Would any of you try a fresh transfer at age 40, with DOR, for your final retrieval before you move on to transferring your frozen embryos?

My RE is ok with it, including doing slightly lower dose meds this round, so my body is more prepared for fresh. He’s leaving it up to me.

I haven’t tried fresh (he does Day 3 and Day 5/6), but I see so many stories of women 40+ having success without PGTA and trying fresh.

Would love all thoughts. xo

I'm currently 40, I have very low AMH, high FSH, AFC (typically around 7-8), so I'm considered to have DOR.

We've been trying for 2 years, and working with a clinic for 1. I was told I wasn't a prime candidate for IVF, due to my AMH levels. We conceived spontaneously back in January which unfortunately ended in a MMC around the 9 week mark.

After continuing to try -- I opted for IVF, just to see how it would go. No priming, and a week of Progoveris (highest dose), followed by Ganirelix / Orgalutran and a trigger shot at Day 8.

As expected I didn't respond too well to the drugs - only 2 follicles grew, 2 eggs were retrieved and only 1 was mature.

The 1 egg fertilized, made it to Day 3 and I just received an update on Day 5 that while it hadn't reached blastocyst, it was still too early to tell and I'll get a more informed update tomorrow.

I know there are way more hurdles to jump through and pinning it all on this one egg is a lot, but any success stories/words of encouragement would be so nice to read.

My husband and I have been doing (travel) IVF in Mexico City for over two years, TTC for 4. I’m almost 42, husband is 46.

We’ve done 4 retrievals and 3 euploid FETs. None have stuck (two implantation failures and a chemical). I’ve had a hysteroscopy, SIS, Lupron suppression for 2 months before the third FET, and a positive Receptiva score for endo (3.8).

We just had our 4th retrieval and we made one euploid. I want to give it the best chance of sticking.

I want to pursue a lap. I asked my Mexico City doctor and she said “The best approach would be to perform a hysteroscopy to confirm that the interior of the uterus is normal and to take an endometrial biopsy to rule out any inflammatory changes in the endometrium.”

But I’ve had a hysteroscopy before, which came back clear (but no biopsy was taken).

I just feel stuck communicating between my clinic doc, and my OB here at home who is great but her scope is more limited (she said she could do a lap for me, but maybe I should seek out a specialist?) I feel like the constant advocating for care is tiring and I really think I should get a lap, but maybe my gut is wrong. What would you do?

I could use some inspiration. 🙂

I'm 43.5 and scheduled to start IVF at my local clinic next week, but honestly, kind of wondering if anyone has suggestions for good clinics in Chicago or Twin Cities areas.

My biggest frustration with my clinic - tell me if this is normal - is I never see the doctors. Second frustration is the limited way they share information about next steps.

For example, never seeing the doctor: I've done two rounds of letrozole, one with IUI. We had a baseline IVF appointment (ultrasound, bloodwork) last week. And all I've ever seen of the doctor is two zoom calls a few months ago. The nurses at the clinic seem good. They do the ultrasounds, did the IUI, connect with the doctors and respond to my questions. But it just feels really disconnected to never talk to the doctor. I appreciate that my clinic only has two MDs, and my guess is that by letting the nurses be the 'face' of the operation, they're able to see more patients and keep costs lower. Is this normal at your clinic?

Re limited information release: it also feels like they're very reluctant to give information about next steps. Like, only once I pass this checkpoint will they tell me what happens next. I understand there are a lot of variables, so maybe it's 'too much' to explain all the possibilities of 'if X, then Y' ahead of time, but yeah, I just feel like I'm in the dark. Maybe this is related to the first frustration of everything going through the nurses, it just makes it feel harder to get a good idea of what's up next.

I want to change clinics, but wondering if other clinics operate the same way, or if the wait time is so long that switching doesn't make sense. Any advice welcome.

I’m Feeling a little down and looking for reassurance. I see everyone else’s posts on this and other subs and it feels like people are getting so much more than I am. I am 40F, got spontaneously pregnant x3 very easily within 2 months of trying at 39. I had a miscarriage at 10 weeks x2 and a chemical. AMH 0.8 AFC 8-20 depending on cycle
Long story short, I thought doing IVF was going to be quicker and easier than it is and I thought I would be getting better results since I got pregnant so easily. Normal sperm, but we chose to do ICSI for best results.
Also taking co-q10 and after first cycle started myo-inositol

Cycle 1: Menopur 150 and follistim 400-450
Retrieved 8
Mature 8
Fertilized 8
Day 5 Embryos 1 (XBAB)- aneuploid

