Thanks, giftformeriel! I haven't gone as far as doing the IVF (I can't afford it, and there's no guarantee), but yes to eating more healthy and I'm starting to do some yoga as well. Do you have any suggestions on supplements to take? I've been so focused on other things in my life (moving from place to place, financial woes etc) that I neglected my health through the years. I plan on taking some multivitamin supplements soon together with my husband. What other supplements do you take? At the moment, I only take folic acid. I tried the One A Day Prenatal vitamins for a couple of months, didn't see any results at all so I stopped.

We've been trying since August last year and while it's heartbreaking for me every month, he's more optimistic, which is good cos I need the support. You mentioned acupuncture, which is something I've been wanting to try. What are your thoughts about it?

Hi!

I love the things you shared about having a community and I am also looking for that. I am 34 and have been TTC for a year post miscarriage. It is such a frustrating process and boy do I understand the wasted money. It is hard to not fall trap to the so called "miracle fixes" out there!

What supplements have you tried?

I am sure like me that you have an extra sense of urgency due to age. My husband and I also opted to wait until later to try. We wanted to have other life experiences first and now I just hear this clock ticking! So cliche I know but...

So glad to have this thread and hope we can all continue to communicate!

Hi Goose,

Sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I've only tried the One A Day Prenatal supplements for both my husband and I. None of us felt any different after months of taking it. Because money is tight, we stopped taking it for now. I'm currently taking folic acid only but I plan on getting some multi vitamin for both of us. Thank god for Amazon :P I've shifting my thinking a little lately... instead of looking for that 'miracle fix', I just concentrate on eating healthy and practice a healthy lifestyle altogether. Also, I'm trying to focus on relaxing and having fun in the bedroom instead of 'ok let's do it tonight cos its ovulating week!' and hope Aunt Flo doesn't visit next month. Lol! I have to say, it's less stressful (and heartbreaking) when we do it that way. Our baby, somewhere out there, knows we're doing all we can to have them in this physical world, I believe. And we haven't given up! When the time is right, it will happen :) I think all this struggle that we're facing now will make us better parents in the future

Ok, so kale and anything that's dark leafy green is suppose to be good/boost our chances for a quality egg (and sperms I would imagine) besides taking supplements. What have you ladies been preparing on the dinner table? We've been consuming lots of beef and chicken in my house. I'm not much of a 'veggie' girl but I do try to consume more salad for the sake of having a baby. Do you have any ideas or suggestions to make greens more interesting?

Anyway, more on the topic can be found here if you're interested on reading tonight! https://www.parenting.com/article/what-eat-conceive

PS: I'm crying at the thought of having no coffee

Thanks for the helpful info, giftformeriel! And I'm glad the clinics make it fair for us. I'll keep that in mind when we do decide on ivf! 10k euros is definitely not something i have right now. I'm trying to save up for the acupuncture itself! Lol! (insurance doesn't cover it). At the moment, I'm looking at some of the more organic or natural supplements that I can take to improve my health because a lot of the supplements out there contains ingredients that are not good for the body. Have you ladies heard of the brand Rainbow Light? I've browsed through the list of ingredients they use and everything looks good. Of course they're a lot more expensive but I think it's a good investment for the sake of a healthy body. No different than paying for your health insurance every month! If any of you have tried this brand or is taking it, please let me know your thoughts on it!

I recently talked to my MIL about her pregnancy experience. She told me that she had at least a cup of coffee every day without issue. Very unlike these days where you're advised to avoid caffeine. She also did not take any pre natal supplements and the doctors didn't advised any of those things to her. Being pregnant at 19 in the early 70s, you can only imagine. No google readily available for you. If you need an answer, you need to go to the library! And read the entire book to fully understand something. No shortcut! All her children came out perfect, no problem there (she had her 4th baby when she was 32).

What I'm wondering now is, did the drug industry or whoever they are, been trying to profit from our fear, to ensure we have healthy babies? Especially first time moms or like us, trying to conceive. When I asked my mom, she said she did not take any pills whatsoever as well, with the exception of the basic multivitamins.

