# 44 & 2 months - any BFP success stories?



## TiggerBounces (Sep 6, 2014)

Hi, just wondering if there are any success stories out there for women my age...

I had a naturally conceived son when I was 42 and 2 months (his DOB) and we've been trying ever since to have another, with no luck. 12 months of IVF - 3 stim cycles, 5 FETs, 1 ectopic in April (but one of the embryos was stored from a stim cycle in July the previous year so when I was just 43).  We did do one last final stim cycle in May but got a BFN in June.  We are contemplating DE but Im just wondering, should we try again with OE....its so hard to know when to stop.  I'm in Australia and have an amazing consultant who is known to push the boundaries so in terms of stimulation etc I've probably been on the best possible.  The last cycle we had 8 eggs, only 4 fertilised but only 2 made it to day 5 and one was a morula the other a low grade blastocyst.  He wasn't hopeful of the outcome and he was right.

Are there any success stories out there?  Where did you go? And what was the protocol?  Im wondering if the UK or Europe offers even better options.  We are from the UK and coming back next week and then to live in February.


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## Maggiephatcat (Feb 21, 2010)

Hi TiggerBounces

There is a fabulous thread (it's 119 pages  ) called 40+ Success Stories. I'll copy a link below for you. Have a read through.

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=59854.0

good luck 

Maggie xx


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## TiggerBounces (Sep 6, 2014)

Thanks yes I've seen that and read most of it. Problem is 40 is very different to 44 in terms of fertility which is why I posted a new post. Hope that's ok?


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## Maggiephatcat (Feb 21, 2010)

TiggerBounces said:


> Thanks yes I've seen that and read most of it. Problem is 40 is very different to 44 in terms of fertility which is why I posted a new post. Hope that's ok?


Of course  I just wanted to draw your attention to the thread in case you'd not seen it.

Maggie xx


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## CrazyHorse (May 8, 2014)

I believe I've seen one or two ladies who have had OE treatment success at age 44, but unfortunately don't remember their user names. It seems like there tend to be more surprise natural BFPs in the 44-46 age range than treatment successes, but that may be due to the very low numbers of women attempting OE treatment at that age.

You mention that your Australian doctor "is known to push the boundaries" -- does this mean really, really high doses of stims? If so, then you might want to go the opposite route and try mild/mini or natural IVF in an attempt to maximise egg quality by reducing stims dosage. There's not a lot of clinics in the UK that do it (Create say they do "mild" IVF, and yet some of the people on their "mild" protocol report being on 300 iu / day of stims!), but there's more choice a plane flight away on the continent. Of course, if that's what your Australian doctor was already doing, then it's kind of a moot point.

Honestly, though, if what's most important to you is having a baby and finances are starting to become a limiting factor, then I would go to DE. Unfortunately, it does seem like success with OE takes a nose dive around age 42.    I don't think I'm likely to try for a sibling to my current pregnancy, but I've already put myself in the mindset that if I do it will have to be DE, because I can't handle going through a bunch more failed cycles first. It's a tough call.


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## stelpo (Jan 3, 2012)

Hey there, maybe some hope for all my fellow oldies.....
I have a beautiful ds who was born after years of heartache and 5 lots of ICSI, in 2014 when I was 43, I have had unexplained fertility issues going back 20 years and a new dh with severe mf - some samples had zero sperm in, some had one or two, and some had enough for a few straws to be frozen - which we had to use a couple of times. I am now unexpectedly 14 weeks naturally pg at the grand old age of 45 - all appears to be ok, genetic tests have come back normal....to say I am gobsmacked is an understatement! 

There is always hope : ) 

Good luck!


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## CrazyHorse (May 8, 2014)

That's lovely, stelpo -- congratulations!!


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## Wonderthecat (Apr 23, 2014)

Thanks for your uplifting story Stelpo!

Happy pregnancy xx


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## TiggerBounces (Sep 6, 2014)

Oh wow!!! Congratulations! And thank you for posting, did you do take anything or just relax?! x


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## Shamrock. (Jan 23, 2011)

Congrats Stelpo. That's amazing


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## FolicAcidIngester (Mar 23, 2012)

I got pregnant with my own eggs at 44 years and 10 months old. And the main things I put it down to are 1. exercise (I was on my treadmill for 20-30 mins everyday, just walking briskly mind & every fortnight went on a light bit of hill climbing) and 2. luck.

I'm in the same boat and will go DE if my next OE cycle fails

Good luck whichever way you decide xx


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## TiggerBounces (Sep 6, 2014)

Thanks FolicAcidIngestor, so that was by IVF? What protocol were you on? How many eggs retrieved etc? and where did you have treatment? Thank you.


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## FolicAcidIngester (Mar 23, 2012)

Yes IVF
Short flare protocol (ie an agonist protocol)
It was a clinic in Ireland and even though I had my son there I really wouldn't them. They were closed down 
by the HFEA part of the way through my contact  with them but before stims. At the time it was the only one in my
region. 
I had 5/6 eggs retrieved (such was the quality of their information), some were overmature, some were immature (they did batch collections) but one wasn't and fertilised and was put back in and gave rise to my ds.

I'm not kidding about the exercise, that was the only thing i had going for me, but don't overdo either as ivf blows up the ovaries

i hope that's helpful, don't hesitate to pm me if you need more info.

wishing you lots of luck whichever way you go in the next step 
FAI xx


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## ladybird23 (Dec 19, 2014)

Hi and thanks for the lovely stories.

I turned 44 at the end of last month and hoping this will work for me - all ok so far! I was told the chances of success were very low but all test results were so good and positive that I kept saying 'why?' 

Think all my info is in my signature but please ask if I've missed anything out.

Good luck Tigger and Stelpo

LB xx


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## FolicAcidIngester (Mar 23, 2012)

Congratulations ladybird. Your AMh is fab mind. 
What wonderful news to lift us all up
Thanks for posting FAIx


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