44 and TTC - suggestions?

[Anonymous]

I last conceived naturally and had a baby at 42. Trying again. Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Eat healthy, chart, do your best not to stress, be committed to being content with the family you have or adopting.

[Anonymous]

Or donor egg. Your odds are better than most 44 year olds, since you just had a baby at 42, but they're still long.

[Anonymous]

I would go to an RE asap. I know you don't have fertility issues, per se, but your age is a significant enough factor that I would at least go for a consultation. You can't waste too much time - at this age, every month counts.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure I have any advice, just solidarity. I am 43, and had a healthy baby at 38. I got pregnant at 42 and 43 and lost both. We are planning on trying again starting next cycle. Eggs seem to be the problem. My OB had no suggestions except IVF and PGD. I have started taking CO-Q-10 and DHEA as well as a prenatal, just in case they might do something.

It is good that you had a baby at 42. I had a consult with an RE at 42. He said my best chances were trying on my own or donor egg, that was before he saw any bloodwork.

[Anonymous]

I would try acupuncture. If you don't have a male factor that is. I heard so many success stories from women of AMA who got pregnant with acupuncture and taking herbs. Just find an acupuncturis who specializes in fertility.

[Anonymous]

Start taking prenatal vitamins and extra folic acid just in case. Also, go on a long relaxing vacation and time it so it coincides with your fertile time. I know at least 3 women in their early forties who conceived naturally on vacation (two of them had no prior pregnancies).

[Anonymous]

Also, go on a long relaxing vacation and time it so it coincides with your fertile time. I know at least 3 women in their early forties who conceived naturally on vacation (two of them had no prior pregnancies).

I'm all in favor of taking a relaxing vacation (with lots of sex), but personally, I don't think "relax and it will happen" is a very good plan of action for a 44-yr old woman.

I think you should be more aggressive. By all means, take a vacation and enjoy it, but also think about how much you desire another child and what steps you are willing to take to try to get there, because anecdotes aside, for most 40-somethings, it doesn't just happen when you relax and toss back a couple of pina coladas at the resort's poolside bar.

In the meantime, I would start taking CoQ-10, about 400mg daily. DHEA I'm a little more leery of because it can have some side effects, so you should talk to your doctor before you start it, but CoQ-10 does have some promising research behind it that shows it may help with age-related declines in egg quality.

Good luck, OP. I hope you have a short and successful TTC journey!

[Anonymous]

To be honest, I'm not sure I'd go to an RE unless you want to use a donor egg. IVF success rates for women age 44 are very low even at the very best clinics and IVF is a pretty tough process to go through when the chances of success are <10%. I'd try on your own (with charting, OPKs etc) and then decide if you want to adopt/use a donor if that does not work out. Women do get pregnant on their own at your age, but the chances of IVF working are pretty bleak. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

To be honest, I'm not sure I'd go to an RE unless you want to use a donor egg.

I think it doesn't hurt to go for day 3 labs if your insurance covers diagnostics. Knowing what your hormone levels are might help you if you are interested in trying supplements, etc.