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]

Except that I don't have any AF yet. So what's that all about then? I am most bemused.

Gonepearshaped, sorry yours has arrived. I had a cycle like that with FF a couple of months ago, and I still don't know what happened there - so I ended up using ov sticks just because I wanted to know. Now FF says I ov'd the day before the ov stick said aye, so I'm not sure I'm any the wiser from any of it... And where are you in Italy. Not somewhere that's been shaken up, I hope.

Kiwikat - which sunshine is this? We've had overcast all day and humid, as though it's going to thunder. I am in a house draped with washing right now.

I'm looking forward to hearing how people feel after a few doses of needles, am seriously considering it. Reflexology worked for me last time, but not this it seems.

Hi everyone,

Just popping in to say hello and I'm still here lurking more than posting I'm afraid. AF arrived with a vengeance yesterday which wasn't a problem as we weren't trying too hard this month - but then in the back of my mind I thought maybe the fact that we hadn't been trying would lead to a pleasant surprise - anyone else play those silly mind games with themselves or am I going nuts?

Silly games, yes. I play those too. And we think we're all such individuals!

Hi everyone, it's very busy on here today, or has it been two days.... hmmm!
Oh dear, sorry to hear stinky old AF turned up GPS, but as you say, at least you can get on with things again. How odd though - the erratic cycles. Have you tried any herbal rememdies? I have a herbal habit, can't resist anything from Holland and Barrett.
Sorry, didn't say hi Jemima (spell check doesn't like that, probably wrong spelling sorry. It is suggesting Jeremiah. Jeremiah Puddleduck, that's wrong!}
Kiwi, I'm thinking of a kiwifruit with whiskers, very strange, no other facial features. Did you mean a kiwi bird?
Hi Rock, don't worry about lurking, it's hard to keep up when this thread gets chatty.
Fifi, you sound a bit more chilled today. Hope you are feeling OK.
So we went for our blood test for HIV and other less serious STDs. Very nice helpful people, who seemed quite relieved that we didn't need lots of counselling and just wanted a certificate/prize. Haven't managed to book a scan yet, not good.
Have three flights, but my credit card was frozen as I attempted to pay for the final flight - some kind of security nuisance thing.
Here is where we will be staying Orchard Views Villa
Nice man, runs an English school, so we should be OK to speaky the English.
Off to sort out passports in big, long queue tomorrow, just a four year old's cup of tea.

Sorry VSF, didn't say hi [waves]
Fruit I know, luggage, what! Why can't we make the clothes we are wearing last two weeks?
Being very mean I have only booked in one suitcase, so we are going to have to stuff quite a bit into the take-on luggage.
Poor old DS is going to have to wear a large rucksack because we had to pay full-price for him. 'Get up you slacker!' What do you mean it's too heavy!'
Beam good luck with the needles, hope you feel fab after.

Hi All,

VSF, I'm in Parma (as in Ham, violets and parmesan) luckily a fair way away from L'Aquila, its very scary what happened down there and as for Berlusconi's jokes about camping,the man should be shot . The FF thing can be very confusing, I was using opk sticks too and they said no ov at all! I'm just going to try really super hard to be very accurate about everything this month and see if that helps. Also seriously considering the acupuncture too.

Rowing, small kids look like turtles in large rucksacks, a tad more potential for amusement than the long queue in the passport office at least. I have tried some herbal things agnus castus for one and then went to a fertility management herbalist who was very fierce with me about self medicating, actually she was pretty fierce about everything and wildly expensive.

Now I'm just trying a kind of moderated version of her advice, lots of vits, exercise, no sugar blah blah blah, oh and actually trying to de the DBing at the right time!

I hope you have a really lovely productive time in Hungary, lots of people here will be thinking of you!

Parma violets, yuck, yuck, yuck! My mother loves those. [bleuch face]
Is it lovely and Spring-like?
Was the herbal woman very scary? Did that put you off a bit, or do you think that helped?
The passport office wasn't too bad, bit expensive, but at least we knew everything was accepted and the whole thing has gone through.
Hopefully, DS will get his passport by the end of next week so can join me on the Tuesday of the following week.
I'm going to be off on the 23rd.
What is DBing is that something to do with making a database?
Thank you for your kind wishes!