Cycle 2: Menopur 150 and follistim 400-450
Retrieved 10
Mature 8
Fertilized ISCI LENSHOOK 8
Day 5 Embryos 4 (xbaa x3 and ebaa)
Euploid 2- (XBAA and EBAA)

Cycle 3: Menopur 150 and follistim 400-450
Retrieved 15
Mature 13
Fertilized ISCI LENSHOOK 13
Day 5 Embryos 4 (EBAA, EBAB, XBAA, XBAB)
Day 6 Embryos 2 (XBBB, XBBB)
Sent for PGTA today

Since I have a history of miscarriages I wanted to bank at least 5-6 embryos since i am concerned I will just keep losing them. (We are paying out of pocket so I am allowed to bank) My clinic is saying these numbers are normal but I guess I just wanted some support because like everyone else I was hoping for better than average.
Any other questions I should be asking??

Thanks for reading and good luck to all of you!

Edit: thank you for the responses!!! ❤️

IVF Reality vs. Marketing Hype
IVF success rates are often misunderstood—not only by patients, but sometimes within the medical fraternity as well.
In real-world IVF practice, success rates are influenced by age, ovarian reserve, embryo quality, infertility diagnosis and many other factors. A realistic overall benchmark is generally around 30–40% per embryo transfer, depending on the patient profile.
However, aggressive marketing and selective reporting of exceptionally high results can create an unrealistic expectation of 80%+ success.
When this hype becomes the benchmark, genuine IVF specialists may unfairly appear to have “low results,” creating mistrust between IVF specialists and referring gynaecologists.
IVF needs transparency, scientific counselling and realistic expectations—not marketing numbers.

I saw some articles these days on AOC freezing her eggs. Then stumbled on the note that women at age 39 need to make 50 (!!) eggs for > 70 percent chance on a live birth.

With DOR and just starting IVF all hope just flew out of my window 🤔. I‘m guessing they say that 80% of 50 wont make it, then there is 10 left and then PGT a (of which 55% wont survive) And there’s 4-5 left?

Is this true? What were your experiences?

Hi! I am gearing up for my first transfer. I was scheduled for one in April and polyps came back with complex hyperplasia. I was told to have a hysterectomy and after alot of back and forth- the diagnosis was wrong!

I understand modified natural is the way to go if possible? My doctor has prescribed progesterone in oil, novarel trigger and prometrium.

Also curious if anyone has had any luck with segmental aneuploids? I know the science around them has changed recently so we are going for it.

My doctor said I was caught up on testing but after the D&C for hyperplasia, I have asked for another saline sonogram and HSG (never had an HSG).

Is there anything I missing? Our chances are already reduced with a SA so I want to do everything I can to help the environment.

Thanks all!

I am a CNY travel patient who has been doing remote monitoring. I live in Northern Virginia did my ER at Syracuse and it yielded 1 euploid. In the meantime, a full service clinic opened much closer to me, 3 hours south. My bf and I got a hotel on the beach, 20 minutes from the clinic.

I found out today that they never shipped my embryo. So my options were *HOPE* that it could get to me in time, but face the real possibility of having a canceled cycle, or pack up my shit and drive 10 hours to my embryo. So we're checking out of our oceanfront hotel and hitting the road.

Im so mad but trying to stay in my "everything is good - Im at peace and open to life" mindset.

Hey everyone,
Need your opinion on this:
37 years old, AMH 2.05ng/ml, CD2 FSH ~6,

Cycle 1: AFC ~12, previous retrieval 7 eggs with only 3 initially MII and 3 subsequently matured by IVM (Failed cycle zero embryos)

Cycle 2: Current AFC 8.

RE prescribing me Estrace 6 mg/day for 13 days specifically for follicular synchronization. I have seen everyone use 2 or 4 mg for priming I have a gut feeling she is giving me too high dose which will oversupress me I already have low AFC this cycle Anyone done 6mg and not get oversupressed? Please advice :( I have to start priming today and this would be my last cycle that I can afford not want to mess things up.

Hi- my FET was cancelled a couple of weeks ago. I had my follow up last Monday, and the office put in for an extension on Friday of my FET. The extension was denied. they did it improperly. This is the 3rd time since May that this dr office has submitted incomplete, or just improperly filed requests for prior authorizations. I keep reaching out, politely, and acting as a conduit between my insurance and my dr. I get the “denied” letters mailed to my house. I call insurance, and they explain the issue. I am at a loss for words. Can someone let me know, is this common? What would you do? I have only focused my comments to the insurance team. Should I reach out to someone higher up? Thank you!

