38 and TTC first baby, anyone else?

[Wish2BMom]

mdc - you are so much more educated in your sessions with the doc than I am. I barely ever have any questions. And omg, have fun at Star Wars! I can't wait to see it.

I almost completely forgot - Star - Happy Anniversary!! Are you guys doing anything fun?
We aren't, at least not tonight. Just a work night and it's snowing/freezing rain here so better to buckle down inside.
Maybe this weekend we'll hit up a new restaurant I've been dying to try out.

Ugh, so I had O pains all day on Sunday, some last night and now I'm just feeling weird - headache last night into today, lightheadedness earlier (like leaned against a wall for support), slight bouts of nausea (I hope this was one too many sips of coffee). Weird cycle right now. "Typical" O day would have been Christmas Eve (cd17) and we BD'ed that night. But that wouldn't explain the ovary cramps I was having on Sunday and last night. I did take some ibuprofin the weekend of 12/19 so I was just assuming that O would be delayed a bit by that. So I could be 5dpo or 2dpo or 1dpo. HA!
I really don't know why I'm bothering to read into any of this...the hope is strong with this one.

 

[Wish2BMom]

fi - thyroid seems to be a silent impacter to trying to get preg. I guess even being in the normal range without TTC but maybe a little high for TTC can impact things. A few of us have gone through the 'assisted conception' blood work - FHS, AHS (egg reserve - I have diminished ovarian reserve), I think there are Day 3, Day 21 labs where you can test your estrogen and progesterone. Mdc will know more - she's a pharmacist!!
Do they do tests for you on the embryo to see if it was genetic or chromosomal? that will help narrow things down too. Mine came back with trisomy-22 so it was all chromosomal development that just went wrong.

 

[Pothole]

Fi, welcome. I hope you find as much comfort and friendship here as I have. These ladies are my lifeline. My husband is great, but there are things he simply cannot fathom, as his parts are rather different. He has told me several times how grateful he is that I have an outlet, since we are not telling family about our ttc journey. The abbreviations here can be a bit confusing if you've never been on the boards before, so if you have any questions, just ask. We all had to. Also, this thread tends to go a bit quiet on weekends, so if you post something and don't get a response from Friday night to Monday morning, don't be alarmed. Feel free to share whatever you are comfortable with, but know that we've pretty much established that there's no such thing as tmi around here.

Sugar, I threw myself a party in the driveway the day I got confirmation that my student loans were done. I think your resolution is a brilliant one.

Wish, I've got the sore boobs and cramping, for sure. Also, (and here you go Fi...straight out of the gate with the tmi) I'm really sore down there, but not achy, more like stabby. I really don't know how to describe it. Like vaginal cramps, maybe? It's weird. I've never had that before.

 

[Left wonderin]

Oooh pothole stabby is good .... I'm so so so hopeful

 

[Mdc]

Ugh, is this site super slow for anyone else or just me?

Wish, that sounds like a serious O. Hoping you feel better soon and keep up with the horizontal play time. Ha!

Fi, I responded but I think it got lost in the internet hole. I agree with wish with all those tests, and just add in maybe FSH (CD3).

Porthole, omg! Those symptoms sound so promising.

 

[elliecain]

Hi all. It's nice to check this thread and see so many posts!

Pothole, you are really keeping us hanging... I can't wait to hear!

Mdc, you really do know a lot about all this. I hope that this month works out better and your body starts playing nicely.

Wish, how confusing. I hope that your timings work out. I reckon you should do a lot of to cover all eventualities!

Krasa, I'm thinking of you and sending you strength and hope.

Left, I hope the lurgy clears soon.

Fi, welcome. I'm so sorry to hear about your losses, what a horrible way to spend Christmas. I hope we can give you some strength, love and hope.
I take it from reference to NHS that you are in the UK. Me too! Whereabouts are you? The help you get will vary depending on where you live, but I do have some advice:
Hopefully you will have a sticky bean soon, but just in case...
1: Get the tests done ASAP. Your partner will need a semen analysis. You will need cycle day 2/3 and 21 bloods and an HSG (contrast dye in Fallopian tubes and nowhere near as bad as people make out... Don't google experiences, ask us!)
The fact that you have had 2 pregnancies means it's unlikely your tubes are blocked, but you won't get to see a consultant until all those tests are done.
2: Be prepared to be told that you will not get any ivf etc on the NHS. In Somerset where I am, you have to have been trying for 3 years and be under 40. That rules me out, as I started trying at 37.5. If I'd known that before, I'd probably have bent the truth a bit, if you get what I'm saying!

Sorry to heap all that on you, and you may be aware of it all already, but I wish I'd known some of it earlier and not wasted so much time and got my hopes up about the help available. I had a very early loss back in September and have now been trying for a year. I'm still hoping to get my sticky bean au naturel, but I am also starting to make plans for private treatment if this doesn't happen in the next few months.

Welcome to the most supportive and lovely group of girls. There is a breadth of knowledge and experience here that makes the whole thing so much easier to deal with.

