Can anyone give me an idiot's guide to conception ... besides the obvious of course!

[bodiddly]

We have decided to try for number 2 and given that we are both getting on a bit ... dp is 40 and I am nearly 38 ... time is ticking. Ds was not planned so we have never actually consciously tried! I am totally bodily unaware, have fairly irregular periods etc so have no idea as to when I ovulate etc. I think I should be getting my period in the next week or so but even that is a bit of a guess to be honest! Is it advisable to buy an ovulation kit and if so what kind? Do you have to start using them on a certain day of the month? Sorry for so many questions but I could do with any advice you may have!

bodiddly start with Fertility Friend (goggle it) it has lots of reading for you to get you started, any help you need after that just ask

thanks smileycat

is charting as reliable or more reliable than ovulation kits?

I do both. I chart my temp with FF. Doing your temp will tell you when you have Ovulated & when your AF is close but it won't tell you when you are about to OV, so I also use OPK sticks to tell me when I'm fertile that way I can bd (babydance) at the right time & also keep an eye on when my AF is due
You can also record other signs like your CM the stuff your body produces at different times of the month & time it in with Ovulation when it goes EWCM eggwhite (most fertile)& check the position of your cervix. Its up to you some girls doing everything & others just one or two things
With FF you get a month for free & they email you 10 lessons in fertility which are quite interesting to read & when the month is up you either stay with the basic package or pay to use their vip bit (I just use the basic stuff)

There's a wonderful book by Toni Weschler called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". Will tell you everything you need to know!

there's also a really good website called 'pee on a stick'which has some info about ovulation predictor kits. They can work out expensive, so more info = better!

We haven't started trying yet as I have just had a colposcopy so am not sure whether to leave it to nature for a while or start with books, charts and sticks etc. I know that if I am not pregnant in 5 months time I will be called back in for another colposcopy/biopsies which will waste another month so am keen to get trying! I am very conscious of our age....

anyone else have any tips?

work out when you ovulate - ie your body gives a few signs - (sorry for tmi, but I get very wet for a few days and fancy every male thing I see) and shag like mad all the way through and for a few days afterwards.

MuchLessTiredNow

if you want to try for a particular sex baby .. I'd recommend "how to choose the sex of your baby the natural way" by Hazel Chesterman Phillips
Its also great at expalining conception in a simple way

bodiddly

The general consensus seems to be that gynaes like to see women over the age of 35 after ttc for six months without success.

How irregular are your periods?. It is little to no point doing temp charting and OPK's (particularly that) if your periods are irregular in nature. Also many GPs and gynaes do not take any notice of such charts primarily because they are so unreliable.

Please also forget this idea about making love "at the right time" i.e ovulation time. Too many women get hung up on this idea; would instead suggest that you make love when you both feel like it and try to make love two or three times a week throughout your cycle. Ovulation is NOT an exact science and a woman can ovulate earlier, later or not at all in ANY given cycle.