IVF advice

[Helpneeded98]

Hello all, I could really do with some guidance please.

I’m 41, I’m looking to book fertility tests for myself and husband, with the intention of going on to have IVF.

The more I read up about IVF, the more confused I seem to get.

Money is an issue so will probably only be able to have one or two cycles, so I really want to give it my best shot. I am extremely lucky that I already have a beautiful daughter, so I don’t qualify for free on the NHS.

I can’t decide between mild / natural IVF or conventional. I’ve read that mild is better at my age. But surely conventional is better to have the best chance of getting more eggs?

I thought it best to decide which type of IVF to go for first, then go and have tests at the clinic that does this type, I’ve narrowed it down to two clinics in my area.

Can anyone please advise?

The consultant will advise the best course of treatment following some baseline tests and scan etc. They will also be able to provide you with a steer on the higher chances for your situation.

Book a consultation and weigh up the costs of your options. If money is limited I wouldn’t spend any money in advance, unless you have a medical background as
nothing is cheap!

Thanks so much for your reply. One of the clinics I’ve been looking at is CREATE, which appears to only offer Mild IVF, while Care seems to focus solely on conventional IVF. I’ve ruled out the London Women’s Clinic due to a bad experience a friend had there.

If I went with one of these clinics but the other might actually be a better fit, do you think they’d be upfront about it, or is it more likely they’d just keep me on as a patient?

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been with either clinic or had similar experiences, any insights would be really appreciated!

The most important thing is picking the right clinic. Some clinics are better than others with patients in our age range. It’s good the take a look at the HFEA website and look at the results for clinics for live births over 38. I also think you might want to consider clinics in Spain or Greece. I would take a microbiome probiotic and maybe test microbiome before getting started - this can be done with something like a Daye at home diagnostic kit or something more expensive like Fertilysis. I also think you need to find out your AMH as think this will guide what type of procedure to follow. I would do a female blood profile with somewhere like Randox before you start consultations with clinics to have a clearer picture of where you are x

Get an AMH and day 3 FSH blood test - these can be done anywhere. Based on your results you will have a steer of which approach would be best for you. If it's low, consider mild. If still fairly high, consider conventional.

Success rates at clinics are largely irrelevant so long as they're around the national average. Your personal chance will be specific to you and likely the same wherever you go.

Start your partner on an antioxidant supplement and you could also get started on folic acid, vitamin D, omega 3 and possibly coenzyme Q10.

The average % of chromosomally normal embryos at 41 is 25%. Expect to need four for a chance, therefore.

fully agree, plus double check if clinics are listed/awarded e.g. on Fertility Road or Fertility Clinics Abroad sites.