Looking for 40+ success stories to keep me going! What's your story?

[Just_married]

Hi Mums-to-be,
I'm just looking for some testimonies of pregnant over 40s ladies to hear how their TTC journey went. Needing some positive stories to keep my positivity going. How was your journey? How long did it take? Did you try anything unusual or do you think nature just randomly works? Do you have any tips for someone 40+ for TTC and what to expect when pregnant at this age.
Thanks for any suggestions and advice.
JM

 

[Garnet]

Hello,
It has been a long 2 year journey with two MC along the way.. Finally I'm 14 weeks pregnant and hopefully everything is fine. I tried the first time for almost a year to get pregnant then I found helpful hints on this site. I used preseed, softcups, little soy and did OPKs. Prior to getting pregnant, I took Q10, prenatal vitamin, Omega 3's to help my eggs get stronger. Also started Progestone on Day 21 of my cycle. Used progestone until my 12th week...Good luck!!!

 

[SabrinaKat]

Hi,

I'm 44 (was 43 when conceived) after a mc at 41 (August 2009) and two possible chemicals. We were waiting for my period to begin hormone injections for first cycle of IVF, but it never came! I got pregnant naturally and am 26wks with a (so far) healthy little boy, due in mid-February.

It took me two months (!) to conceive first (mc, tho) and two years to conceive this little fellow, but really about 18 months BUT....once an underactive thyroid was discovered (Jan 2011) and medication adjusted (May), I got pregnant the next month, so perhaps impossible to say 'how long'.

My advice? Get as healthy as possible -- after the mc, I lost weight (BMI was 40, 29 when conceived), quit smoking, did acupuncture (Jan to April 2011 preparation for IVF), took metformin for PCOS, thyroid checked, gentle exercise (walking, cycling) and my pregnancy has been normal, routine problems so far. I am healthier at 43/44 than I was at 33/34 and that has meant that my body can handle the demands of pregnancy (so far)....

Am I lucky? Oh, yes -- but I am also a believer in you make your own luck, as well (and a few prayers may have helped)

best wishes

 

[poppy666]

Hi i had my son Korben at 40 he's now 19mths, also not long had my daughter Serenity at 41. Did suffer a MMC few days before xmas last year, but luckily concieved again on my first AF cycle.

Korben i concieved naturally on a weekend away, but with my Angel baby and Serenity i bought some Soya Isoflavone supplements and took them on CD3-CD7, plus charted and used Preseed. Feel blessed i got a second chance after my loss.

Good luck

 

[Just_married]

This is really encouraging, thank you ladies, sounds like I'm doing the right thing - on month 8 and using preseed for first time & both taking coQ10. Ditched the car and walking everywhere to get fit. I used opk for a few months, but my cycle went from 28 to 25/26 and started getting pains when ovulating so no need to use kits now lol.
If no joy this month then will buy softcups too. Will go and read about soya too. Thanks again girls, feeling much more positive now, really appreciate it! X

 

[poppy666]

Here's a good thread
https://www.babyandbump.com/ttc-groups/271211-soy-isoflavones-natures-clomid.html

 

[Stilletto_Sam]

Hi!

I have never posted here, but was casually flicking through and saw this thread.

My story? I'm 43. My darling, darling daughter Ellen will be 2 years old on Boxing Day. I conceived her amazingly naturally on my third cycle of trying after the removal of the copper-only coil when I was 40 and gave birth at the grand old age of 41. I have two sons from my first marriage so there is a 13 year age gap between Ellen and my youngest son.

Even though I was very, very fit (runner and gym bunny) the pregnancy was textbook, but gruelling...Hyperemesis in the first Tri, excruciating migraines in the second Tri and SPD in the third Tri. The birth was a doddle (3 hour labour and a completely natural birth in the pool)

I feel truly blessed and so, so thankful everytime I look at Ellen as I know not everyone conceives so easily, never mind how old!

I don't have any particular advice, only to give hope and encouragement that it is possible to become pregnant later on in life. I would say though, to try and become as physically fit as possible as I found the pregnancy hard going, even though I was fit, much more so than when I was pregnant in my twenties with my boys. Try to be a healthy weight. Eat well and sleep well. I also used the Digi ovulation predictor and watched my cycles like a hawk and had a keen and obliging OH Other than that, I was simply blessed very quickly. I truly wish that for everyone here who is hoping and praying for a miracle of their own.