Afm, CD8 and getting to the groovy part of the month! We've been at it since AF ended and it's actually been really fun. Just doing it to be close and because we have both wanted to rather than to make a baby. I'd forgotten what that was like! I'm hoping to keep that going into fertile days without any change. Might not even opk this month (who am I kidding?!?!)

 

[Pothole]

Stabby is good?

 

[Wish2BMom]

I think stabby is good too but I can't remember!! I'll defer to the girls on this one but I'm loving the cramping and sore boobs. Weird question, and dandi will laugh - can you feel your uterus when you sneeze? hahaha - that was one of the more painful signs. Oh, and my dreams got....randier.... But I don't remember if that was in the TWW or shortly thereafter.

yup, no TMI here...

yeah, I did just remember that last night, we used Preseed and the injector almost got lost up there. That's how high my cervix is right now so definitely O'ing last night and not a few days ago. Guess I can try to talk DH into one more night of BD'ing tonight! I'll use our anniversary as an excuse. HA!

ellie - it's fun, huh?? I forgot what it was like too!

mdc - the site seems ok for me. Not slow yet. Or maybe I actually am growing some patience?? nahhhh.

 

[Left wonderin]

Stabby is good . I remember writing a post asking about it as a symptom on my first pregnancy . Ill try find the link !!!!! Like shooting pains in your vagina ? Ill go look and see if I can find it !!

 

[Left wonderin]

Found it !!! https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/pregnancy-first-trimester/1915329-sharp-pains-vagina.html . Don't want to give you false hope but did remember it

 

[Fi Last]

Hello ladies,

Thank you all - wish, mds, pothole, ellie - so much for your advice and encouragement. I will definitely discuss all those things with my doctor. I was sat on the wrong forum page for a day, and didn't realise anyone had responded! Overwhelmed by you all taking the time to offer all this super-useful advice, which I hadn't been able to find elsewhere - would you guys mind taking over the UK's health service?

Ellie: I'm in Berkshire, but I'm a west-country girl originally, and very much one in my heart. Wish I was still out west!

Pothole: don't worry, there's no such thing as tmi as far as I'm concerned - it's all helpful! I've already become someone who is decidedly familiar with her bodily fluids.... Plus, if it hadn't been for other women posting their mc experience I would have been totally unprepared for the grim reality of what I just went through - the nurse told me it would be "like a heavy period". If only....

A bit about my backstory. When I said I was new to all this, I'm actually just new to the miscarrying bit. I started thinking about ttc over two years ago. We weren't in the best place to do this, financially or career-wise, so I got curious and paid for a private "egg-timer" package - where they check your hormones and look at your antral follicle count. I wanted to know if I could get away with delaying one more year, and I figured the cost was a lot less than IVF.

The results were a bit "Pandora's box": everything was fine apart from my AMH levels, which were extremely low; typical of someone aged around 48. The Dr seemed a bit confused about this because my AFC seemed roughly normal (about 15 I think). I was pretty upset though. My OH also had a basic semen analysis done then, and (in terms of quantity) he seems to be a superstar.

After the tests we decided to start trying straight away, and not wait for our circumstances to be perfect. However, fate wasn't with me; almost straight away I developed a problem with my lungs, which meant I had to go on medication and often couldn't breath properly. We spent more than 18 months trying to fix this. When I hit my 38th birthday, with my lungs still bad, we decided just to go for it. Even though I was sick, we knew that if we didn't start soon, we'd run out of time. We got pregnant fairly quickly. It was the 4th cycle of trying, and the 1st where I was sure I'd timed things properly (with an OPK). That one failed at around 5 weeks. We got pregnant again the next cycle, but I mc-ed at around 7 weeks. In retrospect, I suspect I actually had a chemical on our 1st cycle too (although I didn't test) as my period was a few days late (rare for me) and I had symptoms that, after two pregnancies, I now recognise for what they are.

So it looks like I conceive fairly easily - I've been pregnant either 2 or 3 times out of 5 tries - but also miscarry easily too. I'm not sure if this has something to do with my weird results earlier (normal AFC but very low AMH), or maybe it's because of my lungs (which I think may be an immune issue), or maybe just bad luck. Whatever the case, it's turned the last few months into a crazy-nightmare rollercoaster. If any of you guys has any insight into what might be going on, I would love to hear it.

Right, I think I need to spend some time reading this forum so I can figure out everyone else's backstory. Hopefully soon I can soon start giving support and advice as well as receiving it. Thanks again to you all, this is clearly a bunch of very lovely people. And lots of luck on your own ttc journeys!

