Ignoring the LIES, DAMNED LIES, and STATISTICS: Fiesty & Fabulous 40+ers TTC

[xserialshopper]

Open to all 40+ers TTC.

We're friendly - not cliquey (sp?) and would love to know you{smile]

oops....i was trying to say that I guess you have to balance the risks of alcohol affecting fertility with the 'benefits' of doing things you enjoy and are part of your 'normal' life

Hi All,

Hope everyone in good spirits tonight !

Rowing - sounds like good news, now you have a plan. Hope you are feeling more positive now.
I'm using the OPK's once a day, about midday. Should get a positive tomorrow or Friday. Is twice a day more reliable ? One month I didn't get a positive at all, I wonder if I may have missed the peak only doing it once a day ?

Rainbow - thanks for the temping tip. Having followed your advice I got three readings the same this morning rather than all over the place. In the end I have discarded the one measurement from a few days ago that was way lower than all the others. I'm trying to get this right as I would really like to know wether I am ovulating before we see the gynae doctor in a couple of weeks.

Bx

"I'm, just waiting for AF,,,"

Sung to the tune of Lou Reed.

rowingboat I haven't got the supplements yet! I can only get them in the big bad city (oh, alright the small rather twee city) that I commute into once a week. Last week, I was snowed in and worked from home; this week, my boss had a 5 hour meeting/talking at us (which makes a lot of sense, what with me only working one day a week) and so I got no lunch hour to speak of. But am aiming to start this next cycle, God, weather and mad bosses permitting.

And if 5-htp makes me sleep, soooo much the better. I have criminal insomnia at the moment, which I think is fear of AF. I sleep very well for the first two weeks of my cycle, and then it all falls apart.

Hi again,
beamel I think it is better to use two sticks because the LH surge lasts twelve hours or something like that, so it could be more easy to miss if you do one a day. The instructions are usually quite good, I think you should take one after 10am and another in the evening.
VSF can you order from Holland and Barrett, they are only chargin 99p delivery at the moment. I have bought some supplements from Ebay as well, which seem fine, so far.
I have been in touch with my GP and had some results of the day three blood test. Very displeased to learn that my FSH has gone from 7.5 to 9.9 in a year.
I hope it is because of the stress of the past couple of months, with the stupid cyst. I feel so on edge it's ridiculous.
The doctor at the hospital said it can make the ovary less able to produce follicles, which I suppose could raise the FSH levels, if my body was trying to get the ovary to respond. Wah! I know it's still under the level acceptable for IVF, but it's scary that it has gone up so fast.
Fifi have you considered IVF?

got AF this morning

Thanks Rowing will try that. Got a +ve today which was not quite as dark as the control line. I will try another later.
Off to the chemist again for me !
Hopefully you will be a little less stressed now the doc has made a plan to look at the cyst thing. Also surely there may be some natural variation in your FSH level ? Most hormone levels fluctuate a bit so things may not be that bad.

Boo to AF latestarter - Nice glass of guilt-free wine this evening I hope ? Good luck next time round.

Bx

beamel - good to hear that the temping is consistent so you seem to be getting it right. I took several opk tests when I saw the line getting darker, I did 11am, 4pm and 11pm, it really was reassuring to see the line getting darker before it was properly positive and then lighter again just after. But it would have been possible for me to miss it if I had not done more than one test a day, so as Rowingboat said, try doing more than one test in a day. And hopefully the day or so after you should get your temp rise to confirm ov.

latestarter - sorry to hear af arrived.

Boo Latestarter! Are you quite PMSy? Have some chocolate and watch CSI! That's my cure anyway.
Beamel good news on the positive, did it get any darker? I use the Ebay cheapies and they do work for me.
I am just chomping my way through a Mars bar. Not something I do very often, but it is particularly yummy tonight. Not sure why?
VSF is it still very snowy where you are?
It snowed here today, but immediately started to melt, so we had slush and a quite overcast sky. It makes me want to go to bed and sleeeep!

Yep - got a much darker positive late this afternoon. Will probably do another before bed just out of curiosity !

Thanks for all the hints and tips ladies. I think I am getting the hang of this now !

Funny how chocolate just hits the spot sometimes ! Think I may have some tucked away at the back of the fridge, might make up for the lack of wine (a bit).