Big love,

Sam XXX

 

[poppy666]

Sam your right about being easier in our 20s lol ive got 3 older boys 21,20 & 19 and those pregnancies were so much easier than my last two.

 

[Stilletto_Sam]

Sam your right about being easier in our 20s lol ive got 3 older boys 21,20 & 19 and those pregnancies were so much easier than my last two.

Wow!!!! Go you! I bet your boys are just nuts about their little sister.

 

[poppy666]

Yeah they are, korben's 19mths and he's been a handful since Seren arrived, no more for me lol

 

[truly_blessed]

I came off birth control in July 08 at age 38 and it took 16 months to get a BFP, which unfortunatley ended in MMC just before my 40th birthday. We then started to TTC in earnest in April 10 and after a couple of chemicals along the way got this wonderful BFP in May this year. I used a CBFM and had fertility tests plus a hycosy to check my tubes and womb in Feb this year. DF also started taking zinc and selenium a couple of months before this BFP. I tried soy for a few cycles but I don't think I was taking it on the cycle we were successful.

Don't give up, it just takes a little longer

 

[Sparkly222]

Hi JM

I just turned 42 and I'm 16 weeks pregnant. My partner is a fit 51 (sportsman) but I'm not particularly fit. The pregnancy was a complete shock as I was on the mini pill (although didnt always take it at the exact right time of day). I'm delighted now but when I look back to try to understand how I fell pregnant when you take into account our ages, the pill etc, the month I fell pregnant was just as I had resigned from a very stressful job and I think it was probably the first time in a couple of years that I truely relaxed. I think that, combined with my rather laid back pill taking resulted in falling pregnant. So - my advice is try to relax as much as you can and enjoy! I now feel absolutely blessed to be pregnant again - my first child is now 9 years old - my partner has 3 grown up children. I'm really loving being pregnant and am wishing you loads of good luck to fall pregnant very soon x

 

[Torontogal]

Sorry, I'm not quite in your age range although I am over 35... I just wanted to stress that while you have every reason to be optimistic it really will improve your chances to see a fertility specialist if you haven't already. If there are any non-age-related barriers to conceiving (ie blockages, male factor, thyroid, whatever) they will find them early and perhaps be able to overcome them easier than they would if you waited another six months or a year. Plus you have to take into account that just getting into one can take a few months. So along with the natural track it really helps to hedge your bets with the medical track too.

Good luck and I hope you get pregnant soon!

 

[Just_married]

Sorry, I'm not quite in your age range although I am over 35... I just wanted to stress that while you have every reason to be optimistic it really will improve your chances to see a fertility specialist if you haven't already. If there are any non-age-related barriers to conceiving (ie blockages, male factor, thyroid, whatever) they will find them early and perhaps be able to overcome them easier than they would if you waited another six months or a year. Plus you have to take into account that just getting into one can take a few months. So along with the natural track it really helps to hedge your bets with the medical track too.

Good luck and I hope you get pregnant soon!

Hi Toronto,
Thanks for your reply, you're right about getting checked out and we started the ball rolling last month after month 6 passed. I have been on Thyroxine for 24 years and my regular blood test actually showed I needed to up my dosage for the first time in 7 years 2 months ago. In the UK the NHS says women over 35 can see a doctor after 6months of trying so they dont have to wait on lists too long as time is precious. We saw our doctor last month and she tested me for anemia, thyroid levels (again) and a 21st day hormone test to make sure I'm ovulating. Been advised by others that I should expect my hubby to get a quick sperm count and I will get tubes checked....hopefully wont need to wait that long, although aparently a few women fall pregnant after tube test as it unblocks them lol.
Any way, thank you so much ALL of you for taking the time to tell me your stories, it has really encouraged me and given me some optomism. My own wee Gran who we lost this year actually had 4 of her 11 children in her 40's so here's hoping I inherited those genes!

Anyway, so glad things working out for you all, hope it wont be too long before I'm on this forum sharing pregnancy stories with you too!
Love to you all,
JM xxx

 

[Calster]

Hi, I'm 39 but our first baby is due next year. We are only five weeks pregnant, after two rounds of IVF and laparoscopy for endometriosis, a few doctor changes and lots of stress. I also consulted a naturopath who put me on a no-sugar, no-gluten, no-dairy diet, which at ifrst I thought would be impossible, but actually wasn't so bad. She told me sugar = no baby. I believe it helped us get a much better result in our second round of IVF. I know it's early days yet, but I am hoping and praying that all goes well.

