40+ and Trying for 1st? Join in!!

[terripeachy]

Sooo... AF still isn't here and it's been 34 days (I'm a 27/28 day girl). I wrote to the doctor and asked what's up and that I'm ready to have my follow up appointment and get started again. I have a follow up appointment scheduled for tomorrow. The nurse said if AF doesn't show up by next week (Monday), I can schedule b/w and u/s to find out what's happening. From there, I want to get started on a fresh cycle. I do have 10k in prescription money. Not sure how much medical insurance I still have remaining, but I think it will be enough. Hopefully I can go back on BCP soon after AF arrives, and then start stimming, so I'm thinking by March I should be back in the game.

Jean-That is pretty crazy about your cabinets. Did anything break? Hopefully you'll be prego now and won't have to go see the RE! So think positively. This cycle may have worked for you.

Hi to everyone else..hope you are all well.

 

[Vonn]

Terri--Excited for you to get this cycle sorted out and then go for it again. It's got to be your time, it just has to be!!

Jean--How freaky! I can't imagine how shocked I would be to walk in my kitchen and find all my cabinets on the floor. I hope your sink, countertops, etc. weren't damaged in the process.

Pussycat--It's just about go time for you, isn't it? I have Feb 5 in my mind, but not sure why. GL GL GL FX FX FX!!!!!!! Can't wait for you to share your good news.

Weezy--Have you started stimming yet? You've just got a few weeks to go, right?

Dojenstein--I hope the IUI works for you!

Bella--How are you?

I am 6DPO. Really hoping this month takes so I can tell my grumpy RE to go shove it! I've had a headache for 3 days in a row. . . trying not to read into it, but you know how it goes. . . .

 

[Pussycat1]

Hey ladies, how's everyone doing?
Jean - very weird on the cabinet front, that must have caused a right mess, hopefully not too much damage ... Fingers crossed you get a plan in place to move forward with treatment, def a good idea to getcthecpriceclist, you know where you are then.
Terri, these fertility drugs screw with your natural system, hopefully that's why you're late, or could this be your month?!
Dojenatein / Weezy, good luck!
Vonn, fingers crossed, how amazing would that be!
AFM, we fly out on Sunday, donor egg collection planned for Monday (should get news from the clinic on that today or tomorrow, v excited to hear how she's progressing). ET planned for 14th. I had a scan yesterday and lining is only 6mm, not great but it never is. I do have a while to go yet and they may increase my drugs so there's time yet.
Hi to everyone else! xx

 

[Emmi]

Hey ladies, how's everyone doing?
Jean - very weird on the cabinet front, that must have caused a right mess, hopefully not too much damage ... Fingers crossed you get a plan in place to move forward with treatment, def a good idea to getcthecpriceclist, you know where you are then.
Terri, these fertility drugs screw with your natural system, hopefully that's why you're late, or could this be your month?!
Dojenatein / Weezy, good luck!
Vonn, fingers crossed, how amazing would that be!
AFM, we fly out on Sunday, donor egg collection planned for Monday (should get news from the clinic on that today or tomorrow, v excited to hear how she's progressing). ET planned for 14th. I had a scan yesterday and lining is only 6mm, not great but it never is. I do have a while to go yet and they may increase my drugs so there's time yet.
Hi to everyone else! xx

A big hello to those that remember me.

I just wanted to wish you Pussycat so much luck and baby dust, I really hope that this is your time It's all been such a long journey but hopefully it's all been worth it.


Xxx

 

[Weezy9]

Jean, sorry to hear about what happen to your kitchen. It's crazy! never imagine that would happen.

Terri, welcoming you back!

Vonn fingers cross that this month works for you

Dojenstein hope IUI works for you

Pussycat, only a few days before you head out, best of luck. We'll be excited to hear how you progress.