 

[Wish2BMom]

Fi - thank you for sharing your story with us! what a scary thing that happened with your lungs. My asthmatic friend says we all take breathing for granted. Are you still taking meds for that to control it? Wonder if those are coming into play? I think we mentioned it but I would definitely have your progesterone checked. I think I have low progesterone (10-11 day LP) so I get on some in every TWW now with my IVF.
Have fun learning about all of us! haha I think it's so great (and dedicated) when people go back to learn.
(and just a tip, unless you know this already - go to the Quick Links > Subscribed Threads in the tool bar above and you'll see a list of what threads you've posted too. They turn darker when someone else has posted to them so you can tell when we've responded!)

dandi - you're making me really nervous with your going dark. I hope everything is ok.

left - what a cool thread! making me all excited for pothole! tomorrow!!

afm - no BD'ing last night but that's ok. My CM told me the O was over. And I just didn't want the frustration of having to bring it up, make the move and get things going. Not that it's a huge frustration but it would be nice if he could say 'is it time? do you wanna try one more time?' just once. Of course, I am talking about Mr. Optimism (not) so those fantasies can fly out the window. Anywho - one awesomely timed BD session hopefully did the trick. Here's to hoping that my extraordinary ovulation means a quality egg! (or 2 - both sides were painin')

:wave: to everyone else!

 

[Dandi]

Goodness gracious! I've now typed out two huge posts catching up with each of you individually and my phone screwed up and then shut down completely. Just know that I'm thinking of you all and sending comfort, encouragement, and excitement...you know which one you need!

Fi, you hit the jackpot with this thread. You won't find a better group of ladies to go through this with. I hope you come to think of this thread as home as the rest of us do. I have a similar situation as you, normal AFC, but a super low AMH of .69. Not sure if that translates to the UK scale, but it's very very low. I've been able to get pregnant twice, but it does make you worry about egg quality and mc. My RE said it can happen though and it only takes one good egg, so hold on to that!

Sorry I've been MIA! I had a house full of in laws last week at the same time that I caught a monster of a cold. I was trying to stay strong and not take anything, but I ended up pledging my devotion to robitussin just to get through the holidays. I finally started feeling better yesterday. Ill do a more detailed post on the phase 2 thread soon, but the 9 week ultrasound went well. The machine was old so I didn't get a good picture,but the heartbeat was up to 168 (from 121 at 7 weeks). So RE released me to regular ob and I went to see him yesterday. He said all seems well, but reminded me of the risks and odds and said to take it day by day and hope for the best. I just adore him. He's very honest and realistic, but so kind and compassionate. So 10 weeks today and just hoping for the best. Next up is the DNA test to see what's going on with the baby, can't wait for that to be scheduled.

 

[Pothole]

Dandi, that's so exciting! I can't wait to read your further updates on the grad thread.
BTW, Fi...the grad thread, or bump buddies, is kind of our sister page. It's for those from here who are pregnant. Of course, they are ALWAYS welcome here, but if one of us is going through a hard time, it can be hard to read others good news. So they post over there, but let us know so if we are up to it, we can go check it out. It keeps all of us connected. If you want to read it, go to the pregnancy forums, then look for our title: 38 and...
One more day. Depending on how long the results take, I could know by this time tomorrow. I'm nearly delirious from lack of sleep and sinus headache. It's been so warm and rainy that things are blooming out of season and I'm a mess. I'm tempted to test now, just so if it's neg, I can go free base some sudafed. But I'm on my 12 or 13th time to the bathroom today, so I doubt any test would be terribly effective.

 

[sugargully]

Free base!!!! Pothole oh no. Don't do it. Ladies help me talk her down!!! Sorry you feel so yucky.

You too Dandi and Fi.

 

[Dandi]

Sudafed is on the safe list from my RE! So even if you cave and you're pregnant, it won't be the most terrible thing. Hang in there, hope you feel better!

 

[Pothole]

Sugar, you crack me up. I'm holding out. Using steam from the shower and drinking hot water with lemon slices. I actually got so waterlogged yesterday after 4 showers, that today I'm just running the shower full hot and sitting in the room with the door closed. It's almost too bad that DH and I don't share a bathroom, because I am having a great time writing messages on the mirror.

 

[Left wonderin]

I was told the only " safe " thing is paracetamol ... I'd have used both those other options if I'd known !!! Lempsip was my only friend . Feeling much improved today though .
Just in time for work tommrow.

 

[Wish2BMom]

dandi - thank you so much for checking in! I swear these phones have a mind of their own. Also, I'm pretty sure there is an algorithm in each one that goes off after 20 months of ownership that pushes you to upgrade after 2 yrs. Side note.
So happy for you that you've been released to a reg OB!!! HB sounds awesome - good good stuff. FX'ed for the next step.

left - are you 3rd tri yet? I can't remember and your bio thing doesn't give anything away.

pothole - HA! we just watched a documentary last night about heroin use in New England (it's horrible here, it seems) and that's immediately where my mind went! noooo! I think you could safely pour some honey into that hot water/lemon too and that might make it a little tastier.

my brain is playing tricks on me. I'm paying way too close of attn to this TWW for my own liking. I was still crampy as of this morning but that's gone for now. But I've had waves of fuzziness again. Maybe my head just doesn't like the TWW. Oh, and gobs of cm while working out. Ew. Usually I'm dry right after O.

 

[Pothole]

I cannot figure out how to post pics here. I'm awful at technology. Dandi, your phone sounds like all electronic devices when I get near them. I'd love to show you Wait! and What? since I'll know tomorrow if either of them stuck around.