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?

@IslandStars sorry to hear that😔fingers crossed your frozen embryo is the lucky one🤞
I ll have my first ever EC mid April on my 41st birthday. A bit anxious but also excited
X

Hi all. @IslandStars, I am sorry to hear about your failed FET, have all fingers crossed for the next one. When is it? I am supposed to transfer one of my two untested embryos next month BUT I have unexpectedly had a very very very faint positive pregnancy test, with a beta Hcg of ....7. Either very very early days (I think it was taken at 11DPO) or sadly a chemical pregnancy. I fear the latter as I am also having some spotting. But it does give me hope that if the IVF doesn’t work I could just try for a bit and see what happens...

@CyclingMumKent Thank you, it’s so demoralising when it doesn’t work, even though I have 1 more embryo left. I started off not expecting much from IVF, but it’s easy to get your hopes up after going through so much treatment. It’s important to be of a positive mind though, so I’m trying to get back into that mode of thinking.

Good luck for your EC, hope your birthday brings you lots of luck!

@Anxiousbuthopeful wow that’s exciting, really hope its a positive sign either way, like you say if it doesn’t turn into a full pregnancy, at least it shows a level of implantation naturally. Spotting seems to be common symptom of both period and BFP, it’s so hard to tell. Keeping everything crossed for you.

I’ve got a review this week, so will find out if clinic wants to do anything different. I’d like to adjust the medication in some way, really don’t want to just blindly follow the same protocol since my embryo was euploid. Hopefully I can transfer mid May, but depends if they recommend ERA. I’m undecided on it because of the time involved, so will take their view. I don’t want to lose too many months this year incase I need more rounds.

@Anxiousbuthopeful good luck💐
@IslandStars hope your review goes well! Let us know.
I just had my Day 2 scan and there are 8 follicles. Is that average for my age (41)?
I ll start 450 IU menopur injections tonight.

Keep us posted how you all get on😘

@IslandStars so sorry to hear about your FET. As you say, you start off looking at all the stats and knowing things are kind of stacked against you, but as you go along and tick off milestones you get more hopeful. I hope you get some advice and clarity this week.

@CyclingMumKent I'm 41 too. I only have one ovary so I can't really say what's normal if you have two (!) but I had 8 follicles at my baseline scan for my first round and I was told that's a good number regardless of how many ovaries you have - though of course they could've been making that up to reassure me! On that round I went on to have 12 eggs collected (which surprised me as I thought 8 would be my limit). So of course egg numbers could go up or down, but I'd think 8 is a good starting point for follicles.

@Anxiousbuthopeful lots and lots of luck to you

Chemical pregnancy confirmed. So sad! But hopeful that it will happen again.

Anxiousbuthopeful I’m sorry to hear that. It sucks. All of this is just rubbish. I went to Greece to transfer my second euploid embryo after being on sitagliptin, intralipids, prednisolone, progynova, utrogestan and prolutex and today got a BFN. Again. It’s my second euploid embryo and my lining was 10mm...

Islandstars how was your consult? I’m wondering about ERA before the last and final cycle of our last euploid embryo or whether a natural cycle may work better.

I think I am starting to realise that this won’t work for us anymore. I am 42, we don’t have more funds for ivf and although I’ve had £ miscarriages and fall quickly naturally I don’t think I can carry to full term. I’m not even convinced I can fall pregnant on ivf.... sorry to be so down. I just don’t have the strength anymore. I was so calm and chilled this transfer and still BFN...

@Anxiousbuthopeful So sorry to hear that, the ups and downs of IVF and all the dashed hopes is really hard to take. I’m glad you’ve still got 2 left, perhaps your clinic can add something else to help you maintain implantation, I’m not sure if you’ve already tried everything...

@Unicorn9 Really sorry it hasn’t worked out, I was heartbroken when my euploid embryo failed and my lining was good. If my last embryo fails, I will do one more round, but I think I’ll feel so disillusioned by then, it’s hard to keep the belief up.

