40+ and TTC: it's SUMMER! - Page 6

[MickiD]

Hi everyone...

I turned 4? in May... my husband and I have been married for 25 yrs... have 3 dd....

My husband and I would love to have another baby. My oldest gave us our first grandson Sept 06 & I thought that maybe that would "curb my appetite" to have another, however, it didn't... it just made it stronger! He spends a great deal of time with us... a lot of times more than his parents... and it's not enough.

This is our first month of TTC (actually we started in June, however, it was about 3 days after I ovulated) & this is my first month of charting... It's still quite new to me & I'm not sure if my chart is looking good or not. I never had a problem conceiving with my first 3... we got pregnant on our first try (actually we weren't trying to avoid)... so this is new to us.

I usually eat pretty good.... drink fresh green vegetable juices, spirulina, chlorella, take supplements & do occasional cleanses. For my fibro pain I've totally quit the pain relievers and have increased my green juices & quit eating foods I'm allergic to (increases pain). I have totally cut out sugar, soft drinks, caffeine, fried foods & I'm working on cutting out all gluten foods. I've been a vegetarian, vegan, vegetarian for about 20 years.

I started taking vitex & also supplements to increase my CM this month. I usually always have a sharp pain (ovary) at 14 cd each month. I actually always thought it was 15 cd (I usually light spot about 1/2 day before my period begins so I was taking that day into account that it was my first day of the cycle, however, I recently have learned this isn't true). During my fertile week, my husband had the week off & we were working around the house. I remember having the ovary pain, but I got mixed up on my O dates & was expecting it on Saturday (actually 15 cd) & I didn't record the pain because I wasn't expecting my O date would be moved up. On 15cd Fertility Friend put cross hair lines at 12cd... then changed it to a dotted cross hair when I inputted ewcm (more than around 12cd) on 8dpo. Does my O date look right to you according to my chart? Are my temps too low?

I did have some "new" things going on with my body this month... At 3dpo I started cramping, bloating, gassy (which never happens)... and around 1-3dpo my face broke out (never happens)... and since 8dpo I've been much more emotional than usual (crying over stuff I don't normally cry over). I keep myself well hydrated, however, a couple nights ago I had a terrible thirst & had to down a glass of water. I've had an increased amt of fatigue since 9dpo, but if I get woke up at night then I can't go back to sleep.

I took a test on Saturday (10dpo) and it was negative... I really didn't want to take it, but something took over & made me do it. I'm not sure when I'm going to retest... maybe tomorrow. I'm scared to get another negative.

I'm really trying to keep my hopes down some... I know with my age it's going to be harder to conceive than my other 3, but I can't skip the chance of trying for a few months when my husband & I are wanting a baby as much as we do.

Thanks for listening...
Michelle

[massaginmommy]

Welcome Michelle Your chart actually looks great. The dip at 8 dpo could very well be implantation and if it is it would be a bit early to get a + when you tested. I don't think your temps are too low at all. You could play with your chart and change the Ewcm on dpo8 to Watery and see if that changes your cross hairs. You can always change it back.
I'm like you I always thought the spotting was my first cycle day too. How old are you? Your post says 4? I am 44 Funny if I end up PG this cycle I will be due around my 45th birthday. WOW!!! Sometimes I wonder if I am totally crazy.

[msgoodbuns]

Welcome, Michelle. Your chart looks amazing! How long is your LP typically? Are your cycles like clockwork (same length each cycle)? It looks like you've got an implantation dip on 8DPO, and some great high temps afterwards. Keep us posted! Good luck.

[MickiD]

Thanks for the welcome msgb & massaginmommy... my temp went up again this morning (but I was up quite a bit w/my grandson)... My day temps during the last couple of days have been in the upper 98/99s.

LP is usually around 14 days... however, this is my 1st month of keeping track of my cycle on paper/computer so I could be off a day or two. Usually my cycles are 28-30 days... mostly 28. Usually I'd start spotting.. then I'd get a sharp O pain exactly 2 weeks & start exactly 2 weeks later. However, I took the vitex this month & it seems my O went to 12cd. Now I'm not sure if LP should stay the same or when to expect AF if I'm not pregnant.

Oh, I did change the 8dpo to watery & it did give me solid lines. Ok... I turned 46 in May. I must be crazy, huh? I know our family will be thinking that... especially mil & fil.

Thanks for your help,
Michelle

[Stone Fence]

Welcome Michelle.

