IVF still a realistic possibility?

Answered on 30th November 2014 in Older Women

I'm 42, nearly 43 & my partner is 30. I was pregnant with Clomid this time last year but miscarried at 7 weeks at the beginning of this year, Clomid did not work. My AMH read 6.43 in August - 2 private clinics advised me to go ahead with IVF but a family friend from this field said I'd be throwing my money away & stand just the same chance (i.e. not much chance) of conceiving naturally with Clomid but that donor egg is my greater chance. I understand DE is more likely to succeed but just can't get my head around it - I'm scared if I try again with Clomid I'll have lost more time & will be too late to go donor egg route. Is there any point me still trying IVF? Also no one seems to be able to advise me. I am extremely stressed in my job - would removing this element of life help at all? One clinic diagnosed me with high level killer cells too but I've since been told there are no proper studies to back up this theory?

Sorry to ask so many things - I'm just confused by all the different opinions to my one situation. Many thanks

Our Expert's Answer

This information was published 9 years, 4 months ago and was correct at the time of publication. It may not reflect our current practices or regulations.

Please note that all the answers we give are on a generic basis only, as we cannot provide more in-depth answers without access to your medical history. If you need a more detailed response, tailored to you, we would recommend a consultation with one of our Fertility Specialists for more comprehensive medical advice.

At age 42-43 with your egg reserve there is a realistic chance to see a reasonable ovarian response in IVF stimulation although the quality of your eggs may limit your pregnancy chances. In your age group the chance of success is less than 10% for each cycle.  Other factors such as your medical history or your partners sperm quality could lower this. Using donor eggs will dramatically increase your chance of having a baby and you can have treatment up to the age of 50. You may benefit from seeing one of our counsellors who can talk through your options.