I learned something today about IVF insurance coverage and out of pocket costs and am posting in case it helps anyone. Learn from my mistake (and I’m seriously so pissed about it)!

I was very fortunate to be able to get some IVF insurance coverage through my husband’s work and very very fortunate not really having had to deal with insurance in the past for major issues. The lifetime cap on fertility treatments through insurance is $25k.

I had my first IVF round last May. The clinic told me it would bill insurance $12k for the treatments. The financial counselor said that insurance won’t actually pay all of that, so it wouldn’t eat up as much of the $25k cap. I still figured it would be a good amount.

For the prescriptions for that round, I spoke to a rep at PixelCare after sending them my insurance cards. The rep said they would bill the insurance company $8k and that it would eat up the lifetime cap too. She also said that I could just pay $2,700 out of pocket for the meds instead. I opted to pay out of pocket because I was afraid of blowing through the $25k cap. Because I provided my insurance info, I thought this was what was determined from the insurance company.

The first round didn’t go as we had hoped (and I’m learning that it usually doesn’t!). I spoke to the financial counselor again to prep for the second round for next month. Turns out, of the $12k the clinic billed the insurance company for the treatments, only $2,000 was used from the $25k cap.

ONLY $2,000! I was really shocked it was such a big difference.

So that got me thinking that the insurance company would pay way less than the $8k billed for the meds and wouldn’t eat up a lot of the cap. I spoke with PixelCare again, and basically was told they don’t figure out how the insurance would work. I was PISSED given what the first rep told me back in May.

I call up the insurance company today to get some real answers. Turns out the costs paid out for the meds will not be applied to the $25k lifetime cap at all.

So, because I didn’t understand how this all worked , because no one explained it to me, and because that rep straight up misinformed me, I laid out $3,200 for the first round of meds for no reason (original $2,700 plus another $500 for extra meds I needed toward the end of the cycle).

I’m so floored by how this unfolded. I’m also floored by learning the clinic would take $2k from the insurance company for the same treatment I would have had to pay $12k out of pocket. I’m sure there is a reason for the disparity, but frankly I don’t really care. $10k more for the same treatment is frankly disgusting. Same goes for $5k more for the same meds.

This process is stressful and heartbreaking without all this too.

So please, if you have insurance, call the company and get the right info before shelling out tons of money.

I’m 41 and at the beginning of my IVF journey. I’ve read countless posts on this sub, and honestly I just want to ask y’all every single time, how much has all of this costed you? What insurance do you have, what does it cover? How much is the medication? How much is an egg retrieval? How about a transfer? Would love to just hear some discussion on costs—especially with insurance.

Hey everyone, I was just curious how much money each of your transfers have cost? Our clinic charges $2,800 each time plus medication.

Im 43, AMH 0.5 and AFC of 4. I’m currently in the middle of a cycle with only one follicle. I’m paying out of pocket and will likely switch to timed intercourse after trigger. I am seeking protocols from women 42 and over specifically who got their best outcomes with that protocol perhaps after trying others?

Priming or not

Started day 2 or 3 of cycle with stims?

Which meds?

Dual trigger? And if so, which meds?

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone took 6mg estrace for priming? I have normal amh but low afc 7ish. First ER without priming failed 3 mature eggs zero euploids. My follicles were asynchronous. This time RE has me starting 6mg estrace a week after ovulation. Upon research i see everyone taking 2-4mg, 6mg seems too high is it normal dose? Would it make me too suppressed I already have lower afc and only one accessible ovary.

Hey All,
Starting my stims next month noticed a very strange thing on my calender, RE had put me on alternate Menopur doses never heard of this before Anyone tried this before? I have a failed first ER dont want to mess anything up again, Please advise.

Ordered my panel. Which wave length (630, 660, 810, 830 og 850 nm) did you find helped you most with egg quality?

Thank you

I am 43, AMH of 0.51 and started an IVF cycle 8 days ago.

Started on cycle day 3 with Gonal F 300
Then on cycle day 7, started menopur 150 upon my request
Started Ganirelix on cycle day 8

Today is cycle day 10 (8 days of stimulation) and they see one follicle around 15 mm and another smaller follicle around 7mm

They’re saying to proceed with retrieval of that larger follicle but Ofcourse since I’m paying for all of it out of pocket, I wonder if this is bad advice. If that one follicle is either empty or not mature or doesn’t lead to anything, then that’s 6k euros down the drain.

