Am I crazy to go for round 6?

[Dogpark]

Hi everyone,

I am turning 43 next month and went through 5 egg collection cycles and 1 transfer, all in less than a year, while being 42. My partner and I produced 21 blastocysts, transferred 2 and lost one after thawing it. We sent all of the other embryos for PGS testing and only 2 came back normal. My last cycle a couple of weeks ago in particular returned all abnormal embryos, except one which was "no DNA detected".

Am I now getting ready for a 6th stimulation cycle starting tomorrow (I am doing back to back cycles) and I can't help to wonder: is it worth it? Is it a question of collecting more embryos to ensure that I get one more normal, or has my body stopped producing normal embryos from now on?

It would be helpful to hear about similar experiences or opinions out there!

I understand that I need to feel incredibly grateful to have 2 normal embryos, yet I would feel much better if we had at least 1 or 2 more normal before transferring.

[Hidden]

Firstly - wow. I admire your dedication . Five egg collections in one year must have been gruelling. I am in admiration!

Two friends just had their babies at 42 years old with their own eggs.

You are already starting your 6th cycle, so just go with it. Stay strong 💪🏼

My doctor said egg donors often do six cycles maximum when I asked how many egg collections is too many. She also said you only need one bleed between each cycle.

Good luck ❤️

[Dogpark in reply to Hidden]

That's good to know, thank you Anna!

[AliceMoonpie in reply to Hidden]

Why 6 cycles maximum?

[Dogpark in reply to AliceMoonpie]

I think that there are concerns around increased risks of ovarian or breast cancer due to IVF treatment, this is not proven but this remains a concern in the back of most consultant's heads, although they might not talk about it.

[AliceMoonpie in reply to Dogpark]

God, that's pretty bad that they don't mention that.

[Dogpark in reply to AliceMoonpie]

There are studies which are regularly published on the topic:

webmd.com/infertility-and-r...

medpagetoday.com/obgyn/infe...

[EdwardsSarah996]

Hello I am not in the position to answer since I ma just currently doing fertility tests and not started yet, but I feel for you. And I'd like to thank you for showing great determination - I will carry that with me when I start my own journey.

[AliceMoonpie]

I read an article by some ivf expert saying he doesn't agree with pgs because you could be throwing away healthy embryos. I can't find that link but there are 2 similar articles below.

independent.co.uk/news/heal...

fertilityiq.com/pgs-embryo-...

[Dogpark in reply to AliceMoonpie]

I read the same articles. There is an error rate on the PGS test. At the end of the day though, it was eye opening for me to see that I produced 21 blastocysts and that only 2 of them came back as normal. It feels like the test is (1) helping me decide whether I need to do more rounds or not (I decided to go for more rounds to increase my chances but - had I had more normal embryos, I would have stopped doing more rounds), and (2) hopefully the test is saving me unnecessary transfers and helping me understand if there are other things that I should improve before transferring.

[AliceMoonpie in reply to Dogpark]

I guess that's assuming that the test results are correct. If they're not correct then you could be throwing away healthy embryos. It's so hard to know though. If the experts can't agree on it, how are we meant to make informed decisions. It feels like it comes down to pot luck whether you make the right choice/are given the right meds or not.

[Dogpark in reply to AliceMoonpie]

This is all black magic indeed. They all pretend to know what they are doing but, who knows. Yes, I could be throwing away precious embryos. At the same time, I like to have a rule of thumb that tells me whether I need to collect more embryos or whether I can stop treatment. Given that I'm nearly 43, this knowledge and time saving comes across as important to me. I would only do PGS if you get a large number of embryos though (10+), under this, I do agree that it's potentially a waste of money and that you should just transfer what you have. In my case, with 20+ embryos, I was risking to have to go through 10 transfers!

[AliceMoonpie in reply to Dogpark]

True. 21 is a great number - especially if you're 42!! Good going - even though they didn't end up as pregnancies, still - good going!

[sadievalentie]

Hi there! How are you? I hope you are feeling better now. You need to take a break girl. Back to back cycles means that your chances of success are not that high. You are not taking time out to recover your body. Like this, your body is so weak to make it work. I don't know which doctor is allowing you for this. You need to rest. When your body has fully recovered and is back to its strength. Then opt for another cycle. I hope it helps you understand. Take care. Stay blessed. Bye!

[LorrieWalden]

Hi there! How are you? You need to take a break. Your body is going to be affected badly by this. You are not giving it any time to recover. This is not just bad for your health, it's also like you are playing with your chances. If you don't give your body time to recover, you won't be able to make it work. So take a break and when your body is recovered, try again. And no, you are not crazy to go for round 6. I will pray that things get easier for you. My blessings are with you. Take good care of yourself. Best of luck. Goodbye!

[Dogpark in reply to LorrieWalden]

Thank you Lorrie! It's tough. I went through round 6 and got 1 normal embryo from it (after round 5 which didn't yield anything). Now I'm debating whether to go through round 7 in February to try and get 4 normal embryos (I feel that once I transfer I won't be able to collect again, due to my age), but I'm exhausted. Also I'm wondering how many rounds are too many for one's health. Happy New Year and best of luck to you!