I think, whether I'm a sucker or what, will still choose to take my pre natal multivitamins just because I think it's good for my body overall. The medical health industry has surely advanced since our parents time so why not take advantage of it? They didn't have that opportunity but we do. What are your opinions on this? :)

Today, while on the phone, my mom said to me "Our neighbor's daughter is having baby no.3! And they were married waaay after you guys! And you're taking your sweet time, you're getting OLD! If you had a baby when you got married, you would have a teenager by now!" In case you forgot, mom, it only takes 9 months to produce a baby.

My gosh! I just don't understand how insensitive some people can be! I did guilt her by saying "You know, we've been trying for YEARS now and it's not happening yet. Maybe you need to pray a little harder (she's very religious) cos whatever you're doing so far isn't working!"

I had some cake and potato chips after I hung up the phone and now I feel better. Hope you ladies are having a good week so far (yes, I know it's Monday)

I'm doing just that, giftformeriel! I tune them out, especially my mum. Some days, it's easier, some days it's tough, especially when I get my period. But I'm ok! I have a supportive husband by my side and tons of life problem to tackle every day. They keep me occupied and shifts my thoughts elsewhere. I'll be fine :)

I prefer to use OPK, I think it's the most accurate method to detect your ovulation day. Just found out a new app called SmileReader on smilelab.co/promotion, which helps you to keep all the pictures of your ovulation test strip records in a gallery. Just Scan SmileReader ovulation test with the app and you will get a score.​ I really hate to keep those strips and I now can finally get rid of them after taking pictures.

Thank you ladies for the helpful tips! I very recently started taking multivitamin supplements again (so does hubby). I think at our age, regardless of our intention of having babies or not, we should really take care of our body. I neglected it for quite a while now due to our life changes, but I know, it's no excuse! Hopefully I can afford acupuncture one of these days. It's one of those things I always wanted to try!

Good luck with acupuncture, it works out for a friend of my sis who had it before IIVF PGS NGS

I keep on reading ladies are using/going to use European clinics for surrogacy/egg donation. For me it's no wonder. Here are some of the obvious advantages we've had with bio texcom: No hidden payments. The payment is divided into several rates. Well screened donors and surrogate mothers have carefully considered their decision to be a part of the program. Unlimited number of attempts without losing money! Help with any questions. Assistance with financial arrangements. The fertility specialists of the highest qualifications. Full legal support without any additional payments. High live birth rate. They work only with fresh biological material. That is why the chances to succeed are higher. Large database. Psychological health. Not a single thing to regret about so far. Wish everyone his best choice.

agree with BeccaBecca, I often refer to https://www.eggdonationfriends.com/ who list the best IVF clinics in Europe, and I see how affordable they are

Watched this a day ago~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-SQDuJ_API&list=PL4Q8twX_alivtFC53bQ8Lh35Zzn-nFprx&index=49 So much happy for this very couple. and for all the others who've successfully been through treatments at Biotexcom clinic. The news which also amazed me is that the clinic uses the method of mitochondria donation. If I'm not mistaken this is the only reproductive center in Kyiv offering this procedure. It's said, it's aimed at making own eggs ''renewed'' (for ladies in 40+ and those with low AMH levels). Mitochondrion is one of the most important components of any living cell, including the egg. In simple words, mitochondrion is the cell’s energy station. Essentially, its work consists in supplying the cell with vital energy for its normal functioning. Women that went through multiple unsuccessful IVF attempts, as well as of older reproductive age, need to restore oocyte mitochondria. A woman can become pregnant only if there are functionally active mitochondria in her eggs. So healthy active mithochondria are taken from the donor's egg and placed into the patient's egg. Mitochondria have a tiny bit of DNA but it is just used for making energy. The egg donor wouldn't contribute the DNA that is in the nucleus (the genome). This would have the genetics for eye color, height, personality, etc. etc. When we think of someone being genetically related, it’s the nuclear genome that we are thinking of, not the mitochondrial DNA. Do the embryo would be yours at least in the way we usually think about it. This approach is based on the idea that aging/poor eggs might not be genetically damaged but might be more out of steam/energy. Sounds impressive, doesn't it.
Hope everyone's doing well.