New to IVF- not infertility specifically?

[Anonymous]

So, DH and I are getting older and we have 2 kids now, and want a 3rd. Neither of the first two were made with outside assistance (no idea the "correct way to say that... just saying we didn't use infertility treatments of any kind for the first two babies).

BUT- I have a history of MC before our 2 healthy babies, and we have concerns going forward that because we now crossed the line into "geriatric" age for pregnancies, that the risk of MC or unhealthy baby may go way up.

Are there fertility clinics that would work with us under those circumstances? Do we have to have spent x amount of time "trying" without success to be eligible?

Is there a place where DH sperm or my eggs (?) could be tested for healthy factors without us having to try unsuccessfully first?

Totally new to all of this, and exploring options, so if there are things we should know please share.

[Anonymous]

Good Lord!

[Anonymous]

Eligibility means insurance coverage, so check with them.

Even genetically screened embryos can result in miscarriage.

The IVF process takes so long too, so I would just have a baby without assistance - your risks will rise since the process takes so long and you will get older.

[Anonymous]

Start trying. After 2 months, if you aren't successful, starting tracking your ovulation (taking your temperature in the morning and/or ovulation test strips). If after 2-3 months you still aren't pregnant:

Get hormone check at your OBGYN or if you want more information, schedule an informational appointment with an IVF clinic. They will be able to tell you what your hormones are doing and how fertile you are.

Have DH go to a urologist to do a sperm test.

[Anonymous]

How did millions or billions of women have babies for thousands upon thousands of years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, DH and I are getting older and we have 2 kids now, and want a 3rd. Neither of the first two were made with outside assistance (no idea the "correct way to say that... just saying we didn't use infertility treatments of any kind for the first two babies).

BUT- I have a history of MC before our 2 healthy babies, and we have concerns going forward that because we now crossed the line into "geriatric" age for pregnancies, that the risk of MC or unhealthy baby may go way up.

Are there fertility clinics that would work with us under those circumstances? Do we have to have spent x amount of time "trying" without success to be eligible?

Is there a place where DH sperm or my eggs (?) could be tested for healthy factors without us having to try unsuccessfully first?

Totally new to all of this, and exploring options, so if there are things we should know please share.

Bottom line is that nearly 100% of fertility clinics are also businesses that exist to make money. So yes, I would presume most any (if not all?) fertility clinic(s) would be happy to schedule a consult with you and your husband to explain how fertility testing works and then, when complete, what options they could offer you.

[Anonymous]

Clinics will always take your money.

[Anonymous]

Do you not know how to make a baby? You have 2 already.

[Anonymous]

You can certainly do it. People do it for gender selection or to ensure that they don't pass on a hereditary genetic disease or something. However, it's no guarantee that your baby will be healthy or that you will avoid a miscarriage. And your insurance won't cover it unless you pretend you are experiencing infertility.

[Anonymous]

Having a 3rd baby over 35 or even 40 is very different than having your first baby at 35/38/40. The pump is primed.

If you are worried about having another miscarriage and not being able to get medical care due to the recent legal changed, an RE can’t help you predict that or prevent that.

If you are worried you won’t get pregnant, stop worrying and start trying. If you are worried because you don’t know if you have 6 months or 6 years to have a 3rd, no RE can tell you that. If you are over 35 and can’t get pregnant after 6 months of unprotected sex, then go to an RE. They will take your money and run tests.

If you are worried about your age because you want to avoid birth defects, I would pursue genetic testing early in your pregnancy. Doing IVF and having your embryo tested can’t rule out every potential issue, just specific inherited ones.

If you are worried about conceiving a fetus with birth defects or issues and potentially want to terminate, I don’t think an RE can help you. I think you need to research local laws where you live and decide what risks you are willing to accept.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, DH and I are getting older and we have 2 kids now, and want a 3rd. Neither of the first two were made with outside assistance (no idea the "correct way to say that... just saying we didn't use infertility treatments of any kind for the first two babies).

BUT- I have a history of MC before our 2 healthy babies, and we have concerns going forward that because we now crossed the line into "geriatric" age for pregnancies, that the risk of MC or unhealthy baby may go way up.

Are there fertility clinics that would work with us under those circumstances? Do we have to have spent x amount of time "trying" without success to be eligible?

Is there a place where DH sperm or my eggs (?) could be tested for healthy factors without us having to try unsuccessfully first?

Totally new to all of this, and exploring options, so if there are things we should know please share.

I think you should do some reading about the actual risks. It's not like at 35 a light goes off and your eggs go from pristine to garbage. It's a gradual deterioration over time.

I think you are probably both over-estimating the impact of your age and over-estimating how much IVF can do to ensure a "healthy" baby.

[Anonymous]

OP, what the heck do you want?!

[Anonymous]

OP, I understand what you are discussing. Pregnancy loss through miscarriage is very hard. Just because you have been blessed with two children subsequently doesn’t make the memories of earlier grief disappear. Understandably you want to avoid future loss. IVF with PGT-A (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies) reduces the risk of miscarriage for chromosomal abnormalities. An embryo found to be chromosomally normal, or euploid, is most likely to be able to result in a successful pregnancy.

I am in my early 40s and have frozen eggs from when I was younger. DH and I have discussed the risk vs benefit of trying naturally at our age vs IVF with genetic testing using my younger eggs. I can see it both ways. However, personally, it would be very hard for me to terminate based on results of a NIPT test at 10 weeks gestation. I would rather know prior to pregnancy and not transfer those embryos.

There can be miscarriage with tested/euploid embryos but the risk is reduced. Also, as people on this forum will point out, there are plenty of problems that children can have which are not screened for with PGT-A. I maintain, however, that it stacks the deck in your favor to have a euploid embryo-if you still have the ovarian reserve and egg quality to make one.

Clinics will work with you. It’s your decision! Best wishes whatever you decide!

[Anonymous]

Just tell them you've been trying on your own for 6 months unsuccessfully. You'll go through all of the testing (which will take a couple-few months) and it will be categorized as "unexplained" (or who knows, maybe they'll find something). Then you should be able to start down the road to treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I understand what you are discussing. Pregnancy loss through miscarriage is very hard. Just because you have been blessed with two children subsequently doesn’t make the memories of earlier grief disappear. Understandably you want to avoid future loss. IVF with PGT-A (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies) reduces the risk of miscarriage for chromosomal abnormalities. An embryo found to be chromosomally normal, or euploid, is most likely to be able to result in a successful pregnancy.

I am in my early 40s and have frozen eggs from when I was younger. DH and I have discussed the risk vs benefit of trying naturally at our age vs IVF with genetic testing using my younger eggs. I can see it both ways. However, personally, it would be very hard for me to terminate based on results of a NIPT test at 10 weeks gestation. I would rather know prior to pregnancy and not transfer those embryos.

There can be miscarriage with tested/euploid embryos but the risk is reduced. Also, as people on this forum will point out, there are plenty of problems that children can have which are not screened for with PGT-A. I maintain, however, that it stacks the deck in your favor to have a euploid embryo-if you still have the ovarian reserve and egg quality to make one.

Clinics will work with you. It’s your decision! Best wishes whatever you decide!

And those are the lines clinics will use to take your money even though they can’t guarantee any better, or less emotionally painful, results than unprotected sex.