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?

What is mild IVF? I have done so poorly in this cycle I don’t think it could get any worse...

@Anxiousbuthopeful it's where you just use a low dose of stimms to get between 1-4 eggs but the aim is they are better quality than if they have been blasted with high stimms.

I will look into that barring a miracle with this cycle. I am so worried about how it went. I can deal with variability if that’s what happening, but given age and AMH i am desperately concerned that it means I am at the end of my road.

As always, I am trying to manage anxiety by looking up things online. Has anyone been offered/tried/heard of growth hormone being used as pre-treatment for the cycle? It seems to be a little like androgens in that some clinics recommend it while many others don’t...

Do you mean dhea ? I took it for about three weeks but it messed up my cycle and my progesterone levels were really high and I had to miss cycling for ivf that month.
I don’t think I actually needed it . My testosterone level was low at 0.7 but I think it has to be below 0.3 to be seen as requiring dhea . Also your dheas should be tested .
I suggest getting yours tested and getting dhea prescribed if required by a qualified professional. Don’t do what I did and read about it on mumsnet and get blood tests done and self administer ! I only took a low dose of 25mg a day but it threw my body out of sync . It’s a hormone not a supplement so can do more harm than good if taken incorrectly x

@Sunshinelove8 I meant to say, i wasn't at any other clinic previously, so i only have experience of Create. I'm doing mild stims, inject for around 8 days, can be a bit longer if your body requires it, for me it was stim for 8 days from cycle day 2, then EC between D12-14. I had 3 monitoring scans during this time. All over very quickly. That's fantastic you met your DH just before starting all this, some things do work out right in the end!

Create do have a monthly online seminar on mild/natural IVF with their founder and medical director, Geeta Nargund. It's free to sign up and watch.

@IslandStars thanks for the info . I suppose my biggest concern is that on max stimms over 10 days I only got 6 follicles and 7 eggs . I wonder if on much less I hardly get any eggs and hence hardly any blasts . My current clinic said it’s a numbers game and high dose means more chance basically. It’s difficult!

I used Rhea. Eggs quality improved

@Blondeshavemorefun I used it for three weeks but my cycle ended up 20 days and my progesterone was double the amount and I had to miss cycling . I was only in 25mg and my testosterone was 0.7 before and 0.9 after but my dheas were those of a 20 year old so I think it messed me up. I’m pretty sure the excess progesterone was the adrenal converting the dhea to progesterone. I read high progesterone can affect lining . Once I came off it my next cycle was fine and progesterone back to normal. I’m a bit wary of it now ! X

I am 40 and have just completed a round of ivf and have found this board really helpful. Thank you.
I had my EC on 18/11 and decided to to PGT-A on anything available. My clinic said that 70% of cycles are not PGT-A. I’m so anxious about the results and fully expect it to all be abnormal but I felt like some of the other ladies that I just had to know.
I have done 3 IUI and four rounds of ivf and have a son from an FET from round 3# in2018. This round I got 9 eggs with 100% fertilisation, 3 blastocysts on day 5 and waiting on the results for the day 6.
Areday 6 any good? Anyone know?

Typo.
70% of the cycles they do ARE PGTA

@Betty135 Welcome and congrats on your son from your FET!

I had 3 embryos on day 5 which were very early/lagging behind, so they decided to wait until day 6 when all 3 became good blasts, grades 4 and 5. Caused me a lot of worry, but worked out fine by the 6th day. They're now on ice until i complete my package.

How long will your PGT results take?

@IslandStars
So in the end I have 3 day 5 and 1 day 6. The other 4 arrested overnight.
They said two weeks but they would call earlier if results received earlier.
I know I should stay away from the internet but it’s so hard! I know how lucky I am to have my son and if it were possible I’d like to have another. But my husband has made it very clear that he can’t do this again so it’s the last time.

How long does your take to get results? I think they all go to the states?

@Betty135 do they wait for day 6 with pgs? Do you have one going forward for pgs now? I’m awaiting my day 5 results and also doing pgs but only got 6 eggs fertilised , wish number was double! X

@Sunshinelove8
My clinic does the assisted hatching on day 4 so that the cells to be biopsied can start to emerge.
Then on day five if they are expanded and the quality is ok they biopsy c.five cells.
Then anything that reaches expanded blactocyst on day 6 they biopsy.

@Sunshinelove8
I have four for PGTA
I think it never matters how many you get we all want to see more than we have.
But as everyone says it’s quality over quantity.... but it’s hard either which was as all we all one is that one goodun!

@Betty135 Four blasts from 9 eggs is fantastic, there's always a drop off ratio to be expected.

Thanks for the info, it's good to know PGT results can come back within a fortnight, let's hope it's sooner, so much anxious waiting with IVF. I haven't done my testing yet, i have to wait until all 3 cycles of my package are completed.

Wow I would love 4 blasts ! Increases your odds of a finding a normal one 🤞

Thanks both.
Just a waiting game now.
Ivf 1 was short protocol at 37 and only had 2 day 3 - BFN
Ivf 2 long protocol at 37 and maybe 6 blactocysts - BFN
Ivf 3 long protocol at 37 maybe 5 blactocysts all of which were better quality which I put down to seeing a nutritionist and FET worked.

But it could have just been luck and nothing to do with all the supplements.

This time 40 and taking every supplement she suggested and fewer (age), grading they look ok. But at our age it’s all about the amount that are genetically correct right.

So just a waiting game.
I’ll let you know the results and I wish you both the very very best of luck.

Hello everyone. Sorry to join then disappear. For some reason the thread isn't showing up on my watch list!!

Thank you for the welcome.

@Sunshinelove8 I am also at ARGC. I did a fresh round there in 2018 then got offered an NHS cycle at Guys which was awful but somehow produced my daughter (a morula on day 5 for those of you who were concerned about whether slow developers would make it to blast). Then we just did a FET back at ARGC. I'm due to start taking DHEA as soon as I can get it so hope it doesn't mess up my cycles too!

Have everything crossed for you @Anxiousbuthopeful and @Betty135 for your PGTA results.

Good to hear more about Create @IslandStars. I booked onto one of their webinars but couldn't go in the end. I do find it intriguing and would definitely consider.

So great to be on this thread.

@Anxiousbuthopeful was it day 3 today?

Yes it was. Still in the game!

@Anxiousbuthopeful that's great did you have it transferred?

Had to take it to blast (trying to, anyway) as my lining was sub optimal this cycle. Thanks for asking @lucieloos! How are you doing?