If you're in your mid to late 30s (or older)...

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What were your periods like before you got pregnant (regular/irregular, heavy/light, spotting etc) and did it take you long to conceive?

I have heavy period with spotting for about 4 days before the heaviness starts and am now 36. Really hoping I can conceive with ease but feel that's not going to be the case....

My periods were regular and lasted 3-4 days. No pain or pmt with them either. Heavy middle day but lighter either side.
We decided to start trying in December, a month before my 35th birthday and got our bfp a year ago today.

Not sure how clear that it!
TTC Dec 2015, bfp Jan 2015. So didn't take long at all! We were really lucky.

I had regular short cycles of 24 days, so ovulate early around cd 9/10. It wasn't a light period but never really heavy. I did have a early mc and it was very red and heavy then. It took me 4 months that to conceive this one, I'm 39. It took two years to conceive dd2 6 years ago.

Oh dear, not doing well here!
Bfp Jan 2016! Ffs!

Regular periods which lasted up to eight days, 25 day average cycle, I did spot before having my period but that stopped after I started taking vitamin b complex.

I had several miscarriages unfortunately. We didn't have problems conceiving just staying pregnant.

23 weeks pregnant currently. Spent two years ttc.

I don't think I'm typical of my age bracket, the gynaecologist and doctors at the early pregnancy unit didn't seem to put the miscarriages down to my age, but I don't know. I do know a lot of women who have had healthy babies in their early 40's.

Good luck ttc.

Completely irregular, think 2 weeks from day 1 to day 1, then 9 weeks type irregular.
Fell pregnant with dc5 whilst bf twins, and using condoms. Dc5 is now 10 months old and currently bouncing happily on my bed.

I had regular cycles until TTC sent them haywire, resulting in about 3 days of spotting before a bleed which could last anything from one day to 5 days. Cycles also started getting shorter, from 28 days to around 24. Started TTC in January 2015 and finally got a BFP in May 2016 when I was 36, the month after an early miscarriage. Although we had maybe 4 months off trying in the middle, I naively didn't think it would take so long as we're both in good health, non-smokers, had practically stopped drinking, eat well, were taking the recommended vitamins, using Conceive Plus lube, having sex every other day for the week window... maybe the trick is not to try so hard?! Good luck and I hope your TTC journey is a short one.

That's far more information than you asked for!

Every 28/29 days, five days medium flow. Conceived 3x at 39, 40 & 42. One live birth.

25 days regular cycle. Very very heavy days 2-4(was on mefenfic acid) dd1 conceived 2 months after stopping pill (was 36) now 32 weeks with DC2 at age 41. 4 mc's in between but not age related

28 days regular cycle, period lasted for about 2-3 days with spotting either side. Very light, only had one medium or heavy day.

Took us 8 months to conceive ds1 and 2.5 years ttc and then 1 round of IVF to conceive ds2.

28 day cycle, very regular, medium flow periods lasting 4-5 days.
Started ttc in January 2015, was pregnant by March which sadly ended in mmc in May. Took 2 months to conceive next pregnancy and am now 30 weeks. I'm 41.
We're both very healthy, eat well, don't smoke, exercise regularly and we were both taking pre-conception vitamins.
Good luck with it.

My cycles were approx 33-34 days, bad PMT and would be on for around 3 days when I came off the pill, I was 34, heavy on day one, medium day two, very lift day three. We weren't actually trying to be fair, it was a split condom, but was surprised how easily I fell.

Thanks for the replies! I had forgotten that id started this thread

I had very heavy, painful but regular periods, lasting about 4 days. Conceived instantly! Big shock! I assumed because I was 35 it would take a bit longer.

I'm 36 and 37 in a couple of months. I have 1 DC and one on the way. I was 32 when pregnant with my first and conceived within the second month of trying.

I got pregnant about a year ago and had a mmc and that only took the second month to conceive. After that miscarriage it took another 6 months to fall pregnant again. I'm not sure why it took so long, I thought it was my age but it could have been my body not being ready for another baby yet...I don't know.

I found tracking ovulation with the urine test strips really helpful and tracking ovulation symptoms along with when to time sex etc.

Good luck

Sorry and to answer your actual question lol, my periods have always been clock work regular!

We started ttc when I was 33, we conceived as soon as I stopped taking the pill but that ended in an early miscarriage. My periods were a bit different after that than they had been on the pill but that could be more to do with my hormones settling down after the pill than my age - after the pill I had a regular cycle of 31-32 days, with bleeding lasting 3-4 days - what was different was 2-3 days of spotting before my period actually got going as pre-pill when I was younger I'd had a clockwork on/off similar length cycle without the spotting. After my first miscarriage I conceived again 3 months later, but that sadly ended in another early miscarriage. I then had a period in between but conceived the month after that and am due to give birth any day now. Like others on the thread, me and DH are both healthy, non-smokers, active lifestyle, took vitamins etc. I'd expected it would be harder than it was for us to conceive, but I hadn't expected to have two miscarriages during TTC before getting to keep one. We do statistically speaking have a slightly increased risk of miscarrying as we progress through our thirties, similarly there's a further increased risk with paternal increasing age - this seems to be due to an increased chance of genetic mutations as sperm and eggs are older. I think I'd have found it helpful to know that in advance of TTC as the miscarriages might have been less of a shock then. I'd also have found it helpful to know that early miscarriages were really common and didn't mean I wouldn't go on to conceive and keep a healthy baby cosy in my womb for 9 months. Good luck!

I'm 41, and 20 weeks pregnant with my first.

My periods throughout my 30s were short and light- never more than 2 days of real bleeding, sometimes only just over 1 day. I thought it was the pill but even off it my periods were very light. Never had any spotting, ever, except in the month before I conceived when I had 3 days of brown spotting before my usual light period started. I was worried but clearly there was no need to be.

Good luck!

And it took us 4 months after coming off the pill.

Came off the pill at 30, periods never went back to normal and conceived 3 months later. Came off the pill at 34 and periods were all over the place, surprise conception within a month! 😬 Thought it would harder as I got older but happened without even trying!

My cycle had become shorter to around 25-26 days. Used to be 28 like clock work. Also light and only lasting around 4-5 days. Took 3 months to conceive, quicker than I had expected.

Came off the pill when I was about 24. My periods were always regularly irregular where I'd have 2 short month of bout 28-34 days then 1 long month of 38-42 days.

Took us about 3 years to conceive.

Regular but like yours days of spotting before heaviness. Tried for over a year before bfp, baby born about a month before I turned 40. Good luck!