Introducing myself - TTC @ 39 (warning: loss/child mentioned)

gerbies · October 2014

Hello, all! I am "new" to the TTC boards...I haven't been here for the last 5 or 6 years. I am currently 39 (40 in mid-January) and recently decided (with my DH) that we would try for one more child. I have been pregnant twice...the first time at age 33. In that pregnancy, I went into preterm labor (of undetermined cause) at 23 weeks, 5 days; my little girl was born at just over a pound and passed away two days later. We were blessed to be pregnant just a couple of months later. My son arrived early at 30 weeks at 3 lbs, 5 oz in early 2010; today, he is 4.5 and doing amazing.

It is just over 5 years since I became pregnant last. In my previous attempts (age 33 & 34), I charted temps and other fertility signs, along with OPKs and the CBFM, and was blessed with pregnancies within a few months of trying. I wasn't sure if I would have fertility issues, so I researched long before wanting to start trying and learned about charting. I think being armed with my own data and those tools helped with becoming pregnant in my early 30s (in addition to being blessed with no other complications). After much reading, I know that conception may not go as smoothly as my previous experience.

Now that I am 39, I am definitely nervous about fertility due to age. I am also VERY concerned with preterm labor and prematurity, especially since doctors and specialists could not identify the reason. Overall, we decided that if we are going to have another child, I cannot wait any longer. Like I did years ago, I began charting, temping, using my CBFM about 5 months ago, just to start collecting data. I have not been "faithful" about every temp, but I have some data to understand regularity around my cycles . We just started TTC this cycle (my data notes I ovulated today...yet my temps suggest yesterday...eek!), so we'll see what happens.

I look forward to learning from all of you and supporting each other in this journey.

hooligans4 · October 2014

Sorry for your loss.
Welcome to the board. I hope your charting helps out with ttc this go around.

tmorash · October 2014

Sorry for your loss, and welcome to the board. I've found this group to be a great source of support, advice, commiseration, and humour. Best of luck for a short stay here though!

Radiantly · October 2014

Welcome and I'm sorry about your loss. That's awesome about your son doing well despite 30 weeks! Have you tried any 'alternative' therapies like acupuncture? Or been evaluated by a Functional Medicine doctor who can look at the whole picture? For me, my RE said that my hormone levels are "normal" but when my FM/ chiropractor did extensive blood tests it showed (a) excessive inflammations, (b) stressed by high cortisol, which makes my other hormones low. I've started taking DHEA and prognenalone drops 3x day on my tongue and other vitamins, and already (in 3 weeks) I've noticed I am waking up earlier, sleeping deeper. I can only imagine my hormones are balancing themselves out... maybe for you something similar can be inspiring? Doctors are trained to look for problems, but they usually don't have the time or holistic knowledge to look in the right places for things that are caused by subtle factors.

gerbies · October 2014

Thank you for the suggestion. I was recently evaluated by specialists who...turned up nothing related to my early births due to preterm labor. I will look into acupuncture and some other options.

Thanks!!!!

wannabmama23 · October 2014

Welcome! I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you are able to learn more about what might have happened in the past, or at the very least...enjoy a short stay on this board!