New NHS guidelines on IVF treatment to extend age limit up to 42 - what do you think?

[JaneGMumsnet]

Good morning,

New IVF guidelines issued by the National Institute of Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE) say that women aged up to 42 should be allowed one cycle of IVF treatment so long as it is their first attempt. Previously Nice recommended treatment up to the age of 39.

The guidelines also suggest that all couples who are struggling to conceive should get fertility treatment more quickly ? after two years of trying to conceive naturally, rather than three.

We'd love to hear what you think.

Thanks,
MNHQ

[PolkadotCircus]

Johnnycake being infertile doesn't automatically make you a suitable adoptive parent.

[PolkadotCircus]

Johnnybear not Johnnycake-damn IPad!

[maamalady]

Oh, and thank you, beginnings, I am 50% terrified and 50% excited about the first appointment!

[beginnings]

MrsDeVere that puts it perfectly. It's about the most effective treatment for each person, not broad brush headline grabbing policies. It's about GPs and other HCPs taking the time to listen and take action on the basis of patient need rather than a checklist and taking the time to inform themselves of the best options if they don't know them.

Sigh.....a girl can dream, can't she?

I completely and utterly recognise the pressure that primary care HCPs are under and the above is no way meant as a criticism. In my experience in most cases it's the system that's broken, not the effort and commitment of individuals.

[beginnings]

Of course you are evilgiraffe! If you've not sought support on some of the assisted conception threads here yet, do. The women here are great. Or PM me if you want to ask about questions or anything - my main experience is obviously limited to me but I know a lot of people who have had assisted conception treatment for lots of different reasons.

Hijack over!

[maamalady]

Never fear, I have the support of two separate quiches on MN (is that even allowed?!) as well as RL people, so hopefully will be okay. Thank you for the offer though :)

[gaelicsheep]

I wonder if the people advocating adoption as the solution have ever looked into it themselves.

1. There are very few babies and very stringent restrictions in place before you even have a hope of adopting a baby. The fact there are very few babies is a GOOD thing.
   
2. Beyond newborn babies, when you are looking at adopting a young child you are opening yourself up to dealing with a huge number of difficulties with the child's mental health, possibly physical health, delayed development etc. caused by the trauma they have been through. It is not something to be considered lightly.
   
3. If the adoption people even sniff that you still hanker after your own baby or that adoption is your second best option you will be very lucky to get as far as an adoption panel - rightly so.
   
   Now of course if the comments last night about families with more than 10 children are anything to go by, the problem of the number of babies and children up for adoption could be solved in one fell swoop, but I don't think anyone seriously believes that is desirable.
   
   We were just embarking on the road towards adoption when I fell pregnant naturally (after trying for 4 years). We'd had our first meeting with an adoption lady (can't remember the appropriate job title!) and done a fair bit of research so I know just a little about it. We read enough to begin to have very serious second thoughts that it was the right thing for us, and that was not because we were not desperate for a child, because we were! But being desperate doesn't even begin to qualify you to be suitable for the very special commitment of adopting a child.

[OliviaMumsnet]

AHEM

[FrankellyMyDearIDontGiveADamn]

Agree that the time it takes to get assessed/start treatment takes far too long.

It's been 2 years since I first went to see my GP with concerns about my fertility. In those two years I've had just 3 appointments with a fertility specialist, 1 operation (laparoscopy), 5 rounds of Clomid and have just come to the end of a second round of ovulation induction. But from talking to others it seems I've been lucky to get that much. Surely that can't be right in this day and age.

[gaelicsheep]

Hello OliviaMumsnet?

[CaipirinhasAllRound]

It's a recommendation only, it doesn't mean anything will actually change.

Having just found out on Sunday that my one funded NHS IVF attempt has failed, I now have to pay for any future attempts, which is understandable. I am 35, have been trying to conceive for over 3 years and neither my husband or I have any children. Other than 2 days last week when I had faint positive lines on 2 pregnancy tests, I have never been pregnant.
I agree that I shouldn't expect to be able to have a baby, but I want one. I also don't expect the NHS to have to keep paying for me as I know it's not essential treatment. But as my doctor pointed out to me, not everything the NHS pay for is essential treatment, broken limbs from skiing accidents for example. I don't have to have a baby, you don't have to go skiing

[ArielThePiraticalMermaid]

Would you like a cough sweet Olivia?

