Over 37 Crowd

[suzhan]

I thought I'd start a thread on those of us over the 'magic' 37 year old number and who are continuing to try. I know once we turn 38, our odds of success with IVF start to go down, but I also know that there are plenty of us who end up with the BFPs. I'd like to hear any words of wisdom from those of you trying and (especially) the ladies who have been successful!

From my perspective, I know my main problem has been 'egg quality'. While my FSH is very low (less than 5), my RE says my 'egg quality is that of a 40 year old'. I've been reading "The Infertility Cure" by Randine Lewis and trying some of the suggestions. I've cut out all caffeine, all cold foods, all hormonally treated animal products/meats. I've added chinese herbs (from my acupuncturist), flax seed oil, royal jelly, and l-arginine (all daily), as well as a daily multi-vitamin (1000 mg of folic acid + high in b-12 and b-6), and try to incorporate kelp/seaweed at least 1x/week. I've really reduced the wine (no hard alcohol or beer), but still enjoy my glass of wine 1-2 times per week (acupuncturist says this is fine, but Dr. Lewis says it's not ), which I'm told must be halted when I start the lupron (down-regging). None of this was done during my first 2 cycles (first was bfp w/ m/c @ 8 weeks and second was -ive). So....I'm hoping these suggestions might help with my 'oocyte age'.

Does anyone else have any helpful hints or suggestions? I know the odds are not in our favor, but I truly hope being 38 doesn't negate my chances. I truly dream of being a mom soon.

- Suzhan

[Angie65]

Hi Suzhan,

I've come to say hi - I am 37 , 38 in March. It sounds old but I try not to think about it. Whenever I say I am getting on a bit to my doc, he always says it's still young in terms of IVF treatment...?? Don't know if I believe him though!

I'm not doing anything too different - just eating healthy, excercising, still drink a few units a week but will cut that out when it comes to FET in a few weeks. No-one at my clinic made any comments about my 'oocyte age' - I made alot of eggs, 12 fertilised and 5 were ultimately frozen, so I was pleased with that.

Sorry I can't share much else - my clinic just gives me the straight down the line medical advice. Perhaps I should lose a few pounds but my philosophy is life is for living through all this too (and I love choccie and a vino too much to cut them out completely!) A X

[jen babes]

Hi gang

I have been on the boards here for 3 years and would have loved a over 37 page.Great that you have statrted one up.

I have a high fsh (17) but manage with a short cetrotide cycle to get 2 perfect eggs and embies...unfortunatly no BFP yet!!!!

I too have tried diet same as yours using Zita Wests experiences...I have cut out all alcohol 2 months prior to tmtm and eaten protien at every meal. (this helps eggs grow)...The main thing i have found is cutting out caffine...i love strong coffee and have 2 cups a day..this is not good for anyone fertility. ( those of you who drink cola are in the same position)

About age...i truly feel that it only takes one egg one sperm and a fighting embie to get pregnant...That you can have well into you early 40's...


good luck to us all eh! chat soon

love jen
xxx

[Rittie2000]

Hi Suzhan,

Nice to see you here and I like the idea of this thread. Our clinic had a very positive attitude towards age, I thought. The doctor said that IVF technology had improved in leaps and bounce in the last '2' years that it is no longer relevant to break down the fertility decrease by age year by year. She said generally, if you'e under 40, your chances are about the same as someone at 35. Its when you hit 40 that there is noticeable difference. This may all be a lie but it left me feeling quite positive. And once I'm happy with the answer I don't look further to disprove it and introduce worry and stress

All the things that you have been doing in preparation for the pregnancy sounds perfect. I too took Chinese Medicine for about 6 months (stopped in December did IVF August) to warm up the body and build kidney strength. And I know you do accupuncture which I believe had helped me. And I was told to stop eating cold food, alcohol, cola, etc while trying. Everything you've done sounds perfect.

Good luck with it babe. Its not long to go now. Imagine your womb is now warm and ready for the little embbies to grow grow grow !!!