Glad you asked what DBing was, Rowing, because I don't know either. Yes, I was thinking of myself as a kiwi bird with whiskers, not the fruit, as I'm from NZ. Good to hear that you've not been caught up in the earthquake, GPS, and yes, Berlusconi is an idiot.

I'm back on the agnus castus, but have decided to make the move to an opk - can anyone recommend a good one? And how the hell do you use them? I've been following Toni Weschler's book - obviously not to great effect - but it's very interesting reading. Did anyone else's AF change when it came back after their dc's birth? I have a few questions which I would appreciate help with.

We haven't heard from Nan from a while - Nan, are you out there? Hope you're doing ok.

Spiralqueen, where are you?

Here Kiwi [waves]

Just back from the GP. AF finally showed up at 54 days. Had the joys of an internal and all the gynae side was looking fine. Still getting the pelvic pain, nausea and tiredness but she thinks that it is bowel rather than gynae related. So they're going to monitor that.

Having looked at my ever fluctuating cycle she thinks that I'm probably not ovulating every month so I've got to go for a 21 day blood test to confirm. She said I could be referred to the infertility clinic once we get the results back but at my age the options are very limited. She thought that using clomifene wasn't very likely to work in this situation. I asked if she thought the chances were so remote that it wasn't worth continuing ttc and she said yes but it was up to me if I wanted to get referred.

SIL is doing a car boot next weekend so it's a chance for a big clear out of baby stuff. I think I'm becoming more accepting that a dc2 isn't going to happen but I don't know whether I should go to the clinic and get a final no it won't from them so I can draw a line under everything.

Know what you mean about Nan hope she's doing ok - she's had an awful time of it

Spiral sorry to hear about the bowel thing, I hope it clears up on its own ASAP.
I would just go for the tests, why not! It's all information and might help you make a decision you are happy with.
Kiwi, I didn't have AF until 6 months after when I introduced solids into DS's diet, I think it was pretty regular, but I wasn't monitoring so it could have been a bit erratic. I probably wouldn't have noticed due to sleep-deprivation. Probably wouldn't have noticed if somebody took my car engine and replaced it with pedals to be honest.
I used the OPKS from Ebay, I must have a look to see who I used. I definitely found one seller's sticks worked better for me, I mean more reliably.

AF hasn't been the same since dd. Only 2 cycles out of 14 the same length. On the other side they've generally been lighter, less painful and shorter (when they finally arrive [sigh] ).

Acupuncture cancelled - his wife is in labour !
Haven't laughed so much since I was told I have a dominant ovary !
The irony of it !
Rescheduled for next week !

You have to laugh though Beamel! Typical!

Sprial - I think you are kind of where I am at. I am still doing alot of thinking but while I feel there is 'unfinished business' for me in terms of a DC2, in some ways I think I just need to move on.

It's a tough situation.

Mmmm, Parma ham. Still, looking on the bright side, that's back on the menu as AF has finally turned up. On the day when FF thought I should test. I am starting to think that that site has a rather odd sense of humour. Or possibly - given what happened with your acupuncture beamel - the whole world does.

Waves to everyone - esp fifitot and spiral. I think I might be coming round to your position soon.

And good luck Rowing, if I don't post before you go - will you be able to update us from Hungary, or do we have to wait for news?!

Rowingboat, don't know if you've left for hungary yet but just wanted to wish you lots of luck. I tend to do more lurking than posting - every time i sit down and start to look at MN my 2 yr old insists on getting up on my knee to look at the smiley face icons.

All the best andkeep us posted!

tt x

Arghhh, Thanks Rowing and Kiwi I meant BDing no wonder I can't get a BFP we've been doing it backwards!

Anyway before I scuttle off in embarrassment the herbal woman I saw was kind of disapproving - her regime involved giving up wheat, dairy and sugar plus going organic and about 60 quid's worth of herbal medicines and supplements a month.

I couldn't really afford it at the time and she just made me feel a bit inadequate for finding it all a bit hard. Admittedly I was quite rubbish at the charting and now I'm doing a lot of what she advised anyway.

