Let’s look at what we know: Statistically, at age forty, regardless of how good your ovarian reserve is or how healthy you are, at least half of your eggs will be abnormal and if they fertilize the resulting embryos will be abnormal, and that assumes you have no other problems that affect your fertility. Abnormal embryos usually do not implant so that may explain your difficulty conceiving even with IVF.
At forty, it really is a numbers game. The more eggs and embryos you produce, the more likely you are to have at least one normal embryo to implant and grow successfully. The best way to get the most eggs and embryos is to do IVF, so IVF remains your best option to conceive. If IVF is not possible, you may want to consider using injectable fertility drugs to achieve a multiple ovulation each month in the hope of increasing the likelihood of releasing at least one good egg each month. The use of these injectable drugs should be coupled with intrauterine inseminations (IUI) for best results. The problem is that these drugs are expensive, so their use can quickly add up to the cost of an IVF cycle. You didn’t say what your partner’s sperm count is like. If the reason you did IVF is because his sperm count is poor, then giving you fertility drugs won’t solve that problem. Intrauterine inseminations are unlikely to work if sperm counts are below ten millions/ml with 50 percent motility. With counts higher than that, inseminations may be an option. I hope this information helps.
Fertile Thoughts is published monthly. Each column features a real question from a reader, and we invite other readers to respond with their thoughts and insights by posting comments. If you have a question for Dr. Carlene Elsner, please send it to her care of the editor at laura@realgirlsmedia.com. Your question will be kept in the strictest of confidence.
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