My doctor did not recommend ERA at this stage as I’ve only had 1 transfer fail, he said euploid embryos have a 50-60% chance in his experience, despite the often quoted stat of 70%, so for him 40-50% chance of failure is still significant, even though the odds are much better than non tested embryos for our age - I’m 42 as well. I was undecided on ERA as there’s extra measures I could add to my protocol and he’s the lead consultant, so I do trust his advice. He said it was still largely unproven and he personally hadn’t seen enough success from it to recommend at this stage, but he will do it if I insist.

I’m adding Clexane, Lubion and Prednisolone to the Cyclogest and Progyova I took last time. I’ve had thyroid checked, which was fine. Appreciate you have now tried all of this and it still hasn’t worked. Sometimes I just think it’s a luck and numbers game and that none of these add ons really matter (we have already tried the most significant add on in PGS). It comes down to how long we can financially keep going.

Perhaps ERA would be beneficial for you now 2 euploids haven’t worked, especially if you’ve decided that you can’t afford another round. I’m not sure if natural cycles have a better success rate. Clinics seem to find them harder to manage and your lining was very good anyway. Hope you can work something out, it’s a horribly tough process to make huge decisions like this.

I am so sorry @Unicorn9. It is all such a complete mystery and so, so hard. I am considering DE if things don’t work out in a few more months and I am in equal measures petrified and excited by the prospect.

IslandStars yes we have tried it all... clexane, utrogestan (similar to cyclogest), progynova, prolutex, pred, intralipids. I’m already on levothyroxine for the last two years and my last test for thyroid was below 2 before transfer. I’ve done NKC biopsy, all the tests run by fertility clinics, comet test for sperm. Nothing. None of it has worked at all. We don’t have the money to do more cycles.

Anxiousbuthopeful is DE, donor embryo? I thought of that when I started ivf but now think it’s too cost prohibitive as well... not even sure how much it is to be honest. Maybe I should look.

Dear @Unicorn9 - yes, donor eggs or embryos. I don’t know how much it costs exactly but around the same as an IVF cycle as that is what the donor has to do. Meanwhile, I appreciate that everyone is different and that this may not help but my best friend had multiple miscarriages, so many I struggle to even think of the number. Also did IVF and her euploid didn’t implant. And then a natural conception somehow made it and is a lovely one-year old now!

Anxiousbuthopeful I guess I just feel so despondent now. I had an endo scratch, I tried sitagliptin to increase the stem cells in my lining, I did pred and intralipids and clexane and for it to not even implant makes me feel like ivf maybe doesn’t work for me. With ivf I have two problems: no implantation and potential for miscarriage. For natural I only have one problem... miscarriage. I have one embryo left then that’s it. It’s so hard. I wish there were endless funds for some cycles at least. Sorry for the rant just so utterly gutted and not sure what to do now...

Hi @IslandStars how are things going? Have you decided when to try your next FET?

Had my first FET from my March freeze-all on Friday so in the TWW now. It's dragging, unsurprisingly!

Hi @lucymills1234 Oh, exciting, best of luck! How are you feeling, are you booked in for a beta? 2WW is such a drag, i found it ok up to day 4, then i tested early on day 5 as i was quite hopeful based on symptoms, but the BFN just destroyed me mentally until my day 9 beta. Think i won't test until day 7 this time.

I've started my next FET cycle, hoping to transfer next week. Am in a weird mindset at the moment, feeling quite deflated/negative about it all. Rather than focusing on this FET, my thoughts keep racing ahead to what i should do if it doesn't work. Think it's just too much pressure from having only one embryo left.

@IslandStars I’m in the same position as you. We only have one left so I am doing an aquascan and also an ERA. But to be honest how can the last work when two have failed with IVF, not even a whiff of a bfp on either and I’ve had 7 miscarriages as well.... like realistically the odds are completely stacked against me.

@IslandStars Thanks! Feeling ok physically, a few twinges today but generally symptom-less which I am trying not to read anything into. Mentally the TWW is dragging already. My clinic says do a home test a week today.