[johnnybear71]

Maybe if we actually stopped with all the life preserving treatments maybe we could sustain our time on this planet...I've lost family and a child and still I believe that for the sake of "feelings" we are destroying the place we live in...Why would anyone go through years of pain (both physical and emotional) 1000's (sometimes 10's of thousands) of pounds? when there are so many children waiting is beyond me, i wish i could adopt but they wouldn't give a single gay dad of 4 the time of day.....People say "you just don't know what you're getting with an adopted child" (sorry for this bit) so fucking what!! you don't know what you're getting when you conceive naturally or through IVF so why does it matter...of course if you want a "designer baby" (oh yes this is where its going for the sake of "science") then crack on with it but if what you have is love for a child then go love a child....x

[johnnybear71]

THIS COUNTRY NEEDS FOSTER PARENTS TOO......!!!!!!!

[rodandtheemu]

IVF is nothing short of miraculous. I know from first hand experience. You cant judge people for wanting this untill you have walked a mile in there shoes.

Most people wont even see it any way due to the post code lottery.

[CaipirinhasAllRound]

Nice post johnny
You wouldn't be without your children but me wanting my own children is me wanting a designer baby?

[PolkadotCircus]

Johnny my children aren't designer children anymore than those conceived naturally are.

The fact is many children in care need specific types of people as parents,their challenges are far harder to handle than those of children not dealt a shite hand in life.Not all parents are equipped to deal with these kids,they just aren't,very few are I suspect.

[BasicallySFB]

johnnybear - do you really, honestly think adoption is that simple? Practically, emotionally, physically? Really?

It's not like popping to the Children Shop and picking a child.

Love is not all you need to be an adoptive mother or father.

Seriously. I find it to be a really offensive attitude towards the countless people who are battling infertility currently. Of only it were as simple as you paint it.

[Skyebluesapphire]

The comments about leaving it too late are a bit harsh. i didn't meet my XH until I turned 30. If I had had a child before then, just to be the "right age", I would have been a single parent for the sake of having a child. I married at 33 and had my first and only child at 36. Not by choice, but just because that's how my life panned out.

XH had a very low sperm count and hypospadius, I had endometriosis. We were very lucky to conceive, but if we hadn't I wouldnt have had IVF as I was too overweight and wouldn't have been considered for it. If I had been ten years younger I would have gone for it.

I have one friend who is 42 and had 3 miscarriages. Despite her age, they wouldnt do any tests until she had had 3 of them. She had tests, nothing wrong.

Another friend was turned down for IVF for various reasons. She then developed endometrial and ovarian cancer and had a full hysterectomy at the age of 34, so no chance at all of having her own kids.

I think that IVF should be available to all, so that everybody could have one child if they need assistance to conceive. It should not be a postcode lottery, it should be the same across the country.

[ArielThePiraticalMermaid]

There have been debates about over population in the last few days, Johnny.


Perhap you should find it so we can stick to the topic at hand.

[ArielThePiraticalMermaid]

And PS there's no need to shout.

[maamalady]

"Dad of four" is probably the biggest factor against you, Johnnybear. That is a large family, and I can imagine it would be daunting for an adopted child to join you, though I'm sure you're more than capable of providing a loving home.

DH and I will probably try adoption if IVF fails. Until then, though, I would dearly love to pass my own genes on - I think we're worth it. I couldn't give a damn about "designing" a child, but conceiving one at all would be a huge deal for us.

Olivia, are you okay? I'm confused.

[gaelicsheep]

Frankly the issues of infertility/IVF treatment and adoption/fostering are totally unrelated and do not merit extended discussion on the same thread. They are not either/or options.

Children who need families need families who want THEM. They don't need families who want them to make up for not having their own. Fostering in particular would be totally unsuitable for a family who have been desperate to have their own child.

[expatinscotland]

'Maybe if we actually stopped with all the life preserving treatments maybe we could sustain our time on this planet...'

Words fail me.