Only donor eggs at 42?

[Anonymous]

As other posters have pointed out in previous threads, there is no way to know if your friends who say they conceived with their own eggs are telling you the truth. I think some people don't tell anyone they used donor eggs until their child is old enough to be told (if they decide to tell their child). Obviously women to get pregnant with their own eggs after 41, but it may not be as often as you think.

[Anonymous]

As other posters have pointed out in previous threads, there is no way to know if your friends who say they conceived with their own eggs are telling you the truth. I think some people don't tell anyone they used donor eggs until their child is old enough to be told (if they decide to tell their child). Obviously women to get pregnant with their own eggs after 41, but it may not be as often as you think.

Ditto, I am one of them. Donor egg twins at age 42. But no-one on the planet knows at this point but my husband and my doctor and I.
There are lots of us out there.

[Anonymous]

In terms of numbers of women getting pregnant with their own eggs in their forties, I have no hard statistics, but certainly where I grew up lots of Catholic women were having babies in their forties, and obviously there were no donor eggs then! So of course it is clearly possible. Those weren't their first children. of course; don't know if that matters, but anyone who says only a tiny percentage of women can get pregnant after 40 with their own eggs is incorrect.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the previous poster. Since I was AMA when my son was conceived, I talked and met lots of women over 40 who were pregnant with their own eggs. I personally think that while yes, some people will say they got pregnant with their own egg, and I UNDERSTAND WHY, I don't think it's the majority. Likewise, I know a lot of women who are struggling to get pregnant in their 40s. It's possible but not a guarantee.

[Anonymous]

I think it is unusual for women over 42 to get pregnant with their own eggs doing IVF, but there are definitely ones who do it on their own or with IUI. I have two friends who had their first kids at 43 - one on her own and one using IUI. If someone is 42 or 43 and doing IVF, then it is highly unlikely that the eggs are hers - probably less than 10%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is unusual for women over 42 to get pregnant with their own eggs doing IVF, but there are definitely ones who do it on their own or with IUI. I have two friends who had their first kids at 43 - one on her own and one using IUI. If someone is 42 or 43 and doing IVF, then it is highly unlikely that the eggs are hers - probably less than 10%.

Just curious because I don't know much about IVF or IUI--why do you say this? What is the difference? Why would IUI be with own eggs but IVF not? Again, just curious.

[Anonymous]

I question that observation as well. There are many reasons to do IVF even with your own eggs, e.g., a fallopian tube problem or a male factor issue that is treatable through ICSI. I don't think it necessarily follows that 42 year olds using IVF are automatically using donor eggs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I think it is unusual for women over 42 to get pregnant with their own eggs doing IVF, but there are definitely ones who do it on their own or with IUI. I have two friends who had their first kids at 43 - one on her own and one using IUI. If someone is 42 or 43 and doing IVF, then it is highly unlikely that the eggs are hers - probably less than 10%.

Just curious because I don't know much about IVF or IUI--why do you say this? What is the difference? Why would IUI be with own eggs but IVF not? Again, just curious.

IVF is known to be very hard on older eggs. The older the eggs, apparently the more "fragile" they are to stimlation, retrival, etc. (in most cases). This is why many doctors will recommend IUIs over IVF for women over a certain age---41 or so. At some point in a woman's reproductive timetime, the success rates for IUI and IVF equilibrate (sadly both 5-10% or less). In many cases, IUI may have higher success rates than IVF.

The great irony is that at a point in their reproductive lives when more women turn to IVF (lets's say >age 38), IVF success rates take a steeper downhill curve than even natural fertility does. By age 42-43 IVF works for almost no one whereas 42-43 year old women (especially those with previous children) do get pregnant naturally.

[Anonymous]

Of course they are not automatically using donor eggs (and you might not need to use donor eggs either, OP). The only point I was making is that some of the "friends of friends" that people were describing on this board may have used donor eggs and not told their friends about it. After all, if I ever get a BFP, most of my friends (and certainly my in-laws ) will never even know I did IVF (and they probably won't suspect it since I'm 32). The bottom line is that you have to talk to your RE (and maybe get a second opinion) before you'll know what your odds are. Good luck!!! --14:17 poster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:totally depends on the practice. Some places, like Shady Grove, have a reputation (whether or not deserved I don't know) for pushing donor eggs onto 40+ year olds as a way to boost the clinic's success rates.

That has not been my experience with Columbia Fertility, which has been very positive with respect to our wishes not to do DE but to try with my own eggs (I'm 41), while at the same time being very honest about the DE alternative available.

I am a 40+ pt at Shady Grove and donor eggs were never once metioned to me.

[Anonymous]

I am 42 and am about to start an IVF cycle at Shady Grove (Widra is my doctor) and so far we've not discussed donor eggs. I will be doing preimplantation genetic diagnosis. For anyone trying to conceive in their 40s, I recommend reading the book Inconceivable by Julia Indichova. She was told (and this was back in the 1990s) at the age of 42 that donor eggs were her only option. She changed her diet/lifestyle and conceived naturally. Don't give up just becuase you're in your 40s! Wishing you all the success in the world.

[Anonymous]

We have just consulted with SG - Dr Widra and he told us that SG's cut-off for using own eggs is 43. Once a woman reaches 44 SG will not use her eggs. I do know that Cooper Institute in NJ does not have an age cut off. I have worked with both clinics while TTC.

[Anonymous]

I'm 42 and got pregnant with my own egg at 42. But I miscarried at 10 weeks. Although many of your eggs at age 42 are bad, not all are. Repeated IVF's will increase your chances of having a live healthy birth (if you use CGH) but that is with 4 to 5 cycles probably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 42 and am about to start an IVF cycle at Shady Grove (Widra is my doctor) and so far we've not discussed donor eggs. I will be doing preimplantation genetic diagnosis. For anyone trying to conceive in their 40s, I recommend reading the book Inconceivable by Julia Indichova. She was told (and this was back in the 1990s) at the age of 42 that donor eggs were her only option. She changed her diet/lifestyle and conceived naturally. Don't give up just becuase you're in your 40s! Wishing you all the success in the world.

What is preimplantation genetic diagnosis? Is this PBB or CGH or Microarray? Last time I checked which was one month ago SG did not do any testing on embryo's prior to implantation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 42 and am about to start an IVF cycle at Shady Grove (Widra is my doctor) and so far we've not discussed donor eggs. I will be doing preimplantation genetic diagnosis. For anyone trying to conceive in their 40s, I recommend reading the book Inconceivable by Julia Indichova. She was told (and this was back in the 1990s) at the age of 42 that donor eggs were her only option. She changed her diet/lifestyle and conceived naturally. Don't give up just becuase you're in your 40s! Wishing you all the success in the world.

There was a recent article in the NY Times about PGD and how it lowers pregnancy rates and others problems with it. Unless you have to do it (have a family hx of certain disorders) I would be very cautious about doing it as it is not 100% accurate and can damage eggs. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203366604574237912351241156.html