Emmi, Hello

AFM, got my blood result for my thyroid and it's now below 2.5 (1.6). We also got dh DNA framentation test which also turn out to be fine. so I think we're good to go with IVF. I'm seeing the consultant again on monday so that she can answer some of my concerns and if AF turns up at the end of next week, we'll start IVF.
I'm still hoping I'll get a BFP this month but if it hadn't happen for the last 2.5/3 years on it's own, the chances are slim.
I'm excited and petrified at the same time.
Wouldn't it be soooo cool if we all turn out pregnant this month
Babydust to everyone

 

[Vonn]

Emmi--Congrats to you, it looks like you are expecting! When are you due? I'd love to hear how you got to be that way--natural, IUI, IVF, meds, supplements, acupuncture, etc., etc... If you are willing to share, inspirational bfps for the 40+ are always welcome (in my opinion, at least)!

Pussycat--Wishing you (and DH and fabulous donor lady) all the best for the EC and ET!

Weezy--Hoping you will have your bfp this month, but glad to hear all is in order for the IVF in case AF comes.

Hi to everyone else!

 

[Pussycat1]

Emmi, thank you so much for your kind words. Good to hear from you again. What's been happening with you?
Weezy, got everything crossed that this is your miracle month. xx

 

[Emmi]

Hello Ladies, lots of new faces since I was here, wishing you all so much luck and baby dust for this year.

Well in a nutshell, I started ttc at 41, turned out that hubby had really erratic sperm so though we tried clomid, it was a waste of time. The nhs consultant said we could try IVF but I wouldn't be use my eggs at my age..... utter rubbish!!

So we had our first private ivf at 42 which failed but I got 14 mature eggs.

2nd IVF with the same long protocol, 15 mature eggs. We bit the bullet and put 3 embryos back which we could do because of my age which has resulted in one baby.

For the IVF, I gave up caffeine and alcohol and changed my diet to a more Mediterranean style.
Hubby changed his diet too and gave up drinking. He took supplements and I took fish oil tablets which I swear by.

Anyway, upshot is that I am 34 weeks pregnant at 44, baby will be induced at 38 weeks so not long now. All very crazy and surreal but over the moon.

Any questions, please do ask. I know how tough the journey is but it really is possible. Keep the faith and keep looking at everything and anything that could help you, it's so worth it.

Xxx

 

[terripeachy]

Here's my update:
I was able to get my bloodwork and ultrasound done today. Yay! The doctor couldn't see anything that would be affecting me on the ultrasound, but he clicked around VERY quickly. He said the bloodwork would tell the true story. He said that I may have ovulated late, and I should start bleeding any day now. My fibroid is not anywhere that would be affecting getting pregnant or preventing AF.

The good news (?) is that he said that for a person of advanced age, I am a great responder, and there is really nothing preventing me from getting pregnant. If I want to do PGS (genetic) testing, I could, but the cost is the same for one embryo as eight embryos and sometimes people do fresh cycle after fresh cycle until they get 8 and then have them tested. It costs $4,000. I'm not sure if I want to do that because I'm running out of insurance money and say I did one fresh cycle without PGS, didn't get pregnant, I would have to pay for the transfer, medicine, bloodwork/ultrasounds, etc.. out of pocket. He also reminded me of the guarantee. They will guarantee with donor eggs until I'm 50 (seriously?!), and then I get my money back. And..I did ask about the live birth versus getting pregnant and he said it is for a live birth. I didn't ask again how much it cost, but I'm really not interested in doing that. Now the only thing I have to decide is if I want PGS. I'm just not sure. I guess I'd rather go through the TWW unknowing versus having 8 embryos tested and all of them coming back abnormal. It's a tough decision. So...I guess I just wait to see what the bloodwork says tomorrow, and get ready for another IVF cycle. I would have to decide whether I want the genetic testing on the day I have my CD3 bloods.

So I'm pretty much I'm in the same place I was this morning. *sigh*

 

[Lenise]

HI ladies. I'm new here. I'll be 42 on the 25th and my boyfriend and I have recently started ttc. I've learned some from these forums but I am quite nervous that I have waited too long. At this point I have not gone to see my dr. We have decided to try for a couple months. I am taking prenatal, CoQ-10, fish oil and folic acid. My bf has stopped drinking and is eating healthier. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[terripeachy]

Hi Lenise,
I would set up an appointment with the doctor and get your hormone levels checked first just so you know where you stand. I would also recommend your bf to get a sperm analysis as well. Can't make babies if both halves of the equation aren't in working order. Hope your stay here is short.

