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1222208 tn?1307696161

Over 40

Trying TTC after miscarriage in January. Anybody over 40 TCC or pregnant naturally????
Am I too old to keep trying??
24 Responses
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Avatar universal
Ladies, thank you for sharing your experiences!!!
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1287560 tn?1272216521
Just checked in to see if anyone else has put their stories on this forum and you have, very interesting and hopeful hearing your experiences, I am 42 years desperatly trying for a sibling and also like jfr1019 dont take fsh results as gospel. I had our son 3 years ago, natural, no supplements, my period was irregular then as it is now and we conceived Alfie. Afterwards as I approached 40 we tried the natural method again but to no avail then went onto 3 unsuccessful ivf's. Now back to au natureal and my doctor has put me on clomid to help with ovulation, i also had an ultrasound last week which revealed 7 follicles,which is good for someone my age, the clomid i have just taken is meant to help follicles grow and stimulate ovulation.Only time will tell, I am also taking vitamin B6 and folic acid, not throwing the towel in yet either and just like Scout says "It only takes one egg" but ofcourse it has to be a good one as I too had a miscarriage and my gp said it was down to egg quality. My best wishes to all of you ladies, will check this forum more often for inspiration, love Melissa from U.Kx
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Avatar universal
oops, i meant my response above to be to alexis...
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Avatar universal
thanks for your response....it also gives me hope that gonal-f injections could help if we don't conceive naturally after a few months.  yes, i'm also a big believer in accupuncture and feel it is worth the investment....i love it too given i am also having treatments to address my MS.

enjoy motherhood :-)!!!!  i hope you're managing to get some sleep ;-)....
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Avatar universal
Thanks so much for the info.  I looked into acupuncture last night and think I'm going to add that.  

Alexis, I say go for it! I'm 44 and I'm not giving up yet.  It only takes one good egg.

Good luck everyone.
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1027304 tn?1333973406
I just read your post.   I have a 6 month old healthy baby boy.   I conceived him at the age of 43 after 2 m/c's.    We tried for about a year and a half and during that time had the 2 m/c's.    One of the times I got pg was without any fertility assistance and the other one I was on femara and gonal-f injecitons.    The 3rd time I got pg (which produced my son), I was still taking the femara and gonal-f, but I had also been doing acupuncture every week for about 6 months.    I'm not sure if this was the trick, but it certainly didn't hurt.

When I started ttc at age 41, my fsh was 13.0.    I did not have it taken again after that, but I'm assuming that it was higher at the age of 43.   I, like you do not hold too much on that number.   I think it may be an indicator of perhaps "fewer selections" of eggs, but doesn't mean that there aren't any good ones left.    My dh still thinks that its just a matter of time and finding the "good" egg so to speak and that the fertility meds and everything did nothing except calm me...who know, but in an event....it worked.    so I say to all the ladies still ttc....do what works for you.    

I did not take any of the fish oils or dhea or the cod liver pills or anything like that.    I think sometimes if you take too many supplements, you are confusing your body incredibly.   I picked the acupuncture and I stuck with it...like I said, every week once a week for 6 months.    there were times I almost gave up and was seriously contemplating donor eggs, but it eventually worked for me.

Now the question is.....at the age of 44....do I try again?

Best of luck to everyone ttc.   I beat those odds, so we ARE here.     It can and does happen for us still :).
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Avatar universal
I decided to stick with the fish oil and not the cod liver oil pills given they seem to be more commonplace/accepted....wheatgrass and raspberry leaf tea were recommended by my accupuncturist as strong methods to detoxify (the wheatgrass) your overall system and 'tone' your uterus (the tea)....also, the tea is apparently good for increased blood flow to the uterus which will help with implantation.  On the royal jelly, I take a 2000 mg supplement and my accupuncturist seems to be fine with it.

Yoga has been very good for me both mentally and physically....I would recommend you really try to take time out and go for it!

I'm so sorry for your recent loss....there are no words to ease the pain, but know that I truly understand what you must be going through, especially given your emotional status must be so 'raw' being only 2 weeks ago.

Hope this helps and stay in touch :-) -

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Avatar universal
I'm 44 and TTC.  I've never had a child, only 3 m/c in the last 3 years.  My last m/c was 2 weeks ago and I'm now doing everything I can to try and make my body as healthy as possible.  

I'm also taking royal jelly and low dose asprin, along with prenatal, folic acid, B6 and B12 and fish oil.  I wanted to ask about the cod liver oil and wheatgrass and raspberry leaf tea...why are they recommended and how much do you take of those?  And how much royal jelly are you taking? I'm taking 1500 a day bc that was the recommendation on the bottle, just wondering if your RE told you something different.  (you can message me the info or leave me a note if you like, or just put it here)

And, yes, thank you for sharing.  It does help.  I did read that yoga and accupuncture is really helpful for fertility.  I may look into that as well.  Best of luck.  Hope you get that BFP really soon!
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Avatar universal
Reading all your comments has really been inspirational for me, so thank you....

Over the past 6 months, we have experienced secondary infertility given we have had 2 miscarriages (both around 6/7 weeks gestation).  First one was a blighted ovum, and the second one was a fetal pole w/no heartbeat.  To make matters more troubling, I have MS (a very mild case of multiple sclerosis), so the stress over the past 6 months has been exhausting and not good for my health (nor for anyone's!).

I have recently been to a fertility center and will be undergoing a hysteroscopy to get rid of retained tissue from the last miscarriage in a few weeks.  They are suggesting FSH injections after the surgery given I am likely not a candidate for IVF (AMH of 0.3 and FSH of 15.8).  I am however, not such a strong believer of FSH numbers as being such strong indicators of infertility, given I was diagnosed with an FSH of 15.8 the month I conceived my healthy baby girl who is now 2 years old.

