Conceive over 40 without any help

[Alison68]

I'm new to this forum.  I was wondering if anyone has conceived naturally over the age of 40 without the aid of any outside help.

Thanks,

Alison

[merily71]

I just signed up for this forum, my first ever. I just wanted to thank all of you for easing my panic over becoming pregnant. I am 38, almost 39, and feel like my clock is literally driving me crazy, it's all I think about, 24/7. I am waking up panicked, etc. Your stories have made me feel a sense of calm and realize "things will be ok". Again, thank you and I will check in regularly now!

[Stilltrying42]

Im 42, and 8 weeks pregnant. I took DHEA for about three months prior to conceiving.  We had been trying for almost 4 years.  My Dr prescribed DHEA to take while waiting for IVF, but I never got that far.  DHEA seems to have done the job.  

[naturschld]

Congrats on your BFP!!  Here's to Feb 2011 babies!!  

[Pecas282]

Thanks, Sue!
Just got my positive blood test back after getting a BFP on an HPT.( I am 4 weeks today.)          I started on baby aspirin today. Congrats on your success!

[sue68]

Hi lala282,

I met someone on MH who had had multiple m/c's and she told me about low dose aspirin - she swore by it. She said it helps with blood circulation. So I thought and thought about it ( I'm not big on taking aspirin or medicin ) and decided to give it a try. I started taking it in August ( conceived in Oct ) and got my OB's approval when I went in for a follow up on some blood tests he had me take after the 2nd m/c. He was checking for blood clotting disorder but results came back negative. My doctor said it couldn't hurt, that they usually prescribe it to those who m/c'd with no apparent reason.  I don't know if it made a difference, its not a miracle pill but, I felt like I was doing something "different " from the other times. (DH believes in it and he was skeptical at the beginning ).  Again, get your doctor's approval  - my OB told me to stop taking it after 21 weeks ( affects the baby's brain ) so continue follow up.   Good luck to you - hope your third is a "charm" too !  

[Pecas282]

Congrats,Sue68! Amazing!

Since i am just under 4 weeks pregnant and have also had 2 previous miscarriages(always getting pregnant naturally), I am very encouraged by your pregnancy! Do you mind sharing with me the reason for your low dose aspirin? According to my blood test after my last miscarriage three months ago, my properties for coagulation (IgM) was slightly elevated by one decimal point. (previously it was always normal). Did your doctor come up with anything regarding your last miscarriages and was that why you took the aspirin? L

[sue68]

Hi there,

I'm 42 and now at 34 weeks with my first - naturally.  I had 2 m/c's prior to this ( also naturally ).  I took low dose aspirin too - started before conception and took it til the doctor told me to go off  ( around week 21 ).  Get your doctor's approval even if you've already started taking the baby aspirin.  They like to know what you're taking.  I am also taking prenatals and 4 extra 1mg of folic because the nurses told me that the new standard is 5mg.   Good luck to you - lots of SSBD to you - hope to see your happy news soon :D  

[Pecas282]

I haven't taken the aspirin yet, but last time I saw my doc, she mentioned taking the aspirin if pregnant. Guess what? I got a BFP yesterday from a HPT! I will see my doc this week for blood tests, etc. After my last miscarriage, my anti cadiolipina (sp?) ( the thing that determines how my blood clots), was slightly high (by one decimal point). My hematologist, in conjunction with my  primary doc, might recommend  injections to help this at some point (possibly 6 weeks). I never had fertility treatments, but in Uruguay where I live,  a fertility doc is my primary doctor for the first trimester.  She kind of acts like the high risk doctors they have in the states. Anyway, I won't take aspirin or anything until I see her this week. (I am continuing with the progesterone.)

[naturschld]

Thanks lala!  Alison, here is something I found on aspirin:  A low does of aspirin such as found in baby aspirin may be beneficial to fertility.  It is thought that aspirin can help the uterine lining by helping with the blood flow to the ovaries and uterus.  Low dose aspirin treatment also significantly improves ovarian response.  Aspirin is thought to help with In Vitro Fertilization, particularly in women who have previously had a miscarriage.  Studies show that it may reduce the risk of miscarriage as much as 50% when used with heparin or immunoglobulin.  Lala--I was reading that you might want to take it right after you ovulate along with the progesterone and quit when you get pregnant.  Or ask your dr if you can keep taking it.  I guess some don't recommend it when pg.  Guess I'll stop taking it now.  

[Pecas282]

I mean congrats Naturschld! (You're next Alison!)

[Pecas282]

Oooooh, I didn't read Naturschld's post. She has been taken baby aspirin for awhile. She probably knows more about it than I do. Congrats Alison!

[Pecas282]

Baby aspirin is a blood thinner. It's one of those "can't hurt but could help" type things. It can help clotting issues if you've had reoccurring miscarriages.(I guess progesterone falls under that " could help" category, too).

[Alison68]

Why the baby aspirin?  

