If you’ve been struggling with pregnancy troubles and are considering IVF, there is a good chance you’ve already come across a massive amount of data surrounding it. It’s a lot of information on what works and what doesn’t – some of it may be helpful, but most of it will likely be quite confusing for a first-timer. When you already feel as though time is not exactly on your side, these feelings of confusion can easily become overwhelming.
The truth is that an IVF cycle’s success can depend on a lot of things. Yes, your age is at the centre of almost all of it, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes that affect how our body responds to treatment, how the embryos develop, and what your chances look like over time. So, keeping this in mind, let us go over the things that truly move the needle when trying to conceive via IVF, and what you can do about it.
Why does age affect success? The Science
When you first walk into an IVF clinic in London, the first thing you’ll notice is how much emphasis is placed on your age alone. That’s for a good reason, as while hormone levels, past medical history, and treatment plans all matter, your age remains the single most significant factor influencing the outcome of an IVF.
Look at it from a biological perspective. Your fertility is not something that abruptly ends once you hit the age of 35. It’s a slow decline that begins in your early 30s, that becomes more noticeable after 35, and speeds up dramatically in your late 30s and early 40s. Throughout all this, the number and quality of eggs over time can deeply affect the chances of success in an IVF cycle.
But it is important to note that between the two, your egg quality is way more important for an IVF cycle’s success. You see, older, lower-quality eggs tend to have problems with energy production and cell division, which can affect how an embryo grows with the treatment.
Another key point to note is that our bodies experience an increase in chromosomal abnormalities with age. During the final stages of egg maturation, it is imperative that the chromosomes divide themselves evenly – the problem is, this small step tends to become more error-prone over time. As such, embryos that are created from lower-quality eggs can have missing or extra chromosomes, both of which can lead to failure.
This also ties into the risks surrounding miscarriages. If you’re above 35 and trying to become a mother, the chances of a miscarriage will be higher compared to someone in their early 30s. It’s not your fault, of course, as, rather than the individual doing anything wrong, it is the increased hormonal abnormalities in our bodies that pose a risk to the baby. So, while IVF can help you get pregnant, it cannot bypass these remaining issues.
That being said, if you take a deeper dive into how age affects your chances without all the technical mumbo-jumbo, then your best bet would be to check out HFEA’s (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) dashboard. It clearly shows the success and failure rates of IVF and all related treatments based on data submitted by UK clinics, broken down by age group.
How does the male age factor affect your pregnancy chances?
As it turns out, male age matters way more than people think when trying to have kids, especially for older couples. While most men can produce sperm throughout their lives, their sperm quality does not remain consistent as they grow older. Over time, all men are bound to experience changes in their sperm motility, morphology, and genetic integrity.
One big concern that many doctors have when discussing male factor infertility is the increased DNA fragmentation that comes with age. To put it simply, the older you are, the higher the chances of your DNA being fragmented in sperm, and subsequently, the lower the chances of successful fertilisation. Not only that, but during and after IVF, this issue may even affect embryo development and result in a higher risk of miscarriage for the female partner. There is a lot of research on this matter, most of which concludes that sperm DNA quality holds a lot of importance as paternal age increases, especially for treatments like IVF.
But when all is said and done, if there is one thing you should take from this, it’s not that your partner’s age can automatically prevent your success with IVF. It’s that fertility is best approached as a shared issue rather than something that affects only women.
Options for older women and couples
So what can you do if you’re already over 35? You have a few options, both based on your past choices and what you can do right away.
For women who previously froze their eggs, the outcomes of their IVF will be determined by the age at which they froze, not their current age. This is part of the reason egg freezing is often seen as a great option for preserving your fertility while you focus on other aspects of your life. But if you require fresh eggs at an older age, you can always opt for donor eggs, which can significantly improve your chances. Here, IVF’s success will be entirely driven by the donor’s age and egg quality. Once you reach the embryo development stage, ask your doctor about pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT-A), as it allows embryos to be screened for chromosomal abnormalities before transfer. This can help reduce the risk of a miscarriage and avoid unsuccessful transfers.
IVF-related solutions aside, you’ll also need to focus on lifestyle during this period – its ability to bring about a miracle must not be underestimated. A healthy lifestyle cannot reverse your age, but maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol, and working on your current medical conditions are super important when going through IVF cycles.
But while all these things are great and often super effective, there is still a chance that you don’t find success with your first IVF cycle. Don’t lose hope, as IVF’s success is cumulative in a way – a single attempt may only be your first step for a successful and healthy pregnancy. Some people need more than one cycle to get pregnant, and that’s completely normal.
Making the right calls for IVF success
At the end of the day, while age can seriously have an impact on your IVF cycle’s success, there is a lot you can do to improve your chances. Just work with a well-reviewed, certified clinic, and if you have any doubts, clear them up with your doctor right away. It is very important that you stay informed about all your options and try everything to achieve a successful pregnancy. When you know what you’re working with, the ball is then in your court, and with the right moves, your dream of raising a family is only a few steps away.