 

[PoodleMommy]

We've been trying for at least 7-8 years. We've been able to conceive six times before, but all of them ended in miscarriage. Then, at 38, I was told I had cancer!!! Thankfully, it was non-invasive, so all I needed was surgery, but that put me at 40 by the time we could try again.

In August, five months after my 40th birthday, we got a BFP... I wasn't very hopeful, because of our past, but so far, at 19 weeks, this baby is alive and kicking!!

What has worked for us to conceive:

• NOT eating processed foods (including junk food, fast food) - switching to organic whole foods (plenty of veg/fruit, raw milk from grass-fed cows, eggs from pasture-raised hens, etc.)
• exercising regularly
• cutting out sugar and most caffeine (except what's in green tea)
• taking CoQ10, high-dose folic acid, l-arginine, and vitex, and drinking a ton of green tea every day
• sleeping in complete darkness (not even a clock radio light shining in the room)
• getting some sunshine every day (natural vitamin D)

This cycle, we also tried the lowest dose of injectables (gonadatropins). That helped me produce three follicles... from that, we conceived twins (the old-fashioned way -- no IUI or IVF)... one twin didn't make it, but this one is doing great!

I will be 41 when this baby is born, but we fully intend to try for baby #2 as soon as physically possible (maybe when this baby is six months old). And the crazy thing is, we fully, whole-heartedly believe we'll have that second baby! I really think switching from typical processed food to all organic whole foods makes ALL the difference. One of my friends is 47 years old and is 18 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby -- she told me that after three years of trying, she believes it worked because of my advice to her to start eating pasture-raised eggs every day and other nourishing whole foods. It's better than Clomid, IMO!

 

[SabrinaKat]

I was also recommended to eat organic food, but I agree with poodlemommy, it's lots of different things that help mom-to-be be as healthy as possible, so that hopefully, we can carry a sticky bean!

best wishes

 

[OrganicBaby]

We started trying at age 21 to have a baby, but decided not to do the fertility treatments. We adopted 2 beautiful girls along the way, in our early 30s, and now at age 40 we just got pregnant. I told a friend of mine, and her sister had a similar story where she had one baby at age 21, and her 2nd came at age 40 (same husband, just like us!) So, for some people it just takes longer than others My mom always said we needed to spend more time in the same room together to get pregnant, but trust me, that was never the problem

 

[racquel1x]

Hi i had my son Korben at 40 he's now 19mths, also not long had my daughter Serenity at 41. Did suffer a MMC few days before xmas last year, but luckily concieved again on my first AF cycle.

Korben i concieved naturally on a weekend away, but with my Angel baby and Serenity i bought some Soya Isoflavone supplements and took them on CD3-CD7, plus charted and used Preseed. Feel blessed i got a second chance after my loss.

Good luck

Hi, can you tell me a little more about the preseed and soya isoflavone..am 44 and wanting to complete my second family. I have 5 children but started on my early twenties a new relationship and a daughter of nearly 4, conceived when I was 40. Hoping to be able to conceive as my partner is 10 years younger than me and she is his only child.

Thank you

 

[poppy666]

Hi i had my son Korben at 40 he's now 19mths, also not long had my daughter Serenity at 41. Did suffer a MMC few days before xmas last year, but luckily concieved again on my first AF cycle.

Korben i concieved naturally on a weekend away, but with my Angel baby and Serenity i bought some Soya Isoflavone supplements and took them on CD3-CD7, plus charted and used Preseed. Feel blessed i got a second chance after my loss.

Good luck

Hi, can you tell me a little more about the preseed and soya isoflavone..am 44 and wanting to complete my second family. I have 5 children but started on my early twenties a new relationship and a daughter of nearly 4, conceived when I was 40. Hoping to be able to conceive as my partner is 10 years younger than me and she is his only child.

Thank you

Hi yes Preseed is a natural lubricant which is sperm friendly, soya isoflavone is a natural supplement that you can buy anywhere, it works like Clomid, but you rake twice the dosage as you would Clomid. It worked for me twice so i was lucky.

You dont say if your in the United Kingdom? if so i can tell you where to buy it.

Will post a few links to threads on Soy and women who have concieved using it.