Given we have a strong history of getting pregnant naturally fairly quickly (especially given my age of 42), I am leaning towards not taking the FSH injections post the hysteroscopy.

I am doing whatever I can now to get my body in good physical shape: exercise/yoga, accupuncture, eating healthy with small amounts of unrefined sugar (impossible for me to not eat any sugar!), no dairy, no gluten, no alcohol/caffeine, and lots of greens, fish and grass-fed meat.  

Additionally, I am taking supplements that include royal jelly, cod liver oil, low dose aspirin (per the recommendation of a reproductive immunologist that we went to for testing post 2 miscarriages, but they didn't find any concerns), wheatgrass tablets, high dose folic acid (recommended by reproductive immunologist), plus a pre-natal multi.  I will be starting chinese herbs and raspberry leaf tea (per my accupuncturist) once the surgery is completed.

I am not 'ready' to consider donor eggs or adoption just yet.  I am fully aware of the realities of TTC at my age, including the likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities as a strong cause for my miscarriages.  However, I know there are plenty of women that have beaten the odds (some of you on this forum), so I would love to continue hearing from anyone who can share their experience or any advice they can offer.  

In the meantime, I hope my current advice on supplements/regimen can be so some help....

Thank you, thank you!
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1323436 tn?1280829018
thanks Sherri,
I will post again after I've been to see the Dr, but i figure most of you will be sleeping lol.
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922048 tn?1387942584
That's great that you're getting right to the dr and doing the acupuncture and herbs! I had some really low temps for a while and it looks like my thyroid was the culprit. (I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, lupus, adrenal fatigue and am also slightly hypothyroid.) I hope you are successful very soon with TTC! Best wishes! :)
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1323436 tn?1280829018
I am about to turn 45 & have two beautiful daughters, 24 & 16 years old.
I have decided to try for number 3, I was pregnant about 18 months ago, but lost the baby & wasn't going to try again, but spend most of my time thinking about being pregnant or having a new baby so decided to go ahead & see what happens.
I have just started taking my temp & find that it is very low, so am off to the Dr today to get checked & probably tested for everything!  I have also started working with a traditional chineses Dr who is using acupuncture & herbs to help.
Good luck to you all, stay positive :)
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1222208 tn?1307696161
wow - thanks, I am still TTC.
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Avatar universal
I meant "paternal".....
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Avatar universal
I had a beautiful baby boy at 43--now 3, smart and healthy. No issues in pregnancy--my egg, natural conception.  I was pregnant again at 45 but miscarried at 12 weeks. I just keep moving forward. I consider myself quite blessed. Both my maternal and faternal grandmothers had children after 40.
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1217293 tn?1467354344
I meant to say Fermara did not work for many cycles along with HGG.
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1217293 tn?1467354344
Glad to see these posts. I am trying to conceive naturally with vitamins since fermara did work for many cycles and several failed IUI's.  I am working on staying positive and reading post to lift my spirits as well as prayers.  I am 40, but will be 41 in June.  It is so great to see so many of you pregnant! YEAH! Please add me as a friends so I can continue to see your progress.  If you are trying like me, also add me so we can support each other!

Risa
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Avatar universal
Hello!  I am also in the same position as you are I am 41 and going to be 42 in 3 weeks well this is my story I found out I was pregnant January 2010 but it ended up in a miscarriage in February 2010 but I am desperately trying to conceive again naturally but what help me is belonging to medhelp because the suggestions that people give that are in the same predictable I feel good and positive that it might happen again but it was a shock because actually I thought I couldn't get pregnant again because me and my boyfriend have been trying for about 5 years now and that would have been his first child but I'll say a prayer for you and keep you in my thoughts.  Good luck
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1105753 tn?1374287348
I will be 41 in less than 2 weeks and I am 6w3d pregnant, conceiveing naturally after 10 months. I feel extremely lucky and hope everything goes well. It happens much more than some would have you to believe. You are not too old, it just may take some time. Keep trying and we'll be here to support you!
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674725 tn?1367439630
Hi Bart,

I've had 2 mc's since 2008 and today I'm 42 and now 27weeks/4days pregnant - did it naturally.  Don't give up hope - you're not "too old".  After my second m/c, my OB was encouraging , he and the nurses told me there were alot of women over 40 and pregnant - his "maturest" patient is 53 years old.  So, you see ?  Its never too late - just don't give up hope.  Keep believing and I'll be looking forward to see your happy announcement soon :D
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590782 tn?1351704524
Hi I'm 42 and pregnant naturally. I am 15 weeks pregnant and so far the baby is doing fine. I've had a tough time with the morning sickness lasting all day long, but it is well worth it. My husband and I had been TTC since 2008, we've had 3 consecutive m/c but this one seems to moving along.

Good Luck and hope to hear of a BFP soon.
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Avatar universal
I am 43 had a MC in October - Conceived naturally in January - Tomorrow I start my second trimester (13 wks)!!! So NO you are NOT to old!!!


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Avatar universal
I am near you and also keep trying, even my OB putting negative comments on my ttc over 40 every time i sees her. I have changed my diet, taking accupunture and Chinese herbal tea. I believe the God will give what I "Dream" at the end of the day. God bless all of us.  
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1006003 tn?1256227415
Hi bart!

Over 10,000 over-40 women in Canada have a live birth every year. If things are similar in the USA, then about 100,000 do it there every year. I see you're from New Zealand - I expect the proportions are similar. That is to say, it's hardly impossible! You're certainly not too old to keep trying.

Here's the link for the Canadian statistics:  http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/84f0210x/2007000/t003-eng.htm

Best wishes,
~Wendy
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