I don't think she was typical of herbalists though.. many are much more user friendly. My cousin could not get pg cause she was not oving, first time she used clomid but hated side effects, second time she used a herbalist and got pg in 3 months. Thing is I think real proper herbal medicines can work so its probably good to have a qualified person to tell you what to take.

I'm thinking of trying to find another practitioner back in the UK but it depends how things pan out.

I use OPK's bought super cheaply on net the pee on a stick site is good for info - better to be able to test very often rather than using the pricey chemist ones. From what I've heard quality (accuracy) can vary so its worth finding a decent website to buy them.

Hi spiral, sorry to hear about bowel thing but I agree with rowing, maybe have the tests anyway then you have more info to make a decision, really hope it works out for you though.

Sorry AF is haunting you too VSF and Beamel hope you get your appointment soon - that really takes the biscuit.

Have a good weekend everyone and good luck with whatever you're trying to do!

Hi everyone. Just finished the second batch of clomid and no horrid side effects this month - hooray! No pg yet though either and I'm with Fifi, Spiral and VSF, getting my head round the fact that it may all be over if nothing happens in these next few months.

Part of me wants to sell the baby stuff and move on but the emotions run deep don't they ladies? Maybe we should start a "STTC for fabulous 40s thread" ie Stopping Trying To Conceive...

Beamel - you couldn't make it up could you?? Hope you get a new appointment soon and he is tactful with you.

Take care of yourselves all xx

Fruitbowl - I was sorting some stuff out this morning and I still have a cot, pushchair, tons of clothes etc and can't quite bring myself to get rid! madness.

The couple near me have just had a baby, I have been lurking around waiting for them to come out so I can see it. I am a weird obsessive!

Spiral, sorry to hear about your bowel problem. Good luck for Hungary, Rowing, and for acupuncure, Beamel. Like so many of you, I also have all my baby stuff stashed away in the hope of using it all again on number 2. I'm superstitious enough to think I really SHOULD get rid of it to make it more likely that I will get PG, but I'm also tight enough not to want to risk it ...

I am squaring that circle by furiously lending it out to anyone who will have it. Although it doesn't seem to hae worked...

Hi all,
Tetley, we aren't off until the 23rd, and wifi is 'available' at the apartment, which probably means it costs one million zlotis, sorry I mean forints.
I know what you mean about being attacked by a child whenever you switch on the computer.
GPS, I knew you weren't really developing a databas, but I hadn't even considered the 'backwards'thing.
I agree that herbal medicine has a lot to offer - sitting here drinking my chamomile and raspberry leaf tea.
Kiwi, perhaps you could put the baby clothes on a black cat, you never know?
Fruit, don't leeeeeeeeeeeeeave! We would miss youuuuuu! We could always have a fed-up and over forty thread for moaning and general soul-searching?
So now I have lost the needles I need to inject the horrible hormone stuff, wah! I'm probably going to have to go to a needle place for drug addicts. Wah! Wish me luck!
VSF I do the 'lending' thing as well, although I do keep the most gorgeous, cute things.

Hi, I'm new here. Am forty with two kids (aged 13 and 5 - both conceived easily - lucky me I realise now) and would love to have a third (and last) child! I had a m c (at 6 weeks ) 24 March and have just started my first period. I guess I need some support from somebody out there as we TTC again after the m c. Should I start tracking ovulation dates even if this is my first cycle after m c? Has anybody managed to conceive successfully after a m c at the (wonderful) age of 40? My doctor here in France ran blood tests before the m c which revealed that my eggs are in pretty good shape for my age! Unfortunately my DH (who is very supportive) has started a new job away from home and can only return at week-ends (until the family moves mid-July). Sorry for rabbiting on. I'd be grateful for some input.

Jardins - welcome! I had number one at 40 after a miscarriage, so it's definitely possible! I also had brilliant support from my early preg unit, who told me that it's perfectly possible to conceive next cycle, and there are no risks attached, the only reason they tell people to wait is for dating, as your ov may well be delayed.

Rowing, oddly enough I do have a picture which proves that I have put baby clothes on a black cat (well, a bib - cat looks rather less than gruntled about it). So that doesn't work either. Sigh. Hope the visit to the addiction centre goes alright - but you must be able to get them somewhere as diabetics need them too.