HomeAnswersObstetrics and Gynecologyivf failureI am 41-year-old and tried IVF twice but failed. Is it possible to get pregnant at this age?

Can a 41-year-old woman be successful after trying for IVF treatments thrice?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

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Published At August 20, 2022
Reviewed AtJune 13, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am 41-year-old and currently taking thyroid medications. I have tried IVF twice but failed. I had five follicles, and they were able to eject four, and I got only one embryo. But it failed. Why did I get only one embryo? We want a baby so much. Kindly suggest.

Answered by Dr. Balakrishnan R

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query, and let me start with some background explaining your reason for the failure of IVF (in-vitro fertilization). When a girl is born, she comes with a fixed number of eggs. The highest number of seven million is present when you were in your mother's womb. At birth, it is further reduced to 1 million. In adolescence, it is in lakhs, you ovulate only 400 to 450 times in life, and at menopause, you have around 1000 eggs. This is a natural method to get the best egg for fertilization so that pregnancy occurs with a healthy baby. Always the healthiest of eggs ovulate first. As your age advances, the eggs that remain after one cycle are healthier than the previous cycle. By 40, most healthy eggs are over (not fully over). So chances of pregnancy are drastically reduced. You may have a normal serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level, which suggests the number of eggs and not the quality of eggs. Your fertilization rate or the number of embryos you got after injecting five eggs is very low, which means the quality of the egg is compromised. But never lose hope. I just gave you all the negative facts. Now let me tell you what you can do and definitely, you can have a baby. The problem is in your egg, and only two options are left.

1. Keep trying again with the same method of IVF, maybe sometime you may have a healthy egg and pregnancy, but the chances are low.

2. Better option is to have an egg donor. Depending on the rules in your country, you can opt for an egg donor. As per rules, donors may be known or unknown to you. The donor lady receives all the injections of hormones. When they are mature (you are familiar with the procedure of IVF), she will undergo ovum pick-up, and then she is free to go. That day your partner's semen is collected, and embryos are made and frozen in your name. You can have them at any time of your convenience. These embryos will have the donor's age (usually less than 32 years). You can deliver the baby and maybe have the next baby a few years later. You will deliver just like your normal pregnancy. Irrespective of your age, you can keep on having babies. Never get frustrated or stressed out or depressed. There is a solution for everything, and you need to put in the effort to find it.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Balakrishnan R
Dr. Balakrishnan R

Obstetrics and Gynecology

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