Congrats on getting going with another FET! I totally understand what you mean about feeling deflated. I obviously hope it will work out but my last round was a BFN and that really floored me. So in one way I want test day to be here because I'm wishing for that BFP but on the other as long as I am waiting, there is still hope and a negative test rids you of that... I wish my brain didn't default to expecting it to fail but that was my experience last time so maybe it's no wonder?

I was really down leading up to transfer and have no magic words of advice, sorry. Like so much of IVF it feels like you just have to ride it out and take a day at a time. Hang in there :)

@Unicorn9 You've done so well to keep going, really hope these extra tests can be the missing piece for you.

@lucymills1234 Thank you, actually that really helps to see it that way in terms of just riding out the bad days. I should probably question myself less and not look for reasons and answers all the time, since so much of IVF seems to be getting the right combination of science, nature and luck!

Hope this next week goes as quickly as possible for you, i'd definitely recommend being in the PUPO phase as long as possible. Symptoms or not, there doesn't seem to be a strong like either way to BFP, so it's best not to add more mental torture onto this process!

Hello @lucymills1234 I saw your post on another thread, just wanted to say so sorry to hear about the BFN. I know it’s a horrendous feeling, a grief for what could have been. Hope you’re doing ok under the circumstances.

For your review, you could discuss meds to help implantation like Clexane, Prednisolone and Lubion. My clinic were very good and gave them to me without the expensive immune tests, on the basis that my euploid failed. I think without euploid, they normally class recurrent implantation failure as 3 or more failed transfers, but you could push for the meds if you wish.

My FET got cancelled last week at the lining scan - 2 polyps found. Now got to have a hysteroscopy so I won’t be transferring for a few months, nothing ever goes smoothly does it...

Hello @lucymills1234 I saw your post on another thread, just wanted to say so sorry to hear about the BFN. I know it’s a horrendous feeling, a grief for what could have been. Hope you’re doing ok under the circumstances.

For your review, you could discuss meds to help implantation like Clexane, Prednisolone and Lubion. My clinic were very good and gave them to me without the expensive immune tests, on the basis that my euploid failed. I think without euploid, they normally class recurrent implantation failure as 3 or more failed transfers, but you could push for the meds if you wish.

My FET got cancelled last week at the lining scan - 2 polyps found. Now got to have a hysteroscopy so I won’t be transferring for a few months, nothing ever goes smoothly does it...

Hello @lucymills1234 I saw your post on another thread, just wanted to say so sorry to hear about the BFN. I know it’s a horrendous feeling, a grief for what could have been. Hope you’re doing ok under the circumstances.

For your review, you could discuss meds to help implantation like Clexane, Prednisolone and Lubion. My clinic were very good and gave them to me without the expensive immune tests, on the basis that my euploid failed. I think without euploid, they normally class recurrent implantation failure as 3 or more failed transfers, but you could push for the meds if you wish.

My FET got cancelled last week at the lining scan - 2 polyps found. Now got to have a hysteroscopy so I won’t be transferring for a few months, nothing ever goes smoothly does it...

Hello @lucymills1234 I saw your post on another thread, just wanted to say so sorry to hear about the BFN. I know it’s a horrendous feeling, a grief for what could have been. Hope you’re doing ok under the circumstances.

For your review, you could discuss meds to help implantation like Clexane, Prednisolone and Lubion. My clinic were very good and gave them to me without the expensive immune tests, on the basis that my euploid failed. I think without euploid, they normally class recurrent implantation failure as 3 or more failed transfers, but you could push for the meds if you wish.

My FET got cancelled last week at the lining scan - 2 polyps found. Now got to have a hysteroscopy so I won’t be transferring for a few months, nothing ever goes smoothly does it...

Hello I've just turned 40 and recently diagnosed with endo on ovaries so I'm trying to process it all and think quite quickly what I need to do does anyone have advice ?? I know the best thing is remove endo first then try ivf but I'm really starting to panic that now at my age ivf isn't a guarantee at all... would you go and pay to see a fertility specialist first and see what they say? 🥲 I don't know much about ivf so would appreciate any suggestions it would have to be self funded I've looked at a few clinics and rates of success and it's just made me feel so very depressed and I don't know anyone who has gone through this in my circle any help would be great

Thanks @IslandStars, it's been a rough few days.

