Concieving after 40

[bigbearsgirl]

Have any of you naturally conceived your first child after the age of 40? I have just turned 42, been TTC for over a year and had various tests (hormones, semen etc) all results normal/ok but the specialist said we should seriously consider IVF sooner rather than later. I was devastated and did yet MORE research on internet only to find MORE depressing statistics about conceiving over 40 and also read that the odds of conceiving your first child after this age are pretty non-existent and that women that do conceive beyond this age have already had children. Please cheer me up!!!

I conceived my first child at 40 (had her at 41) and my second at 42.
The statistics are depressing, but as people say you need to look at your own situation. A fall in fertility is not something that happens to everyone - some people's fertiliy drops dramatically at 35, whereas many other are as fertile in their early 40s as in their 20s. The statistics are an overall average, which is quite misleading.
Very best of luck

My DH works shifts as well. They love all the attention!
As for the Aspirin - I believe it only thins the blood. Prevents clots that can cause a mc. Not all clotting problems will even show up in tests (my tests all came back clear, so who knows?) One advantage, I now have virtually zero risk of high blood pressure problems.

Thanks articlemming, I'm feeling a bit more positive
tabitha8 - Tell me about it, he can't even wash a plate or empty a bin before he's due to start a shift (has to conserve energy poor love!!) let alone BDing!

you asked for good news stories

i TTC at 41 and got a BFP after one month. had a mc at 6 weeks and got PG again the next month. had a healthy baby at term just after i was 42. got my AF back 8 montsh later ( was ex bf)and immediately got pg just before my 43rd birthday. Had healthy baby at term.

i will be 47 next month and several people have asked me recently if I'm planning another . My SIL asked me a few weeks ago if i was pg as i was " glowing" [bemused emoticon]

I am another of the lucky ones who produced a first baby at 41 with no issues conceiving, carrying or delivering my much loved son. (I stopped at one because there were some traumas associated with Downs testing and I really couldn't face those a second time.)

The difficulty for us older would-be-mums is, that if we do have problems they are more likely to be big problems, and we have relatively little time to get them identified and sorted out. I think that is probably what your consultant is trying to get across - not to frighten you but just to give you the best possible chance of success.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Thanks KristinaM I'm feeling positively positive!

neversaydie thanks to you too. My specialist has given me and DP the all clear and cannot identify anything to prevent me from conceiving which is why I was so shocked at his comment about IVF. He asked me how long we'd been trying and when I said about a year and a half (apart from the odd month here and there) he recommended IVF. I have to go back to him in a couple of weeks to get the results of an MRI (he has identified a fibroid but wants to make sure it is one) and he said for me to have made a decision about the IVF by the time I see him again even though he's an NHS specialist and wouldn't be able to carry out the treatment.

I've sort of become angry at him and I just don't think he handled the situation very well.
Having said that I am feeling more positive just because of this thread and I found some positive over 40 stuff on t'internet....see I can't keep away from the damn thing!!

A little word of caution on the aspirin. I really wouldn't take it unless advised by a medical professional and it should not be taken late in pregnancy.

The level given to me was a very low level 75mg just one a day until I was 20 weeks.

Unless you really need it, it is best avoided.

Hi there. I got married 4 months before my 44th birthday and found out only a week later that I was pregnant. No fertility treatments, no special diets or vitamins. I know I am very lucky, as we weren't trying, but my doctor says that may have been part of the magic of it - the low stress aspect. My daughter is now 15 months old and healthy, beautiful and lovely.

Yes, conceived naturally at 42 - didn't even realise for 6 weeks - assumed it was the menopause as I wasn't really 'trying' to get pregnant - DH a lot keener than me - we just agreed to stop using contraception and see what happened ..............

I conceived four three times in my 40s. The first three ended in miscarriages, but the fourth - conceived a month before we were about to try IVF - resulted in my beautiful DS, conceived when I was 42, and born when 43.

Sometimes I think taking the pressure off by thinking we were going to do IVF helped. But then so did the mega-shagging on a dirty weekend in Brighton!

Has anyone any info and advice on finding a clinic that can help? I'm single and 40 (soon be 41) it all seems very complex and I want to find somewhere reputable with a simple sincere service that will help. Thanks.

Hi

I saw a lovely lady called Claire Mellon at the London Clinic. Not cheap, but gave me my options. She recommended IVF, and we went to the Lister for initial consultation. They were nice too. But then I got pregnant naturally!

Another positive story here! I got pregnant a couple of weeks before my 40th birthday - we'd been vaguely trying then someone lent me a Clearblue Fertility Monitor and I got pregnant the first month. Unfortunately I MCd at 9 weeks then got pregnant again the following month. The result of which is now snoring happily away in his buggy!

I've no idea if it helped but I had acupuncture after the MC. I've heard very positive things about it and it's very relaxing if nothing else.

I meant to add - the statistics are depressing, but as others have said, you need to look at your own situation. The month we started trying, I also started doing temperature charting, and it really helped me become familiar with my cycles and made me feel like I was taking some control.

Have been trying to get pregnant for 2 years and now just got married and turning 41 years old yet still trying. We've unfortunately had 2 miscarriages at 8 & 12 wks and now irregular period cycles btwn 14-29 days... Now am worried will never conceive :( Any encouraging stories to keep me going? Thank you as this is my first post

Ksuzan you can try this thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2515981-Forty-and-over-trying-for-a-first-baby-join-us-here

Thank you SparrowSG :)

I was refused IVF on the grounds that I'd be a 'poor responder', opted for donor eggs and fell pregnant naturally whilst waiting for my blood tests. Was so convinced that it wouldn't happen naturally that I was 8 weeks pregnant before I found out. Gave birth just after my 41st birthday and am now trying for #2. Have often wondered if it happened because I stopped trying so hard...

Has anyone seen Dr Joe Dispenza’s couple of success case … medical science told she can never conceive after years of trying and she conceived in a month … she was told too old for conception