off and been soooo unbelievably emotional. This isn't normal for me but we are going through quite a bit with our youngest and other normal life events so may be that I suppose. I've had sore breasts and I swear they are bigger if that is even possible!.maybe just very slight cramps over the past couple of days but that maybe only.when I'm thinking about it...

Anyone else at this stage and fancy a buddy to compare notes? I'd love to chat.

@ChaE05 that does sound really rubbish! They grow between 1-3mm between trigger and ovulation, and 18mm+ is mature, so imo with your 4 follicle cycle they should have triggered you then and there, and you’d have had 2 mature by ovulation and possibly a third as well, and actually could have timed it all quite well. Same thing with the second cycle - the cyst was obvs going to force ovulation earlier so you should have triggered later than evening or poss next morning to give the 17mm a chance to catch up, and then you’d at least have had 1 follicle that cycle.

What medication and dose are you on? It sounds like the clinic is bad rather than the protocol, as your responses were quite good but just mishandled by them.

Mine were 21.8, 21.7 and 17.9 on cd10 so I triggered that day, and yes in tww - testing on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on how much money I feel like wasting!

@BurningOuttexactly!! You know more than they do. And I chose to trigger early both times and ignore them. I was beyond frustrated as you can imagine. Felt very elt down by them. Yes my body was producing a good number of follicles however there was also one way ahead. I have since learnt from speaking to others they could have added gonal f in ? To help all the follices grow together. But this clinic just weren't interested ! I was on 5mg of letrozole and also utrogestan. Great size follices for you! And a good chance that 3rd would have ovulated too, brilliant x fingers crossed this is your month!

@BurningOutt @ChaE05 Wow the detail on your ovulation, follicles etc is amazing, it’s nice to feel somewhat in control with all the info.

@ChaE05 welcome and I’m so sorry for ur loses and for the crappy experience you’ve had with ur clinic, you would think when u are paying all that money that they would be on the ball!!

my opks have darkened from 0.05 last night to 0.40 earlier so I think I’m on the up, prob peak late tonight or tomorrow so ovulation roughly Monday I’d say. To dtd today and Monday or tomorrow and Monday? because I don’t think we’d be able for 3 days in a row 😂 what’s the best coverage I wonder

@DmcinT if you think you can do two days in a row then I think tomorrow and Monday may be best, but either option is very good!

@ChaE05 it sounds like really poor service tbh. They should have suggested a higher dose and scanning you earlier I think (I’m on 7.5mg). I’ve never tried gonal f but I think I read a random paper somewhere suggesting it increased likelihood of multiples without improving overall pregnancy rates so wasn’t recommended, but probably something to ask about if you go to a different clinic?

@ChaE05 welcome! It sounds as if you've been through it as well so I am sorry youve had such a rough time of it. I'm literally just starting to think about having some fertility treatment but had no idea what that looked like and actually still unsure what I do or dont need. I've no bfp this month we will properly look into havening testing although I'm not even certain when I have to do that in terms of cycle timing etc. I'm sure there will be a protocol though just need to be brave and make the call i suppose.

@FiB83thank you! How long have you been trying now? Have you had any type of testing done? Blood tests, semen analysis etc xx

@DmcinTi think I would prob go with Sunday and Monday! What did you decide?
What's your ttc history?xx

@BurningOutti would have thought a higher dose would have made the follicles bigger? Or maybe they would have recruited more? Anyway, the clinic didnt care to explain or offer any changes. I really dont know what we will do right now. I also had NK cell testing at this clinic so we have spent about 5k in total, so financially just want to take a pause on things and really make sure the next move is the right one.
I do really want to do a screenme test to check my uterine microbiome x

@ChaE05 decided on Sunday & Monday because we did Friday so probably have enough covered for yesterday 🤞🏽
I’m 41 now in a few weeks, we started trying in Sept so this is cycle 7 or maybe 8.

We got pregnant first time trying on both previous pregnancies, my first pregnancy ended in a late miscarriage, I was carrying (identical) triplets all on one placenta so believe it just could not keep up to the demand put on it.
second pregnancy is our lo running around here demanding toast and biscuits for breakfast 😂

@ChaE05 how may dpo are u now, how u feeling?

@FiB83 any ovulation signs for u yet?

