Are you TTC and over 40?

I've been away for awhile and I don't know hardly any of you guys.  Just wondering if anyone was over 40 and trying to conceive?  

How’s it going?  What are you doing in your efforts?  Any stories to share?  

As for me…not much luck.  Ironically I’ve been trying not to get pregnant.  I know I can, but after five miscarriages (first one in 11/06), my DH doesn’t want to try again with my eggs.  Therefore, we’re trying to do IVF with donor eggs.  However if it’s not one thing it’s another.  Our first donor has backed out and we were ready to go this month.  You can imagine how frustrated I am!  

[wishing4#2]

Hi Yvette,
I am not over 40, sorry to post here. But I just wanted to say hi to you and good luck with everything. I always look for your posts and haven't seen any lately.  Good to hear from you!! I really hope that you get a donor soon, that sticks with it!

[Jackson_Angel]

Yes, I'm over 40 ~ TTC ~ going through 3rd IUI ~ but feel it's the IVF service I am using ~ not as proactive as they should have been ~ then chatted with Babyalive and she got my tail up to ask the right questions ~ all the girls on here are REALLY TERRIFIC ~ the support is awsome!

Good luck!!

[Zoe2B]

Hi Yvette,
I'm 43 and ttc naturally at the moment (in between fertility treatments). I got pregnant naturally 6 months ago, but lost it at 8 weeks. We tried IVF (with my eggs - since I did get pregnant recently, it gave us some hope) and unfortunately it didn't work (that time!). We may try once more with my eggs, and if that doesn't work, move on to donor eggs. Although I am toying with the idea of donor eggs next. The odds of pregnacy will increase SO much with younger eggs.
Why did your donor back out? I've never heard of that happening. What a disapointment. Will she donate for you at another time?
Good luck with everything!
-z

[YvetteY]

Hey there...

Our ED backed out due to family problems in her home state.  There was death in the family and she lost someone very dear.  Our ED was under a lot of stress.  Even our atty office said she probably wouldn't respond well to the fertility drugs.  I was so close.  It's amazing I've been trying to do this for almost 18 months.  I could have had two babies by now!

[YvetteY]

Your comment was very nice.  Thank you!!   I haven't had a lot to say.  I've got nothing exciting going on as we're in fertility limbo as I like to call it.  This forum was so great in my time of need last year.  (I use to post a lot back then).   But things have been easier for me and I've been pretty busy with my family.  We're looking for a new ED now and found someone we like.  Hopefully I will have something interesting to say.  

I've been trying to avoid getting pregnant (ironic) because I can get pregnant easy, but then I'll miscarry.  It's too frustrating.  

[Savanha]

Hi Yvette...

Sorry to hear about your losses. Have you been checked for PCOS? I had a friend that could easily become pregnant but kept mc'ing. She found an RE who diagnoised her w/PCOS and put her on meds used for diabetes. Also, she found out that she had a weak cervix and had to be sewn up around the 5th month of her pregnancy. Hope the info is useful to you. I pray that you will be blessed with baby/babies soon via whichever method you choose. I'm 44 and have been ttc for 3yrs. w/2 mc's via IUI. I'm on my last insurance covered ivf (my eggs)...go in for beta tomorrow and am praying my son is with me. ;o) So I pray for all of us on this site whose hearts desire is for a beautiful blessing called...Babies. ;o)

Savanha~

[YvetteY]

Hi Savanha

I've been checked for everything under the sun - multiple miscarriage testing.  I do have something called antiphosphid (sp) syndrome, but doubts that's my problem.  I suspect that it's due to my age. (will be 42 in June).  I agree.  I just want to hear from someone over 40 that's gotten pregnant.  Just need a little hope.  

Good luck tomorrow on your beta.  I would love to read a post from you that says you're pregnant.  Fingers crossed!!

[rene67]

I am also sorry about your losses.  I am also 40 with 3 miscarriages in less than 2 years, have been trying to have a baby for about 3 years.  I have not yet thought about donor eggs, but will see RE next week to start my "infertility" workup.  I want to try once more with my own eggs (maybe via drugs/superovulation to increase chances) but am also very worried m/c will happen again.

BTW, is your FSH high (if you don't mind saying)?  I'm concerned mine may mean I have to consider an ED.  I'm glad you made that decision (I'm sure another donor will come along), but I'm not quite ready to think about that just yet.

[Savanha]

Thanks so very much for the well wishes. I have had a few friends who became pregnant (40, 41& 42), but what keeps me hopeful is that my best friend...who wasn't even trying to become pregnant...didn't want children...thought she was starting menopause became pregnant @ the ripe age of 46! Yes...no joke...she gave birth to a healthy baby girl when she turned 47. Her baby was born 5/31/07, but she turned 47 5/10/07. I was floored. So...I'm going to go as far as I can stand it...I've been at this for 3 yrs. and am not ready to give up yet. You know...it goes in cycles...sometimes I'm up and other times I'm down. I pray that we all are blessed.

Savanha~

[YvetteY]

That's so encouraging.   Just got to keep spirits up!!  

[40smama]

Hi yvette -  it's me again!!!  I'm not sure I told you this but my weirdo sister (j/k about the weirdo part) got pg at 40 and wasn't even trying!!  In fact it was the last thing she wanted to happen and she delivered a healthy baby girl.  Plus my own re got pg at 43 - she didn't do IVF but did iui;  anyway, she also delivered a healthy baby.  So there's always hope for us young women over 40 - LOL.

Anyway, I'm sure that your next ED will work out - you know I'm pulling for ya!! - jennifer

[YvetteY]

Thanks for pulling for me!!  I'm so anxious about this.  I need it to work!! Gotta give myself some positive thoughts!!   I knw it's possible.  A manager at my work got pregnant and she's got to be 47 or so.  I don't know her well enough to ask her what the heck she did - (accidental or assisted). She's too far up the food chain at work.  

In any event I wanted to comment on the heated debate you were involved in last october. The girl who disagreed with egg donation but wanted to do it for the $$.  Oh my goodness a lot of you got involved in that.  I wonder if she ever went through with it!  In any event wait till she finds out she'll be on the donor list for 100 years before she's even selected.   Very interesting reading!!

Talk to you soon!!

[SingleMum]

Hi Yvette,
I read that you wanted to hear from someone over 40 who has gotten pregnant.  

My sister had her first child in November 2006 when she was 43 years old.  She didn't use any fertility interventions, but she and her husband tried for two years before they were successful.

I am 41 and just went through an IVF cycle.  I decided to have a child on my own, and I tried ICI twice last year with no success.  After I was diagnosed with some major fertility issues in January 2008, the doctor recommended I go straight to IVF.  I started treatment in mid-February and had three embryos transfered on March 1st.  I had my first beta hCG on March 12th and it was positive.  I had an ultrasound on March 26th and was able to see my baby's heart beating! :-)

Tomorrow will be the start of week 8 of my pregnancy.  I know it's still early days, but I am hopeful that everything will continue to progress well.  I've already cleared a lot of hurdles, so I'm praying that this is meant to be.  I'm also encouraged by some of the research I found about the predictive values of hCG.  In one study in particular, about 97% of the pregnancies that had initial hCG numbers similar to mine were viable pregnancies.  (Viable was defined as +20 weeks.  I don't think the pregnancies were tracked beyond week 20.)

I hope this was helpful.  I wish you all the best of luck! :-)