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?

@Betty135 I'm so sorry. This stuff is so so tough sometimes. Sending you so much love. Hope you are able to take good care of yourself for the next few days. Xxx

Oh no @Betty135 - that’s terrible luck. And I agree - how hard to have to cycle and wait and then get such bad news. Hopefully next round you will get all the good ones.

Thanks all. Having slept on it although it’s so very disappointing I would rather get the bad news in one hit rather than the next four months of FETs and monthly disappointment.
Just have to pull myself together and move forwards! Xx

Or have horrible early or late miscarriages Betty , having been there three time’s lately It’s truly truly heartbreaking and also eats into your chances to quickly cycle/try again x

@Betty135 that makes a lot of sense - as you said it is saving you heartbreak for later on and time lost too. It's still hard tho so it's totally understandable to feel it.

How is everyone doing ? @Unicorn9@Betty135@Janefx40@lucieloos@Anxiousbuthopeful ?
I’m trying to decide whether to swap to crgh and do two cycles to bank or do one expensive cycle with argc again . Wish I was loaded ! Hope you’re all ok 🌷

Hi! Yes, I am ok. Taking a month off and sort of enjoying it, but having a ton of work and personal life stress as DH got a job offer in a different city and I am a bit needy

Hi @Anxiousbuthopeful sorry you have other stresses. Would you move to this other city or would he commute?

@Sunshinelove8 I'm never completely convinced that CRGH are much cheaper. I suppose you will save on all the immunes which is significant.

I'm ok thanks. Trying to do a bit of a health kick and follow the It Starts With an Egg diet but she recommends so much protein and it's really hard to do if you don't eat meat! So I am mostly spending my days counting how much protein is in each item of food!!! I got a flashing smiley today so we'll have a half hearted attempt at conceiving naturally but not much point really (from the conception point of view) x

@lucieloos also a belated congrats on having a healthy scan. You must be so relieved. That is such a massive milestone.

Hi all, I had a failed ivf cycle in September. We don't have any kids. I was 43 in Nov and hubs is over 50. We don't have much time. Where do you reckon is best for ivf for over 40s?

Hi Sunshinelove8, I am not sure as we couldn’t afford ivf in the U.K. so I have no experience of either. I have heard of argh And their success rates with over 40s but I haven’t heard of crgh. To be honest I went with my gut when it came to choosing a clinic and to me the consultant was important and not just the statistics. Sorry not much help....

Hi @Delectable welcome. I'm sorry about your last cycle not working out. Whereabouts are you based? Generally the London Clinics that have the best stats over 40 are CRGH and ARGC. The Lister is also meant to be good. Some women prefer the natural IVF route when older and go for Create. Personally I'm still on the "get as many eggs as I can" route for now.

@Sunshinelove8 sorry if my last post sounded a bit dismissive - I didn't mean it to be. CRGH are meant to be an excellent clinic. I've heard occasionally about them charging extra for bits and bobs but then nowhere is as pricey as ARGC. It's a difficult decision whether to go for one or two cycles. I'd say you would be in safe hands at either clinic so maybe it would be better to go for CRGH if you can afford more there. Plus ARGC is a bit gruelling. I was quite up for changing clinics myself but have stuck with ARGC in the end

Xxx

Delectable sorry to not respond sooner, was in a rush. Sorry your cycle didn’t work. Was it your first? I did my first and it didn’t work in October. It is hard.
I can’t recommend U.K. clinics really as I’m doing mine abroad so hope the others can recommend... good luck.

@Anxiousbuthopeful oh no sorry to hear you’re stressed , you really need some time out after all you’ve been through last few months . I hope you have the Christmas period off ? What will his new job mean for you ?
@Janefx40 I’m ovulating too but avoiding any ttc - which is so odd ! I found eating low carb nut filled breakfasts and also adding Lupin upped my carbs . I got my breakfast and lupin from amazon . I can imagine it is pretty hard ! I did it the last two months but eat meat and even I get bored and struggle . I do allow a spoon of sugar in my decaf tea to live a little and the odd bread or treats day or I would get depressed! I take all the pills recommended in that book including melatonin which I got prescribed by my clinic. Tried and disregarded the dhea though .
I dunno it’s hard on clinics , If I was rich I would keep cycling with argc but it’s like 12k whereas crgh I can cycle twice for around 15k. If I got tonnes of eggs then one cycle would be enough but I don’t so probably need to bank . I still don’t know 🤷‍♀️
@Delectable some clinics have criteria so I don’t know if you know your stats . I think argc have an fsh cut off of around 10 , I’ve read that a few times . Crgh can be picky and may push for a natural cycle where it’s just getting your natural monthly egg . I’m about to have a consultation with them in a week so will let you know . Lister and create are more flexible x

Hello @Sunshinelove8 and @Janefx40! He would be away three days a week so I would stay out and see him the remaining 4 days. I think it will actually be ok once it happens, just scary ahead of time.

Meanwhile, I am most definitely NOT ovulating. Have been using cheapo OPKs and the line is super faint. Of course, I am on exactly the same cycle as @sunshine so I am now thinking there may be something wonky about me this month

@Anxiousbuthopeful I think my clinic made an error possibly as they put me on progesterone for a week but I was having a freeze all. That may have changed my cycle from yours? I treated it as a period as two days later I started bleeding for about 8 days! I’ll be on cd14/15 which is about right though for my cycle . Have you had your bleed etc ? X

Anxiousbuthopeful I also tried cheapie opks and today I have tried one called Easy@Home. They are much wider strips and there is an app called Premom that allows u to photo the strip and the app then tells you whether ur fertility is low, high or peak. It’s quite useful because it keeps the photos of all the strips so you don’t have to keep them yourself. I think it can be used for other strips as well as there is an option to upload “other” strips. It’s only the first day I’ve used it but the app looked promising and I liked the strip because it was wider than the others I’ve used and it came back with a clear high when the others I have didn’t show high at all very clearly... the app is useful too.

All this stuff is stressful... I had an endometrial biopsy last month and I bled for so many days that I didn’t know when my period started so I’m confused as to what cycle day I’m on. I have to go for another biopsy and don’t know if I will make it this side of Christmas which would mean a delay until January. I’m hoping to go back for my FET in January and am desperate to do it then... Still waiting on results from my first biopsy as well...

Sunshinelove8 have you got any better feelings re what you want to do?

Dear @Sunshinelove8 - yes have had my period but later than you. Now on cd 11 so a couple of says to go yet, but looking really low. And @Unicorn9 - I just got the very same brand of OPKs from amazon! Will download the app. Does the amount of water one has drunk make a difference to the colour of the strip?

Anxiousbuthopeful Yes I think re amount of water does make a difference. I think the instructions mention it as well.

This is the new one...

This was old one...

The “new” one I did drink less I think but it is much clearer I think.

@Janefx40 @Unicorn9 @Sunshinelove8 Thanks ladies.
Cos of our ages we suspect we'll need more than 1 cycle so we can't afford to cycle in the UK. So yes, we're both very open to cycling abroad. My 1 and only cycle was in Istanbul.

Is there a thread with good info about clinics abroad?

What're your thoughts re embryo banking ? ie doing 3 retrievals then transfer?