Good to know about those medications, thank you. Though I know a top quality embryo doesn't equal a 'normal' embryo, I've been looking around and it seems that if you've had really high quality transfers, clinics are more willing to look at potential implantation issues after 2 transfers rather than 3. So will ask about that at my review. I looked at my clinics price list and if I've picked out the right tests (based on the information I've found online about what's useful) I think I'd be looking at about £600-700 for them. That doesn't include testing for Natural Killer cells which is another some people recommend but the evidence on that seems mixed. Also wondering about a scratch, on the basis it seems it can help if you've had a few implantation failures and is not a major cost if it doesn't.

Don't think my clinic would be pushed to give meds without the tests as they favour minimal meds in general - natural FET is their norm, and whether you have fresh transfer or FET, progesterone only up to test day.

Trying to not diagnose myself and wait for the clinic to guide me, but also want to be proactive so I don't resign myself to blaming it all on embryo quality if there's something else I should be checking. It slightly freaks me out that if I find out there's a problem now, I've already used my best embryos. I have to hold on to the hope that one in the freezer will be ok (they're mixed - 5BB to 3BA - but none have been tested).

Sorry to hear about your polyps, there is always another hurdle, isn't there... I hope you're hanging in there, it can be incredibly tough to keep picking yourself back up when the setbacks seem to keep rolling in...

@lucymills1234 I'm sure it's been a horrible week, my BFN floored me. I think as long as you're armed with all the possible info in terms of meds or treatments, then you can have a review with your clinic and see what their opinion is. If there's something you really want to try then push for it.

For my review, i had an ERA in mind, but consultant wasn't keen on that or the scratch as he said there wasn't enough evidence of benefit. I think he was weighing it up against my predicted success, so i was told 50-60% for my euploid, which although sounds fantastic, still leaves a sizeable potential to fail. The meds to assist implantation will be added to my next FET. If i was to fail with 2 euploids, i really don't know where to go from there. I'm not ready to give up, but at 42 time is against me.

I remember you have a lot of embryos, so chances are at least one or two of yours are normal, but without testing, it's a case of going through FETs to find the one that works.

Aside from all that, i've come to realise there is a huge element of luck needed to make IVF work, whether we have 5AA and/or euploid, we still need luck to be on our side despite all the science. Really hope your successful soon.

@Pinklady81 Afraid i don't know about endo, but if you were thinking of private IVF, all clinics would need you to have a fertility check up to assess your ovarian reserve and any potential issues such as cysts, fibroids, polyps, endo etc, so after your assessment (which is an internal scan and possibly blood test), then they will tell you what they think the best approach will be. You could also try emailing a few clinics with any questions to see what their response is before you commit to booking a check up. Good luck with it all.

Thanks @IslandStars. I've had my review now, a different consultant to ones I've spoken to before but I don't really feel like I've had any consistency with my clinic anyway so it didn't bother me much. I asked about looking at other factors and they agreed, since the two transfers have been 5AAs. They reinforced what I'd read about there not being much clarity about tests and treatment for Natural Killer Cells. Unlike your consultant they did say a scratch might be worthwhile.

I'm going to think the scratch over. For now I've said I'll do a few of the blood tests recommended - a thrombophilia screen to look at clotting factors and some auto-immune response tests. Based on your experience I asked about meds, but said they don't give meds to help implantation unless there's evidence they're needed.

I've got 5 embryos left so as you say, hopefully there's a normal one in there. In the back of my mind I am wondering at what point I should (or even if I should) think about another fresh round to see if I can create some more embryos. My fear is that I'd be 43 if I waited until all of those I have failed. I think I remember you got really good EC and blastocyst numbers and that's the one thing that seems to go ok for me as well, so that's something I suppose!

I hope you're hanging in there whilst waiting for your hysteroscopy. I swear IVF has it's own time zone that runs at half the pace because it feels like it drags so badly...