Over 40 ttc - Autumn baby dust for me!

[Orchid222]

Here's our new thread, let's hope it's a lucky one!

Dinah..thank you for posting that incredible story..Just when I needed a massive dose of hope!! It had me both crying and laughing with amazement and those photos of the babies are adorable. Just imagine 4 children in your 40s! It makes me feel pathetic for ever moaning it's too much at my age and I've only got the one to worry about! Hats off to them. It was obv meant to be.

@Evug1234...sorry i didnt reply. Thanks for your msg. I think like you say, that expecting nothing from the ttc journey is prob the wisest thing. My dear mum used to say expect the worse and anything else is a nice surprise..only it has made me a tad negative..although I like to think of it as just being realistic

I have just watched something on Facebook, but I don’t know how to copy and paste a link from Facebook.
Anyway, he was saying they had good ivf success rates up to age 43, after age 43 there was a massive drop in the success rates. So they looked into it and found if they did egg retrieval earlier at around 16mm (tailored to each individual) the chances of pregnancy were much higher. He mentioned age 48, and women younger than 43 who were prematurely menopausal.
He also said that women who had been told donor eggs were their only chance were conceiving with their own eggs.
It’s the Center For Human Reproduction, in the US (I think).

Here's one for you. My MIL told me that when she was having her first baby in the 1960s there was another lady on the ward. This lady was having her first. She was 53. They had tried all their married life and had assumed it would never happen for them. Then boom 💥 completely natural conception at 53. A beautiful healthy baby girl.

Life before the "fertility cliff" was invented.

Critter- quick question, how many follicles did you have during your 1st round of ivf? Has the number changed much between then and now?

@Orchid222 - first round I had 8 follicles. They said that was a ‘good’ response and should be pleased with that at this age/AMH

Second round I had 12 follicles (and much better quality eggs) after some significant lifestyle changes and a slightly changed protocol. They said this was an extremely good response for age/AMH.

@Booseysmom I’m so glad you’re still with us, but sorry you’re having a tough time at the moment. I hope everything works out fo4 you, whatever you decide to do- seems like there are plenty of hopeful stories out there at the moment though!

@Sparklyglitterball - huge congratulations! Xxx

@Orchid222 - should have also mentioned that in round 1 onl6 6 of the 8 follicles contained a mature egg. In round 2 all 12 follicles contained mature eggs which was an amazing result.

Thanks Critter. Yes it has certainly given me a much needed boost of hope so thank you everyone..Maybe I will stay a while and try not to be so hypersensitive in future

Wow Mellon..what an amazing story! First baby at 53! good for her !

@BooseysMom in ref to hideous relations.. ( unsupportive) my mother is a vile woman who I would tell once I had given birth and the rest are a mixed bunch.. I think they just put you on the "done" shelf.. and they are beyond wasting my energies trying to correct.. have just about managed to have positive friends around me.. who get where I am and some are there too.. and if people are not and are judgmental when I then give them a wide birth.. yes sometimes easier said than done.. but your own mental happy place is key.. and I'm flipping looking forward to a "my family " free Christmas.. after years of never being invited finally gone sod you not bothered anyway.. and hopefully this attitude will filter to my happy fertilite zone xx

Booseys search for a daily mail article titled Is everything we thought we knew about older women and fertility wrong. It's not giving me a link so can't copy it for you, sorry! But the woman had 3 kids in her 40s, last one conceived at 48 all natural pregnancies and there are many more examples like that if you look for them:)
Sparkly- huge congrats! Enjoy the new arrival x
Critter- interesting, I had a scan today which showed 8 follicles and the consultant said it wasn't great but of course ok provided majority of them respond well to stimulation. We'll see...

@Orchid222 - oh sorry you meant how many follicles at a pre-cycle AFC? Yeah that’s different and doesnt tend to change much over the course of a few months (but will of course gradually reduce over time) before both my cycles I had 12 antral follicles at the baseline scan - they said anything over 10 is good as not all are expected to stimulate. In cycle 1 8 stimulated - 6 contained eggs. In cycle 2 all 12 did stimulate and all 12 contained eggs - apparently that is very unusual.

Thanks Critter! Yes I was told that number won't really change so 8 is not great but plenty if they respond well. I'm starting to feel nervous...
Russ when is your next IUI? I did mention at my clinic that I knew of someone who got pregnant twice with IUI after 40 and the consultant saud you were very lucky...He basically told me at my age chances of a success were very low and to go straight to ivf

Thats interesting orchid as I was thinking of IUI not IVF. Very nervous about all the tests as I don't think it'll be good!
Although I do remember when I went for my post mmc scan the sonogropger said she could see 'lots of follicles', could she have been talking about the same ones you are counting? I hope so!

First IUI tmrw morning!

Small update, think I've had a chemical preg again. There's the faintest of lines on a cheapy test from the corner shop. I'm 2 days late now so would have had a defo line. I'm never late and my boobs are killing me, as in I can't stand my bra being on....
Was in the mindset of stopping trying but this confuses me!!! 

Not sure if you can even see it on the pic?

Fab news @Presh12345 and @weasledee not out of the game yet

Good luck presh! Let us know how you get on (actually - details would be great, as I'm thinking of this!) What was done in preparation?

Weasle - can't enlarge your pic, so hard to tell but if it is a chemical then thats great news as still means you can conceive. If it's a viable pregnancy - even better! Either way I think ut's a sign that it's not your time to give up....

@Weasledee - I see it! Will keep my fingers crossed for you 🤞

@Orchid222 and @Cleozeta - my clinic although happy to try if we had wanted it were very upfront that the chance of success with IUI over 40 is between 5 and 10% max and their honest opinion was it’s better not to waste valuable fertile time and money when IVF is a far better bet.

Well clearly IVF worked for you critter! They are probably right but IVF is a lot of money if it doesnt work

Yes my clinic saud the same about not wasting time on IUI and in fact it's now 3 people who told me that- one in an nhs clinic and two in private ones

Weasle- fingers crossed!

Cleo my consultant said if the follicles don't respond well they might cancel the cycle so wouldn't charge for it which sounded great, if course we'd have to fork out to cover the initial costs and the v expensive drugs but still

@Cleozeta of course you are right it is a lot of money for potentially nothing. Interestingly the difference at my clinic wasn’t as big as you might think - 1cycle of IVF= £3.5k plus drugs, and 1 cycle of IUI = £1.8k plus drugs. Also because we booked 3 IVF cycles we effectively got one free. DH and I were both of the opinion that £1.8k on almost certain failure was a worse option than £7.3k for 3 IVF cycles which had something like a 40 - 50% chance of success over the three cycles. If that makes sense?

@Orchid222 have they tested your AMH yet?