Had a baby via IVF on NHS over 30?

[emc]

Hi there - ITV Good Morning Britain are looking for a mum who had a baby over the age of 30. They need to have had at least one round of NHS IVF. We want to film with them this afternoon or this evening and they have to be based in London or the surrounding counties. The story is about women delaying trying for a baby (for whatever reason) please PM for more info. thanks

[oimissus]

what about men delaying starting a family? Because most women don't have virgin births. Yes, women are the ones having the baby and whose decline in fertility is at issue, but please don't make this yet another rod to beat women with when, most of the time, they are not in this alone.

[missyelliott]

Is 30 delaying it then? Blimey.

[Convex]

thanks for your post oimissus. well said.

these sorts of articles p*ss me off. what about men? the quality of their sperm declines with age but noone bats an eye at them delaying fatherhood.

just another way to put women down.

[oimissus]

I can see that declining female fertility is more of an issue than male, but given that most people have a partner of a similar age to themselves, this needs to be addressed to both men and women, and it would be better if programmes and articles looked at both sides instead of just dumping this at women's doors. I know that my husband (who I didn't actually meet till I was 29, and given both our past relationship baggage we weren't about to leap into parenthood just like that) would have run for the hills had anyone suggested he start a family in his 20s. But apparently having a child in my 30s (and his, of course) was more my bad than his? Sod that for a laugh.

I would like to think that ITV would have men whose partners have had IVF in their 30s on too, to hear their point of view, but given that emc is only looking for women, I assume they won't. Which is a pity, as well as being rather irresponsible.

[mickeymonkey]

emc I do hope that this ITV piece reflects more accuracy and balance than your EDF post would suggest. Understanding, research and statistics have moved forward since the days of "women who have delayed trying for a baby"...."over the age of 30"

This article may help:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-long-can-you-wait-to-have-a-baby/309374/

[simonethebeaver]

I think this refers to this letter, which was in the press over the weekend.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11641694/Senior-NHS-doctor-tells-women-have-baby-before-30.html

[LondonMix]

I think this intentionally ironic post in the comments section sums up what's wrong with this line of reasoning nicely:

Women should have their last baby at around 30. Human females have their fertility optimum (the most healthy children) at age 16-17. Already at age 23 the likelihood of Down Syndrome is twice as high. At age 27 it's thrice as high.

Therefore human females should get pregnant at age 15-16. That is an average of course, puberty nowadays starts with 11, therefore the age might be lower.

Truth hurts sometimes, ladies

[Sonners]

What about all of the women over 30 who are having IVF for male fertility reasons, not their own?!

[MsRial]

I find this talk crazy! Females should get pregnant at age 15-16????

As a 30 something myself & haven't had a child yet this talk just puts so much pressure on women.

I understand the complications that arise as you get older but come on 30....really? Most women i know are just getting their lives together at that age & feel ready to have a child.

[VanessaPMR]

I dont think there is an ideal age really and agree that there is unnecessary pressure on women rather than men.

I think it pretty distasteful to suggest that 15 years old (below the age of consent) is an ideal age to be pregnant, there is ample evidence that suggests this would increase her the girl/mother and the babies health risks.

http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/maternal/adolescent_pregnancy/en/

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X%2813%2970179-7/references

[LondonMix]

The 15 year old comment (by someone on the Telegraph) was made by someone to illustrate how ridiculous it is to talk about fertility without any social or economic context. Just because women are most fertile or more fertile during certain periods in their life does not make it the best / optimal time to become a parent! Sorry if the irony of the post was not clear!

Anyway, to respond to Sonners point- 30% of infertility (and IVF treatment) is for male infertility only, and an additional 30% is for both female and male infertility within a couple. In less than half of instances is infertility experienced by a couple solely down to the woman.

http://www.ivf.com/male.html

Even as women age and fertility declines, women do not become infertile just less fertile meaning it will take longer to conceive statistically but that within a proscribed amount of time the vast majority of women under 40 still will. Figures for women aged 30 to 34 and aged 35 to 39 are fairly similar, with 94 per cent and 90 per cent conceiving within two years, respectively (the younger you are the faster it is to happen statistically)

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a6155/your-age-and-fertility#ixzz3bvE3kPiK

Lastly, IVF is responsible for circa 2% of live births in Britain (and only 1% in the US). Its hardly common place. This coupled with the fact that some women regardless of age are infertile / struggle with fertility makes the entire premise that hordes of career women are 'forgetting' to have children and are bankrupting the NHS and leading to a demographic crisis totally ridiculous.

[VanessaPMR]

I now understand your point LondonMix, totally misunderstood your previous post!

[CocoC]

Well said Londonmix. I fall into that 2% - my daughter was born after IVF treatment 18 months ago. I am incidentally, 35 and a company Director, so I'm sure that this would be cited by some media sources as the big issue - not that we'd been trying for years and nobody could actually find a damn thing wrong with either of us!

[Tallulahdoesthehula]

Having a child at 30 is now deemed leaving it until the last minute?!?!? Really?

40 maybe, but 30?

At 30 the chances of being in a position to have a child - ie financially stable and in a long term stable relationship, are slim.

When I think back to my 30th only one friend had a child, a newborn, and that friend was a few years older than me.

As has been said, both make and female fertility decline and when to have children is a joint responsibility.

Had I have had my children in my 20's I would have had no career to return to. Until work is truly unaffected by having children, and the cost of living isn't so high, this will always be an issue.