@DmcinToh my goodness, how truly heartbreaking to have lost your triplets. Im so sorry this happened to you. Xx and im sure you feel very blessed to have your little one 🤍

Have you had any testing done this time round?
I am currently only cycle day 3. Going to closely track this cycle with ovulation sticks as im not sure if having been on letrozole for the superovulaton would changed my cycle length or anything. Hopefully not x

We had some testing done back in Oct but just very standard bloods, 21 day progesterone etc, all was normal so said we’d try for 6 months and if nothing we’d talk abt next steps.. we are at this point now so if no luck this month we need to think what we’ll do next

@DmcinTthink it will be worth getting your GP to refer you to fertility as that can sometimes take a while depending on where you live!
All my tests were done very quick. The GP did all bloods, SA, pelvic ultrasound. Then referred me to fertility and they gave me a HyCoSy. This was all done within 3 months max. But do know some people that have had to wait months and months xx

@ChaE05 yeah I was saying to hd yesterday about just getting the ball rolling with gp this week and can cancel if get a BFP in the meantime. I suppose both of us feel a little surprised just because it happened so easy the last few times but then part of me isn’t surprised at all, we’re 4 years older now, lifestyle is v different etc.. anyways I think I’ll ask gp for referral this week

@ChaE05 re biome test - just take something like Optibac for Women. I'm gearing up for embryo transfer soon and went through the different tests people do as preparation - consultant advised to just do above.

@DmcinT yes all the signs and feeling very bloated today as well as the usual full achey feeling. I don't do ovulation testing although I think I probably should l, it stressed me out when I did though!

@ChaE05 I haven't done anything recently no. Years and years ago before I had my children at age 31 I was told I had low amh and was perimenopausal but then I got pregnant twice so just decided they were wrong. Now I'm not sure. Still very regular cycles 27 days with the odd short cycle of 25 days, I'm told this is still normal though

@ChaE05 im no expert but I think a higher dose would likely have resulted in more follicles reaching maturity at an earlier stage, so your results might have been less imbalanced. I naturally ovulate about cd15-16 but on Letrozole I ovulate cd12, so it moves things forward for me and the follicle sizes are generally consistent. I think once some get beyond a certain size they suppress the size/development of the others, so ideally you want a few growing together rather than (as you had) one taking over.

Im so sorry about your triplets @DmcinT.

@BurningOutt thanks, it’s a few yrs ago now but every so often if I’m explaining what happened I think wow that is crazy that I carried identical triplets for a few months. It’s a huge ask on ur body and unfortunately mine just could not keep up with what was being demanded from it.

I’ve had all the ovulation signs between yesterday and today and dtd yesterday and will later today so keeping everything crossed. I feel like this might have been the best timing wise that we’ve managed since we started trying so feeling very hopeful at the min. Now for the tww…

Hey all, cd 15 here and I think I ovulated yesterday. My back is in pieces today
Walked miles.at crufts yesterday so that's probably why. My flo app is saying I should ovulate tomorrow but I'm not.convincrd as no more ewcm. Again I'm regretting not using ovulation tests or temping... Anyways, if I have ovulated our timing is pretty good so fingers crossed and maybe we will dtd again to be sure. I am soooo tired today though despite sleeping like a long yesterday

How is everyone else getting on with ovulation or symptom spotting if you are further along? Xxx

@sirensongi actually did a DAYE vaginal microbiome test which came back as reduced lactobacilli so ive been taking optibac for women since Jan. I also decided to get some vaginal probiotics too. So just taken for 11 days before my period and now I will take them 2-3 times a week for maintenance alongside optibac everyday. I do need to retest the vaginal microbiome to see if it's improved but I also wanted to do the uterine microbiome as sometimes I wonder if I may have endomitrisis- I experience spotting a couple of days before my period. And also...not being able to concieve. Both symptoms x

@FiB83do you usually track with OPKs and temping? I personally think apps are rubbish, never understand how they can tell you when youre ovulating 😅
I usually use the cheapie sticks and also clearblue advanced but its so expensive im just going to use the cheap ones going forward xx

@FiB83 good work on covering FW 🎉 how do the apps work? Like how do they predict ovulation?
I got peak Sunday morning on the cheapie opks and woke with a sharp twinge around 1-2am Monday morning so convinced that was egg being released. CM turned creamy lotion like yesterday (confirming O happened) but then today I’ve had clear egg white cm so I’m a little confused by that tbh. Anyone had that after O before?

@DmcinT I think the app is extremely basic and just goes by my cycle length to guess ovulation tbh as I don't temp. My cm is more sticky than creamy I feel like I notice I get creamy cm around a week after ovulation. Obviously that's not confirmed though

@ChaE05 I don't use ovulation tests no and I always regret not.dping that but when I did try I became a bit obsessed and stressed about it all.

I always get some.btown discharge a week after my period has ended. No pain though so just thought that was normal

@FiB83 I’ve never had that before. @DmcinT indont think I’ve had EWCM after ovulation either! I get EWCM before, then creamy, then sticky, then nothing, then period usually.