Are you worried you’ve left it too late to have a baby? HFEA data shows over a third all IVF cycles in the UK are carried out for women aged in their late 30s and above, and in many cases age-related infertility is one of the most common reasons for seeking help.
But although natural fertility does decline as you age, if you’re an older woman it doesn’t mean your only hope is an egg donor. At Manchester Fertility, we specialise in helping women to have a baby later in life, through advanced treatment using either your own eggs, or the use of donor eggs.
Here we answer your FAQs all about age, fertility and having a baby in your late 30s and early 40s:
I’d like to use my own eggs to have a baby even though I’m older – do I have to use an egg donor?
Every woman’s fertility is different. So although you may assume you’ll need an egg donor, it may still be viable for you to use your own eggs depending upon your age. We’ll identify if you have a good chance of successful pregnancy through a tailored combination of fertility tests, which give us the most accurate picture of your current fertility status. Tests include ovarian reserve, which shows us how many eggs you have remaining, examining your reproductive system through ultrasound and blood tests to check hormone levels.
Your test results will form the basis of our treatment recommendation. If your test results show your own eggs may be viable, we’ll explain to you clearly and transparently the likely chances of success, taking into account all your personal and unique factors.
What are the IVF success rates for older women?
If you’re using your own eggs in treatment, IVF success rates are always lower for older women compared to younger women simply because of the reduction in egg quality due to age. Currently, around a quarter of women aged 40-42 who have IVF with us using their own eggs achieve a clinical pregnancy (confirmed fetal heartbeat).
Your Manchester Fertility consultant will advise you of your options once we have your initial test results. It could be that using donor eggs gives you a much higher chance of success. If you’re aged 44 and above, we strongly recommend using donor eggs as the chances of IVF pregnancy using your own eggs is so low.
Is there a long waiting list if I need to use an egg donor?
If using an egg donor gives you the best hope of a baby, you don’t have to join a waiting list at Manchester Fertility. Thanks to our successful Manchesterdonors.com programme, we can offer you immediate treatment with donor eggs. All of our egg donors are UK-based, healthy and fertile women aged 35 and under, who have passed the strict medical criteria to be egg donors.
How much does IVF with donor eggs cost?
Because we help so many women to have a baby with the help of our egg donors, we’ve developed tiered donor eggs packages to make this treatment as accessible as possible for everyone. You can choose from an exclusive egg donor package, shared package or frozen donor eggs option. Each has a guaranteed number of eggs, with a choice of egg donors from our donor database.
We also offer the Donor Eggs IVF Refund plan from Access Fertility. A pre-paid discounted plan that gives you multiple cycles of treatment, Donor Eggs IVF Refund is available to women aged up to 48 using donor eggs, with the reassurance of a refund of up to 70% of plan fees if treatment is unsuccessful after all included cycles and associated embryo transfers have been completed.
I’m single and an older woman, can you help me to have a baby?
Yes, you can have IVF with both donor eggs and donor sperm. You’ll get a choice of egg and sperm donors from our donor programme, with the full support of our dedicated Donation Team every step of the way.
If you’re ready to have a baby and would like our help, contact our friendly Patient Advisors on 0161 300 2737 or apply here. We offer free, informal, no obligation one-to-one appointments for those considering treatment, where you can ask any questions you have and look around our clinic. We can also book you in for your first consultant appointment.
You can also read our Guide for Older Women, to give you an overview of the types of treatments we offer.
Last updated: 21st January 2020
