Anyone starting their first IVF at Age 43

[sticktome]

Just checking in to see if anyone had success with IVF over the age of 43 ... and if so - how many cycles did it take?

Many thanks,

[astrocat88]

Well, I did my first IVF this past nov-dec with preg test on the 29th/dec - bfn.I turned 43 jan 8th and am going to move to donor ovules.  I had 9 ovules, 6 to 3d, 3 to 5d, 2 had chromosome problems so only 1 good to transfer.  Lot of money and suffering (emotionally above all). My goal is a family with kid(s) so I am going straight to a donor ovule program.  In fact I have my first visit for this new "path" this monday.  We would adopt but since it is harder to adopt everyday (tightening of laws, etc.) we are going forward with this.  I'm divorced (first husband didn't want kids) and remarried not too long ago w/someone who wants kids like me.  I've tried to find info / forums on donor ovule recipients but there is hardly anything.  Although my results were really great for my age even though they didn't result in pregnancy, I'm not losing any more time and possibilities on my own ovules.  Plus the money which will eventually "run-out" for this endeavor!  Take a look at www.sart.com for the average national stats for 43 year olds.  I think you might come to the same conclusion as I have because for  43 year olds using donor ovules, the Stats are really promising!!!  Good Luck!  As they say:  "Baby dust to you!"  PS.  I feel as lost / wish I could talk with someone as you  do!  

[YvetteY]

Hello....I know you want to hear positive things about IVF and being 43, but it is so rare that you can get pregnant this way at this age.  First of all your eggs are too old and even if you do get pregnant you are looking at extremely high chance of having a miscarriage - like 50%.   Then to top off if you are lucky enough to maintain the baby you have a very very high chance of downs syndrome...i think the odds are like 1/30.   We were trying to get pregnant and I was over 40 and I had miscarriage after miscarriage and heartache after heartache.   I know you want to here positive things....but really the odds are stacked up against the majority of us.  I know there's always the exception to the rule...but I believe those are flukes!  Of course you never know anythings possible but seriously I looked at the SART statitics and I live in a big city (Phoenix) and only one woman over the age of 40 got pregnant in Phoenix using IVF.   I checked every clinic and I don't know if that was a "take home baby."  

So I realize I am not being a ray of sunshine but know what you're getting into...it's a lot of time and money and not to mention frustration.   We ended up using donor eggs and I am pregnant and of course I'm leary that this pregnancy will even end up in being a take home baby.   We shall see.  Good luck to you whatever you decide to do and if you do IVF I really hope you beat the odds!!!!!

[astrocat88]

I want to add something else to support what YvetteY just told you.  I had 3 5-d embys, 2 of which had chromosome problems (one downs syndrome and something else) and the other, something equally disagreeable such that once born the child would not have lived.  Of 9 ovules, only 1 made it to quality 4 blastocyte and then a bfn.  Those are horrible statistics.   I wanted to believe that I would be lucky (some people are but very, very few), and I did feel lucky and optimistic.  I did acupuncture, massages, even a few mystical type stuff like wearing a garnet ring that was "supposed" to promote/support fertility (OK, that was kinda nutty and I admit it and now that I am off the hormones I see that it was totally wacky!).   I am not religious, but if there is a God, he gave us the power of modern science and we should make the most of it.  It might be, in fact, his "right-hand helper".  And in our age bracket, science means using DONOR OVULES!!! At a good clinic, of course!

[40smama]

I want to add my story:  when I was 43, I tried IVF w/my own eggs & the cycle was cancelled due to lack of ovarian stimulation the day before scheduled retrieval.  My recommendation is to get all of the stats before going through IVF for women 43+.  If I had done my homework/research before trying, I would've skipped trying w/my own eggs & gone straight to donor ones which I did on the 2nd cycle.  I got pregnant on the first try & delivered a healthy baby boy (who doesn't believe in sleeping - LOL) last April.

I know of only one woman who got pregnant at 43 w/her own eggs.  It happened at my re's clinic and she was shocked that the cycle was successful.  This woman however went on to miscarry though.  What i also wanted to add is that IVF is very hard on women 43+ eggs - they just don't hold up well going through the process.  I did a little research:  about 1-1.5% of woman 43+ get pregnant w/IVF.  Of those, 56% go on to miscarry.

[sticktome]

Thanks for your frank comments - unfortunately I am aware of these terrible stats - but always want to try for myself - before I shut down the idea. I do have a few freinds with successes - but obviously, there is very little on the forums 'cus there may not be anything to report ..

I have an amazing husband - it took me 40 years to find him ..I want our bio child if possible. Somewhere I have found blind faith to go forward and hope for the best.
I need to do this before I can consider anything else. I was looking to see if I could find success stories.. I have a FSh of 6 ... I have a chance ..

Anyone out there with success is probably worn out taking care of a newborn - and her being so OLD  she can't mess around on these forums!

[Betsta]

I don't have a success story to share with you, yet...but, like you, I'm not willing to give up on trying either.  I will be 43 in May and have gone through 5 IVF cycles in the past year.  One resulted in a pregnancy (our 4th cycle), but we did m/c at 5.5 weeks.  My dh and I just aren't willing to give up on trying to have our own child, before going to a donor or adopting.  Our next (6th) cycle is scheduled in a few weeks and I am very excited to try again.  I actually spoke to my doctor a couple weeks ago about exploring the donor route (very costly, from what I've been told), but my doctor said it wasn't time to have that discussion (and he is the head of the donor program at Boston IVF), as he is still hopeful that we can achieve this on our own.  I have had great responses to all the meds, great #'s on retrievals, fertilization and transfers...he told me that I am responding better than some women 10 years younger than me.  So, that does give me hope, however, I absolutely hear what these ladies are saying and maybe someday we may decide to go that route ourselves....but we're just not ready to yet.  Your FSH level is great too!  My number is 9.  Best of luck to you (all of you!) and I hope we both become a success story for 2009! :)

[nylena]

I want to add some positive thoughts here,since I also believe we should first give it it a try-unless there is a specific medical condition.I do believe it can happen,I know women who did it recently,I was succesful at age 41,if I go on and try for #2 I'll be 43..Do not give up,it seems we have much more strength than we ever knew!

[LisaRG]

I know a woman on the 35+ website who had her first child naturally at 43 and is now 12 weeks preg. with her second at 45.
I also know another that conceived at 44 on her second IUI, healthy baby boy - NO drugs
I had my DD at 41 and she was conceived naturally, then 1 m/c at 43 and one at 44 .  I did try IVF at 44 and it was a bad experience  My body hated it!
I think us older woman don't respond well to all the drugs and medical procedures.  If you want to keep trying for a bio baby my experience is that some of us have miracle natural pregnancies that end in healthy babies:), I dont know any concieved by IVF.
I wish you luck which ever you choose.
Lisa