Lots of love
Rittie

[cowgirlclass]

Suzan, I too am 37 will be 38 in may and I just got a BFP and am hoping I can hang on, first scan is Oct 31st. Anyways my clinic "Lackland AFB" has very good success rates and these are a couple things the doc told me he thinks other clinics make mistakes. First off, he said the stimulating and fertilizing the eggs is the easy part. The hard part is getting the implantation. He said he would rather provide minimal does of stimulation medicine to minimize the effects on the uterun lining. The second mistake he thinks other clinics make is to implant too many embros. If the embro quality is decent, doesn't even need to be good but making steady progress and the uterus is ready there will be implantation. He thinks that putting too many embros causes a toxic environement for ones that are ready to implant.

One thing I did diffrent than doc's orders are to take one baby asprin a day. I have heard about cysts stopping cycles and I have been known to get a cyst or two so I started when I started the BCP. Don't know if it helped but that is what I did. My doc perscribed pre-natels with my BC that I did for 3 weeks then went into stiiming immediately. I did no lupron.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any questions you think of. When I was getting started I too wanted to hear from people that had been successful.

But even after you get that BFP you worry. I was hoping that I would relax after but NOT

Good Luck!
Cowgirl

[suzhan]

Wow - these are great replies, I love the fact that there are many of us here - and a couple of BFPs in the bunch! Congrat's Rittie and Cowgirl!

Rittie - I love the attitude of your RE! I'm going to think more of her perspective, that's for sure! As I mentioned, I've not been perfect with the vino - 1 glass a couple of times/week. When did you cut out all alcohol completely? You're definitely an inspiration!

Cowgirl - I think your RE's perspective on implanting too many embies is very, very interesting, as well as the perspective on minmizing the stim's to avoid the effects on the uterine lining. That makes a lot of sense to me, but is kind of opposite thinking of my RE. He tends to implant a lot of embies - 6 in my first try and 5 in the second! I have had no problem with making eggs, too, and ghost has suggested I get more assertive this time to not allow that many to be transferred (freeze 'em instead).


Jen - Great PMA! Luckily, cutting out the caffeine part was pretty easy for me - I still have a cup of decaf every now and then, but I've completely eliminated all caffeine other wise.

Angie - Sounds like you're doing great, congratulations! Good luck with the FET - when is it? Ghost also talks quite positively about FET being a good option because of the ability to better prepare the uterine lining for implantation.

I also read that drinking red raspberry leaf tea is great on preparing the uterine lining, so I'm planning on trying that as well.

Thanks again for the inspirational stories and for the good advice. For those of us 'still trying', I'm sending loads of positive energy and baby dust around -

- Suzhan

[Rittie2000]

Hi Suzhan,

You asked when I stopped drinking completely. I stopped completely just before the down-reg injections, but I'm a poor drinker anyway so that wasn't hard. I don't know if I can encourage you and whether it would really make a difference but try to cut it out soon babe. And if you find this too difficult then like you've been doing, stick with wine and not beer/spirits....

Cowgirl, congratulations on your BFP, excellent news!!! You reminded me what my RE did to me regarding stimulation. As I have PCOS, she told me even if I begged she would only give me a very low dose stim to 1) avoid aggravating overstimulation and 2) ensure the uterial lining is in a good state. So I only had 7 eggs collected but 6 fertilised and 2 were tranferred and 2 frozen. Thats a good result I think even though its not tonnes of eggs like a lot of girls are obsessed about. But in my case the low dose was given because of the PCOS and in the UK one is only allowed to transfer a maximum of 2 embryos if one is under 40 so that is a no brainer.

I was also prescribed baby aspirin to start the day of the ET, my accupuncturist agreed that as this thins the blood it also increases the blood flow to the womb so its a good thing. And I had to continue with Metformin (Glucophage) which balances hormonal levels for PCOS sufferers who tend to have a high m/c rate. Lastly I had to continue with the progesterone suppositories until the end of Week 12 (which is coming up and I can't wait !!!).

You stay positive now girl....

