First time trying

[36plusandtrying]

Hi all,

I am new to all of this, I'm 36 and my husband is 42 - we have just started trying for a baby. Any advice or tips, I have the glow app, have stopped/cut back drinking - but I have a very stressful job. My husband has a boy from a previous relationship - he is 8. But desperate to start a family of our own as his ex is increasingly difficult and we rarely get to see him - Have I left it too late ?

Not at all! We used the Ovia app, month 3 was the one so don't be too disheartened if it doesn't happen straight away. After all those years of trying to not get pregnant I learned that there's only a small timeframe each month when you can! Take folic acid now, make sure you relax too so a little drink is fine. Don't do any tests until AFTER you miss a period...no early testing, it makes you go mad! Best of luck!

Thank you ! Really got my hopes up this month - but reckon I just need to calm down a little lol !

Be hopeful but remember there's this tiny window so using an app such as Ovia is helpful. Further to what I said above, don't try and guess before your missed period as some symptoms are the same for both. No early testing (people post their tests on here all the time and I'm like 'wait for your missed period first!), use the digital test too as the line ones are so subjective. I say this all from experience. Our first month I tested early as my sister did and she had a strong positive. I had a very feint line which meant obsessive test buying, lots of pictures and then false hope. My period was then late but a digital test said not pregnant. My period then came on a few days later. Based on symptoms and what I now know being pregnant, I was pregnant but it didn't work out. Second month nothing, getting my period was disappointing and I cried but I stayed hopeful and then third month I missed my period and tested the next day with a Clear Blue digital.

When you do get your positive or 'BFP' (mumsnet talk) enjoy it, the sickness and all the crap isn't far behind! I'm currently just out of hospital for treatment for dehydration for crazy sickness from norovirus, if it was just me then would have dealt with it at home but being pregnant and dehydrated is a no no.

Keep exercising and drinking plenty of water while you're trying too! Don't let sex become what we called 'functional sex'.....it does make it become a chore. I still remember how great one night was when we knew it wasn't in the fertile period...haha!

Agree with others here - don't do early tests - they are just too unreliable. Wait at least until your period is a day late, and then do the test as soon as you wake up in the morning (that's when the hormone levels will be highest). I don't know how effective it really is, but DH and I aimed to have sex every other day across the "fertile period", and it seemed to work for us (pregnant on month 2 of trying). Best of luck to you both!

I found the period tracker app really good this time as I have PCOS and my periods can be all over the place. Made me a lot more i tune to changes in my body during ovulation and got pregnant really easily where it took me 18 months the first time!

I used ovulation predictor kits, but we basically went for it every other night for two weeks. And totally agree about not making it too functional, but fun! In fact I advocate alcohol as I'm sure the relaxing helped me to conceive!
I'm 41 so definitely not too late. I've been pregnant twice this year (sadly lost the first) and each time was on our 3rd cycle of trying.
Good luck!

I also had the apps and whilst it helped knowing when it to test would agree with dtd every other day to cover your fertile time.

It's so hard not to get drawn into symptom spotting etc!

All the best!

I'm 35 and my partner is 42, so very similar and we are now expecting our first baby. I had the pregnancy plus app, Got ovulation sticks off Amazon, and on month 3 used the Conceive Plus gel...not sure if it was that but it was the month I fell pregnant. I was determined to be casual about it but it is tricky not to obsess! Lots of luck!

Start taking folic acid now.

I found period tracker gave me a really good ideas on my dates/cycles and using ovulation predictor kits settled my mind that things were still functioning as they should be :-)

I also relied heavily on support from those in the conception threads. Some people there have been trying a long time but they are always welcoming to newbies and pass on lots of advice and tips.

Good luck.

Thanks all for the advice - sorry to be naive what's the conceive plus gel ! I'm trying not to get caught up in it all ! But that's easier said than done ! At least trying is lots of fun ! About to hit a 'green' patch on the glo app so wish me luck