Improving egg quality

[NataliesMommy]

Hello girls.  I read all the time, give advice when I can but never post a question until now.  I am 41 and have a 3yo dd.  I want to have another baby and my insurance does not cover any fertility treatment, AT ALL.  I was wondering if any of you have any questions on improving egg quality.  The doc mentioned to me injectibles but said it costs about $2000 a month.  HUH??  I cannot afford that so I am turning to you all for advice.  Got any?  Thanks, Diane

[mlb1234]

no femara(a.k.a. letrozole) is not otc, it's by Rx.  it is similar to clomid but it doesn't thin the uterine lining.  since I was 37y and trying to conceive our first i did not want to waste time thinning my lining and making it more inhospitable for an embryo.  i am not sure why  femara can give better quality eggs - maybe because it reduces your estrogen temporarily.  you cannot take femara if you are already pregnant though as it does cause birth defects then.  it has a very short half life so if you take it to ovulate it is completely out of your system by the time implantation occurs (and doesn't cause any more birth defects than clomid in that instance).  for the cm problem, many on these boards recommend preseed but i have never tried it.  good luck - we hope to hear good news from you in the near future!!

[NataliesMommy]

I am not going to do injectibles as they are way too expensive.  So what is Femara?  Is it over the counter?  What does it do?  I dont think I am having a problem with ovulation, although my cm has decreased a lot in the past 6-8 months.

[kindergal]

My gyn. in conjunction with my fert. spec. put me on Clomid to give me a better quality egg.  I was ovulating on my own, but they both felt the Clomid would help with the egg.....

[mlb1234]

I would not jump into the injectibles especially if your numbers were great!  That is a ridiculous thing for the RE to suggest!  I do know they can vary month to month but yours sounds pretty darn good!  I would just be sure to take your prenatal vitamins and extra folic acid - it can't hurt (my RE said you can take up to 5mg (or g??) of folic acid).  If your ovulation is erratic try the femara - you only take it for 5 days and I had no side effects at all.

[NataliesMommy]

Thanks to both of you for the input.  I was tested in January and my numbers were those of a 20 year old.  I did go to an RE and he is the one that wants to go gung ho on injectables and IUI which my insurance does not cover.  He also said that just because I tested so beautifully in January does not mean that the numbers could have changed ALOT.  After 40 they can change drastically or not.  I m just wanting the best situation to get things rolling along as best as they can be.  I will be researching DHEA more as well.  Thanks again.  I will keep you posted.

[mlb1234]

Have you gone to a reproductive endocrinologist?  They can probably give you the best advice on having a successful pregnancy.  Even just a consultation would be good and your insurance would most likely cover that.  Do you know your egg quality is low or are you just assuming because of your age??  I am just wondering because just because you are 41 does not automatically mean your eggs are not good.  I have even "heard" that femara (a drug similar to clomid) can also improve egg quality.  I am 37y and 18 weeks along - that is what I took but they never said my eggs were bad, it was for pcos.  Femara is pretty cheap and your insurance would probably cover it.  Of course there are other things you can do like taking progesterone after ovulation to support the pregnancy or taking estrogen prior to it to improve your lining.  

[babyprayers]

check out the supplement DHEA you can buy it over teh counter, I take it now, and it seems to help my estrogen level, there is a lot out there on taking this and increasing fertility

[NataliesMommy]

sorry about the typo, I am not looking for any "questions" as my original post says, only suggestions and answers.  Thanks.