Arrggg, I am in the horrible 2ww, and PMT hormones flying everywhere. I think I might join you in the chocolate fest.

i wish i could restrict myself to just the one mars bar....i'm addicted to m&s refrigerator squares at the moment.

not especially PMSy, that's what has been so weird...i've felt really quesy and odd the last couple of days and was starting to think maybe.....definitely AF though, but I don't feel particularly AF, just crap...same thing I guess

got the DH to take me out for dinner so yes did enjoy a couple of glasses of red and a medium rare steak....am going out again tonight to a really nice restaurant, so i think some bubbles might be the go.

why is the 2ww so horrible? i feel so much better now to be off it?

AF

43 next week

am starting to think that it's not going to be. Bloody miscarriage last year fecked everything up.

AF hasn't turned up, but expecting it tomorrow latest. Had stomach cramps twice already this week in the lead-up.

Will keep you posted.

Sorry to hear that VSF. How do you think the mc messed things up?
Juicy, you never know.
I think it is that time of year when things do seem more negative.
Big hugs to everyone!

Still waiting temp rise ! Bit worried now - should have ov'd Friday. Maybe I've not quite got the hang of this ?
Oh well !
Agree with rowing this time of year does nothing for my mood !

Did a test. Stooopidly. Neg.

Come on you wicked witch AF. Turn up!!!

We are all a bit grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr at the moment!

Sorry vsf - really sympathise. I just found out today another one of the mums I know who had DS when I had my DD is pregnant again. That is about 5 of our friends announcing pregnancies with their second in the space of aout 5 months. S000000000000000000000 jealous.

Was looking at the first page and seeing the bfps - anyone know how they are doing?

Grrrrrrr. Yes exactly. And you are right Rowing, it's a dark cold time of the year and hard to be enthusiastic at the best of times.

I think the miscarriage messed me up because it wasted so much time. I got pregnant within a few months of trying last year (and the first month after I stopped bf), but it was a blighted ovum, and I didn't miscarry until 11 weeks. So that was three months wasted, and I lost so much blood (really, it was grim) that I couldn't face ttc the month after either, as I was still wiped out.

And I think that might just have tipped me past being fertile - plus this is the first 'proper' period I've had since the m/c (i.e. not just red blood) so I think that's six months down the drain and now it might be too late. And I am feeling sorry for myself, so sorry to moan on.

Yes, could all the nice bfp people come back and cheer us up, we need some encouragement right now.

I am now off to eat a large roast dinner, which might improve things...

Hello how is everyone? I have just finished my last round of injections before starting IUI. I really thought I might be pregnant this month, but no that would be too easy. I am not sure about IUI, the cost and the success rates scare me, I have a 6 & 8 year old already, no problems getting pregnant with them. I am 40 now and confused! Please tell some success stories with IUI.

Sorry loubers - know nothing about IUI but sure someone will be along soon!

BTW - just googled 'odds on getting pregnant in 40s'. I wish I hadn't

Hi everyone, not been on for a while whilst awaiting AF and feeling low. On a positive note I just started charting, now AF arrived, and re-arranging appt with gynae also today. Have also arranged for info on prices from two tx centres specialising in older mum's, would be hopeful they could offer ivf with own eggs, but not terribly optimistic. If they can persuade dp that it is realistic, and that we could/should afford it, then we will give it a go. Personally, it all seems such a long shot, but I do need to feel we are doing something.

Glad you managed to get some answers Rowing. There are ways to get FSH down if you feel you need to, 9.9 isn't too high for treatment. Lots of info on other threads and sites.

Try to stay hopeful VSF, it sounds like your body is maybe starting to get back into your usual cycle.

Loubers, I don't yet know all the technical terms for different txs but other threads would have more info I guess?

Naughty girl Fifi, reading stats indeed! Odds are only part of the picture aren't they? There's so much they don't reflect. But I agree, taken in isolation, and from the clinic stats also, they can be defeating. We need more success stories over here!

AF arrived today. Late but here.

Oh well. Have started amino acids today to add to other battery of pills. Sitting here drinking grapefruit juice. JOY.

Sorry you're feeling low VSF. I think we all need cheering up. Some good news please. A BFP on here would go down well sometime soon.

Fifi - stick to reading the great stories of over 40's who succeed. If we want to know how unlikely it is we can just go to our GP!

I know - don't know why I did it tbh.