Lots of love
Rittie

[suzhan]

Thanks, Rittie. I agree, I need to cut out the wine soon. I'm in the 'bcp' stage and start lupron/down-regging (if I understand the term correctly) at the end of the month. I'm traveling out of town until Monday, so I think Monday will be my cut-off day of no more wine. Luckily, I don't drink the beer/spirits anyway, I just enjoy my wine now and then with dinner. Well, it's a small step to give up in the scheme of everything!

Thanks again.

-Suzhan

[Angie65]

Make the most of the wine then Suzhan. I will have to too - my next appmt to discuss plans for FET is 28/10 so may be, just may be, I may have to have an alcohol free Christmas.....!

good to meet you other ladies too!
A

[suzhan]

Angie - now that we've returned from our vacation in Chicago (went to friend's wedding), I've officially joined the 'no wine' group. I had a couple of glasses at the wedding, but other than that, I think it's a small thing to give up to improve my chances! I start lupron next Sunday anyway, so there's no time like the present!

I would love to have a 'no alcohol' Christmas, since that would mean I was pregnant! I'm keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed for that!

Good luck to you too with the FET! When will your transfer date be?
- Suzhan

[Angie65]

Hi Suzhan,

Hope you enjoyed the wedding. I have my FET appointment this Sat and so hopefully I will have more of an idea on dates then. I don't get regular AF's so they will probably have artificially bring it on and then the FET I think 14 days after that. It should all work well as sat week we are going to the races with friends and a fair bit of champagne will be guzzled and after then I will have to be good! Difficult this time of year - as it's summer now in Oz!

Good luck with the Lupron and hi to all you other ladies. A X

[suzhan]

Well, best of luck to you with your appointment on Saturday and have fun at the races! I'm officially 'off the fun juice' - hopefully for at least 9 more months!

[Rittie2000]

Hi everyone,

Had my 13 and half week Nuchal Tranluncency Scan yesterday and both Twin 1 and Twin 2 are doing well. Twin 2 is slightly bigger than Twin 1 and they both measure just under 3 inches. Both look like real babies. And both have been given a low risk calculation which we are delighted about. I seem to be healthy too, midwife was happy with my urine test, blood pressure etc. Phew, I am so pleased we made it past this milestone...

I have booked myself in for a private scan today (just to be sure as people keep telling me I'm high risk with age and twins blah blah blah). Hope the results will be just as positive.

I'm totally drug free now, no progesterone, no metformin, just a multi-vit each day. Hoorah!!!

Lots of love
Rittie

[Angie65]

Wow! Rittie - you are my inspiration! I hope I am in your position in a few weeks time - twins how exciting!

[Yllka]

Does anyone else have any helpful hints or suggestions? I know the odds are not in our favor, but I truly hope being 38 doesn't negate my chances. I truly dream of being a mom soon.

Dear Suzhan

I’m 37 y old and I turn to 38 on March. I dream also to become a mom soon.
So let's hope!

The most important think is:

1.Both partners should be non-smoker!
2.Stress has to live your house immediately.



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At 37 years old, the chance for pregnancy with IVF is approximately 40% per attempt. Cumulative pregnancy rates after 3-4 attempts are higher.

The effect of age are:

A. As women get older, pregnancy success rates decrease. Rates noticeably decline after age 34 and even more rapidly decline after 37 years old. Greatest effect of age is on ovarian reserve (egg quality and quantity).

B. Increased age = Decreased Pregnancy Rates + Increased Miscarriage Rates.

C. A similar pattern holds true for men, but approximately 30 years later than women.

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The 1999 guidelines suggested a limit of four embryos for all patients aged 35-40 years, but the new guidelines differentiate between the 35- to 37-year-old age group and the 38- to 40-year-old group.

In the first age group, those with a favorable prognosis should have no more than two embryos transferred, with no more than three recommended for women who have a less favorable prognosis.

For women aged 38-40 years, a limit of three embryos is suggested for those with a better prognosis, with no more than four recommended for those with a less favorable prognosis.

And for women older than 40 years, a limit of five embryos is recommended.[/u


IVF success declines sharply after age 42;
IUI rates hold until age 39: fertility treatments - Obstetrics

Men's Age Shows No Effect on Fertility!!

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