Anyone out there over 44 who has used donor eggs?

Hello everyone, just wondering if there is anyone reading this who has done donor egg iVF at age 40 or later. I’ve just turned 44 and I want to have a baby because I’ve just married with an adorable man and we want to create a family. I know is a little bit too late, but you don’t even know what tomorrow will bring, do you? Well, I’ve visited a clinic here in the UK and they said I can, but I want to get a second opinion if possible. Thanks!

Dear anja,

The thing is, the fact that you may need donor eggs to get pregnant is not justified by the simple fact that you are 44 years old. Although there are far more causes that lead you to using donor eggs, using donor eggs is strongly recommended from age 40 onwards due to an increase in the chances for the fetus to develop any type of genetic abnormality. Besides, as you may know, a woman’s ovarian reserve keeps on diminishing over time and, at this time, it is starting to be low.

However, if your ovarian reserve presents normal levels, there is still a chance of performing an IVF using own eggs. You can rule out every chance of the fetus having any genetic disease through a preimplantation genetic diagnosis or PGD.

If no viable embryos are obtained, or if all of them present some type of genetic alteration, I’m afraid using donor eggs would become necessary.

Best wishes