# You ladies are giving me hope!



## LadyMoonlight (Mar 10, 2005)

Hi everyone

I don't belong here as I'm 36 - will be 37 in December - but reading your posts is giving me hope!

For a start I'm the child of an older mother - my mum had me at 36 and my brother at 42 - both natural conceptions and straighforwards pregnancies.

DH and I have a little boy who is 22.5 months old and we desperately want a sibling for him.  DH is a toyboy - a young strip of a thing at 26 (lol) but unfortunately he has quite bad MF infertility which seems to be the root of our problems.  We tried for 2 years before conceiving DS when I was 34.

We're trying again and having no luck because of the MF problems but I'm also being told by various people (including my own brother, which is pretty rich considering that he was born to a 42 year old mother!) that I'm "too old" for another baby now and with the problems DH has we should just "be thankful for the one we've got".

We've been advised to go down the ICSI route which isn't an option right now because of the cost but might be in the future - however I have been worrying that if its not done within the next year or 2, my age will make it unlikely to suceed and this has been really getting me down.

So I'm just enjoying reading your stories of BFPs at the age of 45 or 46!    Wow!!  Its not impossible!

I'd also like to ask whether any ladies here managed a natural BFP in their late 30s (or early 40s), despite MF issues?


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## malteeza (Mar 23, 2005)

Dear Ladymoonlight,

I am 43.  I had one son at 35. I had 4 unsuccessful pgs between 36 and 39. My DH's sperm count ranges between 9 and 15 mil.
I recently had a chemical pg, but that was only because of clomid and hcg therapy. (I ovulate fine on my own BTW).

Don't waste time - if you want ICSI, do it ASAP, whatever it takes.  Your son, and my son are miracles and in my experience, the miracle doesn't happen twice. 

Don't end up like me -thinking because I got lucky once, I would again....If you want baby#2, do everything you can NOW to make it happen.  Time does run out.  (I should know). 


Best of luck

Malteeeza


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## dsimone (Oct 26, 2007)

Dear Ladymoonlight,
I'm 44 and about to try a donor egg at Reprofit in CZ, after many miscarriages and two failed IVF tries.  I didn't meet the man I wanted to have kids with until I was 41.  I wish I had tried when I was younger.  I agree with the last post, if there is any way possible for you to gather the funds for ICSI, then do it.  The cost at Reprofit, in Brno, near Prague, is very reasonable.  And, there are many success stories out of this clinic.  If you do not have the funds or possiblity, then I would try having him go to acupuncture and take herbs.  Acupuncture is supposed to improve the quality of sperm, among other things.  From what I've read your age is a big indicator of your fertility, but it is different for everyone.  I've recently read that the best indicator of your fertility is the antra follicle count (this is done with an ultrasound).  Good luck.  Dsimone


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## LadyMoonlight (Mar 10, 2005)

Hi Ladies

Sadly ICSI isn't an option for us, we have a 22 month sold son who I am staying home with and my DH isn't a very high income earner, we simply aren't able to raise the necessary funds to pay for it, so we've already excluded that option.  Even going abroad would be too much for us to afford.  We have a mortgage and lots of other committments and can't take on any more debt.  It just isn't possible.  Plus if we did and the ICSI failed I couldn't forgive myself.  Several thousand pounds might not be much to some people but to us its a sizeable chunk of our annual income!!!

We might be able to afford a cycle or two of IUI - it depends on whether the clinic would agree to do it with DH's sperm count being so low.

We're going to try taking vitamins and advice on how to raise his sperm count naturally.  I know the chances of a successful pregnancy are less the older you get but as I've said, ICSI isn't an option for us so we're just going to have to try naturally.  I'm probably going to give it 3 years and then call it a day when I get to 40 and move on as a family of 3.  

I do feel hopeful reading your threads and as I've said, my mum had a baby at 42, conceived naturally, so I know it can be done, but I don't have unrealistic expectations.


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## chloe99 (Aug 27, 2008)

Have dh's probs been ivestigated properly?  Sometimes there is a fixable reason for a low count etc.  Do get onto the vitamins, it's at least half a dozen different things for him - maybe you could start trying to save for a few years time.  ICSI isn't really that much more expensive than ivf.  Also if you shop around there are some very cheap ivf/icsi programs if you are able to travel.  Best wishes


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