Older Mom Seeking Advice on IVF

Please send me an email!! I am a certified nurse-midwife with about 25 years experience and I think I can give you some helpful information. 38 is NOT old, I know they label you that way in obstetrical practices, but I have helped many women in their early 40s to conceive and birth with NO problems. I need more information to help tho.
D.
mom of 3
NaNa of 6
homebirth midwife

I'm sorry for the frustration you must be feeling right now. I am 35 and I'm planning on IVF this summer due to making a really bad and impulsive decision in 2007 and having my tubes tied. My husband and I are hoping for one more through IVF. We meet with the RE next month to get final details, so I don't have anything super specific to tell you other than that I was told it would be effective for me since all our tests came back normal (day 3 fsh, sonohysterogram and blood work for me, sample analysis for my husband), I have a friend who is 44 and pregnant through IVF right now, using the same clinic I'm using. She had more embryos implanted than I would due to her age, and 1 took and stuck. So it can work for older women, she is a lot older than you. I have also heard that acupuncture helps, and I'm planning to start that next month.

Funny, I'm not afraid of the shots or bloodwork either, I am like you - afraid after all this effort and money that it won't work. I am also very much afraid of multiples. I know we can choose how many to implant back, and I'm praying that one will do it for me. Good luck... hope you get other responses since I'm curious!

Hi! I too experienced infertility for unexplained reasons. The only thing the doctors could come up with was my AMA (Advanced Maternal Age) - gotta love that term! We conceived a child through IVF when I was 38. I did it through a doctor in Nashville. If you e-mail me, I will be more than happy to talk to you about my experiences. I went to see two doctors, but of course chose one to do the procedure. They implanted 4 embryos - I had one successful stick, and one ectopic (which is VERY rare).

The process was grueling at times, but oh so worth it with the outcome. Like you, we were so afraid that the process wouldn't be successful, but we really tried to keep a level "business-minded" approach to it. To get too caught up in the emotional aspects of it would have been too devastating for me to handle. It is expensive, and it's a risk, but without out it, I wouldn't have a fabulous little 3-year-old running around my house today!

As a PS, I'm now 41, and pregnant again. This time it was through natural circumstances. Surprise!!! Wasn't really trying because the hope of conceiving without medical intervention was not really an option. Don't know the IVF pregnancy sort of kicked body into knowing what to do, or what. Don't care, just thrilled over this surprise gift from God!

What I hope you get out of my post is that 38 is NOT old. You still have lots of options... You'll be cared for a little more aggressively than a younger mother, but it's not too late to pursue conception. Good luck! And again, if you'd like to talk, I'm available...

HUGS!

We work with a phenomenal research facility. If you want to get a second opinion, I'll be happy to put you in touch with our REs. Send me a note (____@____.com) or fill out our form on the website (www.themedvacation.com).

I've done IVF 3 times, once when I was 34, once at 36 and again at 38. I got pregnant when I was 36. You'll do fine with the process if you have no issues with the shots, etc, so that is great! The most important thing is to look at your RE's % rates of successful pregnancies. My first IVF Dr was in the low 20%'s, my second (and successful) IVF Dr was double that (i.e. over 53%). Please do yourself a favor and do the research. I wasted lots of time and money with a RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) who really didn't know what she was doing. Don't be afraid to travel to find a good one. I see you are in Nashville. I am in Denver, CO and Dr. William Schoolcraft is the doctor who has the really high rate of success. He has patients fly in to see him and stay during the procedure. They come from all over the world. Check out his website as a good starting point for numbers, odds of success, etc: http://www.colocrm.com/AboutCCRM/SuccessRates.aspx
Best of luck and feel free to email me if you would like to discuss further. If we had the money I would definitely do it again and with Dr. Schoolcraft. Unfortunately for us, there is a genetic issue in my hubby's family that makes it even more difficult than just "fertility issues".