Anyone doing ivf at 40+

[lucieloos]

We're considering doing a couple more rounds of ivf at 40.5 years old. We have 2 children already but still feel someone is missing.

Is anyone else starting or already having treatment at 40+ and would like to share the journey?

Thinking of you @Anxiousbuthopeful x

Yes me too! Hope everything ok @Anxiousbuthopeful

Thank you ladies! Sadly not, Beta hcgs on the way down. I am ok, had sort of prepared myself. Planning another cycle back to back, not quite sure if I should change clinic (on the basis that I’ve had two failed IVF attempts) or keep the same one on the basis that both attempts got as far as implantation and the issue is likely to be egg quality...

Sorry to hear that @Anxiousbuthopeful but it’s better I think personally then getting to 6/7/8 weeks like we both did before and seeing heartbeats. Mentally and physically you can move forward more quickly . Where are you at the moment ? What have they said to you ? Will they try anything different next time ? X big hug

Also pgs , could you explore that again? Im not sure why your clinic brushed it off for this attempt . As you say if egg quality ( think I’m same) then it will identify any normal ones x

Ahhh I'm so sorry @Anxiousbuthopeful I wouldn't have thought it's anything to do with the clinic really. You are getting decent numbers and they are willing to transfer quite a few at a time and you're also getting implantation. At our age unfortunately it can be hard to get that perfect egg. Glad to hear you are getting straight back on it. I always found that the best way to deal with things. Hopefully next time will be your lucky go.

Yes @Sunshinelove8 - I completely agree. Much better than when one is further along. Will try to speak to doc to see if they want to do anything different this time.

Thanks @lucieloos! Doc just rang, quite discouraging actually (nothing we can really do differently, just going to get worse with time, the best way forward would be egg donation etc). Still planning to try again ASAP.

It’s a numbers game , I think 1/10 is normal at our age . I’ve read a lot of people getting the donor eggs conversation on here and ending up with a baby. Keep going as long as you can manage xxx

@Sunshinelove8 - thank you. I think I have a few more attempts in me. I don’t (much) mind the money and stress part, I just hope it works out in the end. And fingers crossed for you too!

@Anxiousbuthopeful
I am so sorry to hear your sad news and I hope you have some good support around you. Life can be very unfair at times.
I echo the ladies above and think at our age it really is a numbers game - finding that great egg. So if you have the emotional reserves and finances then keep going and hope for a lot of luck on the way.
If it helps I also had 2 m/c out of 3 cycles and my consultant always said it was positive that I could achieve a pregnancy so do take the positives out of your situation. Also, your current clinic has your medical background etc so may be worth sticking with them for another go. But listen to your own instinct and if you want to move forward with your own eggs then don’t be pressured into any other situation as it’s your body and your right to choose.
Wishing you the best of luck x

Thank you @PositiveThinkerAlways. What are you all told about stats? I have been told 8% per cycle, 15% per cycle, 1 in 10 eggs and (horrendously) 1 in 25.

I got told 10 percent for cycle I’m about to do x

I was told under 10% if I went ahead with a 4th cycle using own eggs.
I don’t regret my recent 3rd cycle, even if I was told it was a 10% chance I always knew I would give it 3 fresh cycles before looking at other options. After all, someone has to be the 10% successful statistic!!

I think of it this way , I’m in the 1% recurrent miscarriage stat so 10% is actually a decent chance in my eyes!

How does everyone do multiple cycles though ? I don’t think I’d have enough for more than two x

Yes it kind of sucks. Really does. 10pc isn’t bad, and I think it must cumulate - right? So 30pc with three cycles? Or maybe it doesn’t quite work like that.

What are you going to do now @PositiveThinkerAlways?

I was told around 15% per cycle for over 40 or 1 in 3 pgs tested blasts should be normal but only 1 in 2 pgs normal blasts would stick so effectively needed 6 blasts to get that normal one which would stick. Sorry not much help to you @Anxiousbuthopeful as you aren't doing blasts or pgs.

No but I was told roughly 50pc of day 3 embryos would go on to blast, so I make it 12 day 3 embryos. Except I am bit older than you...

Out of interest @Anxiousbuthopeful why aren’t they taking your embryos to day 5 ? X

The statistics for our age really suck but it seems to work for some people and I think the stats are cumulative so the more rounds you do the more chances you have.
I always took Robert Winstons advice that you need at least 3 cycles to have a good shot at IVF and anyone who achieves success before that is very lucky! I, unfortunately, was not one of the lucky ones.
@Anxiousbuthopeful I am hoping to move on to donor eggs next as I just want to increase my chances of having a baby but that is still no guarantee and I’m not getting any younger so hoping a bit of luck helps me on my way.

My doctor reckons that there is a slightly better chance of eggs getting to day 5 inside the uterus rather than in labs, and given that he isn’t testing or freezing (which you can only do at day 5, as I understand it) and isn’t selecting embryos at day 3 (he puts all the ones I can make back in) then why wait. Does that make sense?

I do think I may ask for PGS though

@Anxiousbuthopeful I wouldn't necessarily base it on 50% of day 3 embryos getting to day 5. For me it was normally only 1-2 max and I used to have around 6-8 day 3 embryos. I kind of agree that there isn't much point in you going to day 5 and I'm not sure I would spend the extra on pgs either really given that egg quality is the most likely reason for them not sticking yet. Having said that if you do pgs and get a good one that sticks you don't have to worry about chromosomal issues later down the line like I now am.