Pussycat-Hope all goes well today with your flight and your egg collection tomorrow. C'mon lots of happy, full eggs. hee hee. Drop us a line when you can.

I found out that genetic testing is covered under my HSA, and I put the maximum in this year, so it's kind of like 'play money' so that made me feel a little better. Also, the doctor said that IF I don't get any embryos to blastocyst stage, I don't have to pay $4k. I have had them make it that far each time, but I just started feeling down in the dumps about making it again. If they send of 8 embryos and they all come back abnormal, I obviously would have paid for them to get tested, BUT I will know that there is a problem, and my chances of having a natural baby are slim/non existent. I guess this cycle will tell the real story. And again...we wait. Oh, my bloodwork showed that I ovulated, so I just have to wait for AF to appear.

 

[_bella_]

Vonn, thank you so much for asking about me. I've been spending more time either offline or on a forum geared towards users of ovusense.
For anyone interested. Ovusense is a sensor you wear internally while you sleep that takes temperature measurements every 5 minutes. It then has a reader which analyzes the data every morning and based on that data calculates and/or predicts ovulation. I'm at the very end of my first cycle using it. I have always had difficulty with temping because it causes me to have sleep very badly because I'm worrying about when or if I'll wake up and take my temp and fall back to sleep. So, ovusense is hopefully going to help.
I'm waiting on flo, have not POAS but all my symptoms say flo is on her way.
I'm enjoying two months away from winter in the warm, so tracking ovulation without guidance from my gp or other doctor is a do it myself affair until I'm back home. The nice thing about this besides getting away from the dark, grey, gloomy northern winter is DH is having none of the BDing issues we were having at home. The stress of trying on specific days doesn't seem to affect him at all. He even suggested twice a day. WHAT WHAT WHAT??? Sorry, tmi??

Emmi, congratulations!!

Lenise, welcome. It's a journey, even if you started your journey later it's still a discovery process. Also, you may be a lucky one that doesn't have to go a long time ttc.

Pussycat, I hope the travel goes well and it's a huge success.

Insurance issues are such a challenge. In the Netherlands the IVF insurance cut-off for ANYONE is 42. So if a woman wants to try after that age it's all out of your own pocket.

 

[Weezy9]

Welcome Lenise
I totally agree with Terri that you shouldn't delay getting hormones checked out. FSH, LH, AMH.

 

[Weezy9]

Terri, fingers cross that your embryos comes back normal

 

[Jean40]

As for my kitchen cabinets, the only thing I know that got broken is a box of muffin mix, lol. I still can't get to the blender because it's propping up a corner and if it's broken, it's ok, I got another one. One small cabinet is cracked along the front & one is cracked on the top part where it screws into the wall. I am going to try to salvage as much of them as I can, so maybe $200 worth of damage. Shoddy workmanship, they only put one screw in each of the cabinets to hold them up! I mean, really? Should be at least 3. Not sure how much it will cost to get someone to put them back up, but if I had some help, I could do it myself.

Got my day 3 bloods drawn yesterday. Estrogen is 44 (scale for follicular phase is 21 to 251) and FSH is 7.6 (scale for follicular phase is 3.35 to 21.63). The AMH had to be sent to another lab, so waiting for those results. If that looks as good as the estrogen & FSH, then I will go into next week's appointment very happy. I've actually worked on lowering any estrogenic substances I come into contact with in the last couple of years, no dairy, organic meat, no soy, BPA free containers. Fibroids feed off of estrogen, so if mine is this low, they shouldn't be growing too fast.

No, no chance of a baby last or this month. SO is in Europe working and I am here. Part of the problem. Would've been nice to have a chance to catch those 2 lovely eggs I saw the last couple months.