Ladies, I just got a call from my GYN's office. I had blood work 2 weeks ago and my FSH came back at 147 That's POST-menopausal level. I go back in 4 weeks for another test unless AF shows. I imagine I'll get a CD 3 work up if that happens.

I e-mailed DH and told him I want to do acupuncture. He's skeptical to say the least. I'm getting more upset about this than I thought I would be. Probably because I still believe that BCPs caused this.

[juneau]

Welcome Michelle. Your chart is a little hard to sort out but it sounds like you're still cycling regularly and have a lot of EWCM and a decent LP, which is better than many of us who are younger than you are. Good luck!

Amy, sorry to hear the news about your FSH.

No news here. No sign of AF, my temps are still up, but I really don't know when I ovulated since my last bleed was a miscarriage on 7/3 and I wasn't charting while on vacation. I am chicken to take a test. I have to go back to my MW for a repeat quant-HCG on Thursday, so we'll see what she has to say then. I suppose I'll have to wait till Friday to get the results.

After my miscarriage last year, I had one 46-day cycle but I really knew when I ovulated (sharp pain and lots of EWCM) despite not charting temps. This time, who knows? Oy!:

[massaginmommy]

LOL Michelle on the crazy. NONE of our family even know that we are trying. My friends do and at least they don't make me feel crazy. My Dad will flip if I end up pregnant again. I had my last one at 39 adn it was bitter sweet because my Mom had passed away that same year and she was 39 when I was born. So I guess that didn't seem to old to anyone But NOW I think they would all just fall over.
Juneau Hang in there girl you will have answers soon. Can I hold my breath for you??

[MickiD]

Thanks for the welcome Amy & Juneau! Thanks for the good luck wishes, however, even with all the symptoms I don't "feel" pregnant and I'm telling myself my body is playing tricks on me. I'm usually pretty intuitive & I just don't have any vibes right now. I just knew my oldest was going to get pregnant about 3-4 weeks before they actually did & they weren't trying. I freak my kids out all the time. I don't know if it's in my head that I'm too old, especially since we want this so badly.

None of our family or friends know that we're trying either. We live about 12hrs from my family... so at least if they don't agree with what we're doing, I really don't have to hear about it very often. Now, my in-laws don't live close by either, however, they call quite a bit. If we do get pregnant, they will comment during every conversation my husband has with them. I've been HSing my 15yr dd for 2yrs now & we're still hearing comments from them.

Amy... sorry about your FSH levels.

[msgoodbuns]

Amy, is there anything else that could have caused such a high FSH level? Are you having regular cycles? Temping and seeing an ovulatory pattern?

That would freak me out. All the reason NOT to go to my OB/GYN and get day 3 tests, like they requested (I blew it off today, which is CD 4). I don't need any negative news. If I don't get pg, so be it. But I don't want to hear anything that is going to make me feel defeated before I'm ready to give up.

I say try acupuncture and chinese medicine. At least a consultation with an Eastern fertility expert. DH should be willing to at least agree with that much.

Is there anything we can do to help? A few hugs, at least?

[allfrog68]

TTC Around 40 - What are the Challenge's???

I am soon approaching 39 and thought it would be more appropriate to be in this group then the 30 group. Hope you all don't mind.

Anyhow, I have a wonderful daughter (2.5 yo) that happened somewhat by accident a couple years ago so I was thinking I was super fertile myrtle. Well, this time around I've been actively TTC for nearly 12 months. Realize a couple of years added age and tiredness may be part of the issue.

I've read a bunch of infertility books. For the most part what I read was all similar, don't drink, don't smoke, no drugs, green vegetables, no caffiene, lose weight, etc. I was pretty much on board w/ most of that. Have a little issue cutting back on caffeine. Also have quite a few extra pounds (40).

I've been charting my temps and have a Clear Blue Fertility monitor. For the most part I seem very regular but haven't been successful. I'm in my 2ww right now, 8 dpo. Glimmer of hope I have is that I did the bd in conjunction w/ EWCM which I had not noticed any other month. So, I'm really hoping I was successful but don't have any pregnancy symptoms.

Anyhow, to make a long question longer, was wondering what you all know about age and what is really going on. Figured if my cycle was very regular that would help quite a bit but I'm not sure it has. I breezed through the books so maybe I skipped the technical details that would answer my questions.

I've been lurking and you seem like a really supportive group of gals.