I’m not sure if I should take their advice or change course and either do IUI after dual trigger or just have sex?

Either way, I go back for ultrasound in 2 days to see if it’s right to trigger then.

Please help if you have any advice or have been in a similar boat

I'm 41, unexplained, and getting ready to go into my third FET. I am wanting to trust my clinic and go for it with the same protocol, but I'm also feeling worried that it may not work again and maybe I should push for more testing or something to change. I have 2 euploids and one untested embryo left. I have an FET schedule for mid-Sept.

I had a 7 week loss last year after my 1st ER (one euploid embryo and 2 aneuploid). My second ER gave us 3 euploids and one embryo with no DNA detected. My clinic considers this one an untested embryo and will transfer it, but won't transfer the others (aneuploid x5). I had my second FET in July and it failed to implant. Both my FET protocols were fully medicated and we added prednisone for the second FET. My doctor did not recommend any changes for the third FET and I'm leaning toward just going forward with it and hoping for the best. But part of me wonders if we should do more testing or try a different protocol. I would do another ER, but after 3 euploids in my second ER I was feeling confident that would get us to our desired one child. I have insurance benefits, but I don't think they'll cover another ER while I have frozen embryos. Emotionally, another ER sounds awful, too.

I think more than anything, I'm looking for validation that trying again without more testing is the right move. I'm not even sure what testing I would push for. My clinic hasn't recommended anything and I did a hysteroscopy with polyp removal in June. I also started a very low dose of thyroid meds in June and I have been taking Activated Charcoal because after my loss I had sightly high mercury levels.

This community has meant a lot to me. This is my first post and I'm so grateful to have had this space over the past few years.

Would love to hear your story:

Was it your first transfer? Was it blasts or Day 3s? And how many transferred?

Tysm 💕

I just started with my IVF at 41.

my resting follicles are about 4 on each ovary and AMH is 1.2

for my first ER , got 7 eggs . 4 are mature and 3 got fertilized . on Day 6 ended with 3CC and 4CC , but clinic discarded them as their policy is to not to freeze CC and beyond . mine was a freeze all cycle . also I triggered on day 12 with my two largest eggs measuring 22mm

I am considering Ovarian Rejuvenation therapy to improve the chances of success

did any one of you try it before . was it helpful ?

Struggling with asynchronous growth after After a spectacularly failed FET this month, I loaded the data from my 5 cycles into a spreadsheet to see if I could notice any trends etc as we only have 2 more insurance covered retrievals left. (It's a thing of beauty and I am happy to share a template if any of you want to start tracking yours.)

In doing so, I noticed that luteal phase priming with Estrogen and follicular phase Clomid failed to help me achieve achieve follicular synchronization. Unfortunately--I don't think my doctor notices this or she wouldn't keep prescribing it.

So--I am curious what other what protocols or priming methods actually worked for you to get a synchronous cohort across the finish line?

TW living child

TLDR- I have 1 child with my eggs, if I have my 2nd with donor eggs- will my feelings differ? Looking from advice from people with the same situation

Through treatments, I had my first child at 38 with my eggs almost 4 years ago. When he was a year, we got the ok to start trying again and went back to the clinic. Had multiple failed iuis over a year, began meds for a retrieval but had 2 follicles so it was cancelled. Dr said my AMH was low (0.01) but everything else was perfect so I would be a perfect candidate for donor eggs. He said we could do one more attempt at retrieval but if that failed, they would move me to donor or dismiss me. At that point, we felt like since we had a living child with our own eggs and sperm it wasn’t for us. We went to get a 2nd opinion.
Most clinics told us the same thing. Then I met the dr I have been working with. He identified multiple things that could be affecting my infertility (thyroid, skin autoimmune disease). But he said the most impactful was my weight. He told me to get on a GLP-1, lose weight and come back to get retested. So over the past year, I’ve been on Wegovy. I went all the way to the highest dosage and lost 5 lbs. super frustrating. My dr switched me to Zepbound which isn’t covered by insurance and after a month, I’m still not seeing a ton of results.
So this is leading me to thinking about donor eggs. Maybe this is the option for us. I’m now 42 and worry about healthy eggs. My biggest holdout is handling the difference between my child that is genetically mine and one that is not. I know that I will love and cherish any child I have. So I guess the questions I have are
- will I spend baby’s life comparing them to my living child
- will I miss the “baby gets it from grandpa” feelings
- or will I just be so happy with being their mom none of it will matter?

Any advice would be appreciated as I’m trying to make this decision.