 

[Pussycat1]

Hi ladies!
Thanks for all your kind words, all is going well so far. We arrive in Brno late Sunday and had our appointment at the clinic on Monday. Donor had 9 eggs collected, 8 we're mature and 6 have fertilised, we get our day 3 report today and ET is scheduled for Sat 10:45am, then fly home that night. I wish we'd come here sooner, so much more relaxed (and cheaper even with flights and accommodation) than at home. Would highly recommend it.
Emmi, huge congrats! So pleased for you!
Welcome lenise, I can only echo what everyone else has said. Don't hang around and get your hormone levels (FSH, AMH and Oestrogen) tested ASAP then you'll know what you're dealing with, hopefully they all come back fine, but if they're low you know not to hang about hoping it will just happen and go straight for some specialist help. Some ladies are lucky with their levels and hopefully you will be, but it's a sad fact that Mother Nature starts playing mean tricks when you're 40 plus so sometimes we need a little help (or in my case a lot!).
Jean, glad there's not too much kitchen damage! Test results sound encouraging so far! x

 

[Weezy9]

Pussycat, great to hear from you and everything seems to be working out just as you hoped. hope your report comes out good and best of luck for ET on saturday.

Jean, sorry to hear about your shoddy workmanship on your kitchen but it's good you've managed to salvage some of them back, and yes, test results seems promising...please for you.

AFM: AF started to day (boo) so I will be starting IVF. I went to see the consultant on monday and this time she has made me much more reassured everything is going to be fine. due to start taking the pill in 2 days time to start the IVF process.

 

[Vonn]

Pussycat--So glad to hear things are going well! Great number of eggs fertilized, here's hoping a bunch are still in great shape come transfer date. GL & we'll be thinking of you. Meanwhile, enjoy Brno & Czech Rep!

Weezy--Sorry to hear about AF, but glad you are feeling good about next steps. What's your timeframe for IVF? BCs, then stims?

Lenise--Welcome! Some have no trouble, others are not so lucky. Try to keep a positive attitude & remain hopeful. You never know! I agree with the others, get things checked out so you know the basics. Keep track of your lab results, don't just let them tell you they're normal or abnormal. I'd suggest on day 3 having FSH, AMH, LH, E2, Prolactin. And 7DPO get your progesterone checked. Some places check all these, others don't. Doesn't hurt to ask. I believe the more info the better, but it can be uncomfortable making requests to drs.

Jean--Glad to hear you don't need an entirely new set of kitchen cabinets. It's a bummer SO isn't there to help out! I can't imagine putting cabinets back on a wall, you must be very brave and strong!

Terri--Has AF showed up yet???

Bella--So glad the location change has improved the BD situation! (We struggle mightily with that...the pressure, etc.) I hope the ovusense gives you good info, it sounds interesting. GL!

AFM--We are waiting one more cycle before getting into the medicated IUIs. I just got a change to my thyroid meds (which I am very hopeful about) and want to give it a little time to do its magic. Here's hoping everything will be a lined up when we move to the aggressive treatments.

Hi everyone else!!

 

[Vonn]

It looks like dojenstein got her BFP on their IUI cycle! Her birthday wish seems to have come true. Dojenstein--If you are around, confirm this with us. We want to congratulate you (and feel hopeful about our own chances)!

 

[Jean40]

I love hearing about how all of you are going about this journey. The overseas IVF is something I would have never even thought of. Best of luck to everyone!

I'm still impatiently waiting on my AMH results. Don't want to bother the lady at our lab customer service again until tomorrow afternoon. I just printed out all my recent testing results to take with me to new RE next week. Now that I officially have a chart there, I can go online and add things, like date of mammogram & family history and all that stuff. I need to find my list of vaccine dates that I had to get for another doctor, it's somewhere around here. There's a part with all sorts of genetic issues in the family, but ours isn't one of the major ones, so not sure if we'll be doing genetic testing. I am not even sure they have a genetic test for my specific heart problem. I know they did basic genetic testing on me when I was 10 for that, which was at the university hospital I am going to for the cardiologist in 1.5 weeks. The cardiology clinic has their own genetic counseling program I am going to ask about. Things may have changed in the last 30 years! I was told back then I had a 10% chance of my own child having a heart defect, they didn't feel mine was a genetic thing. It just happened, like it does to many others. Got it fixed, moved on with life.