[Stone Fence]

Originally Posted by msgoodbuns

Amy, is there anything else that could have caused such a high FSH level? Are you having regular cycles? Temping and seeing an ovulatory pattern?

That would freak me out. All the reason NOT to go to my OB/GYN and get day 3 tests, like they requested (I blew it off today, which is CD 4). I don't need any negative news. If I don't get pg, so be it. But I don't want to hear anything that is going to make me feel defeated before I'm ready to give up.

I say try acupuncture and chinese medicine. At least a consultation with an Eastern fertility expert. DH should be willing to at least agree with that much.

Is there anything we can do to help? A few hugs, at least?

Thanks MSGB. No I have no cycle to speak of. I was temping but nothing happened. I went for my annual exam and I told the Doc that I was having stitches in my side so he ordered an US. My ovaries looked OK, no cysts or tumors. My lining was thin (CD 50 something). I had the bloods drawn the same day as my exam (2 weeks ago). The nurse who called yesterday said the FSH test is usually done after you haven't had a period for a year. I'm only CD 70 so far. I've gone as long as 6 months in the past.

In retrospect, something has been wrong for a long time. I thought it was mental on my part. I have had no sex drive for about 13 years. I thought because before DH I had an abusive BF(psych and verbal). It may well have been a side effect of BCPs on my ovaries and/or pituitary gland. I have lost weight (Family doc advice), and I still am losing. I may have been a perfect storm of bad health too (weight, BCPs and bad diet).

Sorry for the novel. If anyone knows of links to articles on Chinese Medicine that would help me a lot with DH. I read the Infertility Cure and it's a lot to take in and summarize for DH. It's not just him of course. We're trying to get out of debt and I loath spending money.

Thanks for the . I'll take more.

[cheeselady]

Amy,
I'm a lurker here. I was TTC a couple of years ago on this thread, at age 42, but now I have two ds's, one almost 11 mo old. I still toy with the idea of having another, but I don't think it will happen with on demand nursing and co-sleeping. Although, ds#2 sleeps better and seems less attached to nursing than ds#1, so who knows?

Where are you in NY State? Ds#1 was born in Dutchess Cty and we're planning to return to NY in the next couple of years.

[msgoodbuns]

Amy, if you do an internet search (Google, etc) for "chinese medicine high FSH", you will find a lot of articles.

Good luck. I hope that DH is open minded. If nothing else, the acupuncture and herbs would be great for reducing your stress levels, which I'm sure are off the charts right now. It's very relaxing, once you get used to having needles inserted in your body! Ask them to play some relaxing music while you let the needles "do their thing".

(this is a great kiss emoticon! Brought a smile to my face. I hope it does the same for you!)

[juneau]

+++!!!

Well, I caved and POAS.
















That means I conceived with one extremely well-timed BD on our 10th anniversary, two weeks or so after my miscarriage, with no AF in between. :

Guess I'll be joining the April DDC. Bean, if he/she is sticky, would be due exactly 7 weeks after the last one (4/8) -- although I think the actual due date, since I'm pretty sure I O'd late, would be about a week or so later.

I can't wait to see my MW. When I had my blood drawn last week, she said, if your HCG is still up, we'll either do a D&C or repeat the test. I said, kind of jokingly, maybe it'll be going up! She shook her head and said, "I don't think so." Well, now the joke is on her!

As soon as dd wakes up from her nap I'm heading to MW's office for my blood draw. I don't know whether to give her a head's up or just wait till she sees the results.

[KatWrangler]

Congratulations! Sticky vibes headed your way!

[Stone Fence]

: Juneau. That is awesome news!

MSGB- I'll get right on the google thing. Thanks!

Cheeselady- I'm in the Capital District of NY. Just North of the Catskills. Not so far from Dutchess County. Do you make cheese? I do occasionally. Nevermind, I see your DH makes cheese, very cool.

[SunRise]

Congratulations Juneau!

[msgoodbuns]

Juneau, that's fabulous news! Congratulations! Many warm wishes for a super sticky bean! Let us know what your MW says when you tell her.

[massaginmommy]

Juneau congrats!!! Prayers for a sticky baby.

[ustasmom]

Congrats, Juneau! :


That is interesting about the FSH. I had no idea that labwork can give that much information. I had suggested to dh that perhaps I was starting the menopausal period as I am ALWAYS hot. He thought that perhaps that could be the reason, too. I don't see my GYN until December. Maybe I will have to get some bloodwork done if I am still hot all the time.