[Pecas282]

I am 44 and have been pregnant naturally 2 times in the past  6 months.  The pregnancies ended in miscarriage, but I might be pregnant again, so that would be three times in under a year. Unlike the other times, this time I took progesterone 3 days past ovulation and will begin baby aspirin if pregnant. All this to help the baby come to term.

[naturschld]

Hi, just got my BFP yesterday.  Am 42 1/2 and was just taking my prenatal vitamins and 1 baby aspirin everday.  Used Preseed also.  Was scheduled to go see an RE on the 15th.  Now I can cancel; tell them thanks, but I did it myself. :)  Also, just ran into a few girls I went to school with; 2 just had a baby -no help and the 3rd was a year older and got pregnant accidentally.  It happens more than you think.  Sending you loads of ssbd!

[NZmum3]

Hi Alison,
I'm 45 years young and 27 weeks pregnant,conceived naturally.
Best of luck to you and your DH for a positive outcome.  :-)

[adgal]

I also got pregnant at 40 naturally.  I found Ovulation Predictor Kits worked well for me, and had sex starting on the first day it was positive and every day after for 3 or 4 days.  Other then knowing your cycle and having timed intercourse, I don't think there is a whole lot to do other then believe it can happen and stay positive.  SSBD and best of luck to you!!!

[chinesebones]

One time is all you need if it's timed perfectly.  Having said that, it's difficult to time it perfectly.  If a man isn't having a lot of sex, it takes him longer to replenish his supply, so if you have sex five days in a row he might be shooting blanks by the time you ovulate.  In that situation, every other day is best.  Bear in mind it takes the sperm a while to swim up to the egg, and the egg doesn't last too long.  I always had best luck by making sure there were some already there waiting when I ovulated.  
I go from low to peak quickly too.  In fact, the last time I got pregnant I missed it entirely because I ran out of OPKs and had more ordered so I skipped a day- turns out I ovulated early that month.  I wouldn't have known that if it weren't for tracking my BBT.
Are you ovulating 14 days before your period starts?  If not, you may have a short luteal phase.  It took a lot of my nagging before my OB would take me seriously about that (2 miscarriages in fact.)  They can test your progesterone level 7 days before your period is due (usually they test on day 21 so be sure to insist you have a short cycle) to see if it's adequate to sustain the uterine lining.  
Two books that really helped me this time around were "Taking Charge of your Fertility" and "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Premenopause": the first for tracking fertile days and the second to recognize symptoms of estrogen dominance (and low progesterone.)  Sorry if I sound like a broken record about the progesterone but it made a world of difference to me.
Do you have the brown discharge from Day 16 until your period starts?  If it's just a day or two it could be ovulation bleeding.  If it's continuous I don't know what's causing it.

[Ecologic]

Don't worry too much about the number of times you have sex with your husband: 2 times on the right days is enough to get you pregnant. And the digital monitors are really great and accurate, I used one as well. Your husband can masturbate 5 days before your ovulation time to refresh his sperm.

With my monitor the number of high fertility days would vary from 1 or 2 to 5 or 6 depending on my cycles - if you have irregular cycles that will happen. And yes the monitor does need to get acquainted with you as it will have a memory of your previous cycles.

Short cycles are OK, I conceived on a 25 day cycle.

Good luck!

[Alison68]

PamelaBee and everyone that responded, you've given me some hope.  Can you give me some pointers now?  A quick, brief history....husband is a type 1 diabetic.  I married him nearly 10 years knowing he had Erectile Dysfuntion due to the diabetes...so, we'll say our sex life never involved any penetration. We tried injections, but that was too painful for him...then, he took a HUGE step and got an implant July 2009.  In November we started trying.  In Between now and November I kinda took a month or two off.  For example, there were two months where we only had sex twice in the month.  To make matters worse, my libido is in the toilet because I'm on anti-depressants.  I could be wrong, but I don't think I'm keeping his guys (aka, sperm) fresh because I'm too tired to have sex any other time than around when I ovulate.  

I purchased a fertility monitor and used it for the first time last month.  It gave me two peak days with the little egg and we had sex on one of those days and then one high fertility and had sex on that day...so, we had sex twice last month.  That really isn't enough sex if I want to conceive, is it?  

Also, the monitor went right from low fertility to peak, it totally missed high fertility!  Maybe the monitor just needs to get aquainted with me.

Oh, and to top things off, I started with a brown discharge on day 16 of my cycle.  I do not know why that happens.  Sometimes it happens and sometimes it's just a few days before my period. Sometimes it doesn't happen at all and my period just comes on day 24 or 25.

[PamelaBee]

Yes, I'm 46 and conceived naturally at 42 and 45.  

[chinesebones]

I'm 41, and as everyone keeps reminding me, I'll be 42 at delivery.  I got pg naturally while taking prenatals and vitex and charting my bbt.  I need progesterone to hold a pregnancy, but that's easily determined by a blood test.  Best wishes!

[teri1969]

yes i have a 20 yo and 21 yo then now pg with this baby all naturale...lol

[claud9]

I'm 42 currently pregnant naturally, baby is due early Oct. I too just like Ecologic had 3 m/c prior to this pregnancy.