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IVF FOR OVER 40'S

Trying for a baby over 40? We’ll help you understand your options.

Fertility changes with age, but you still have choices. At Care Fertility, we start with tests, talk you through your results, and help you understand which treatment options may give you the best chance.

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Fertility after 40

Many people come to us in their late 30s or early 40s having had no previous fertility concerns. Periods may still be regular, and there may not be an obvious reason why pregnancy hasn’t happened yet.

What’s changed is often happening behind the scenes.

As we age, the ovaries respond differently, and the eggs released each month are more likely to carry chromosomal differences. This can affect every stage of the process — from fertilisation through to embryo development and implantation.

So the question isn’t simply whether pregnancy is possible. It’s how your fertility is functioning now, and what that means for your next step.

 

Egg quality and quantity

Age-related fertility decline is driven by two factors: egg quantity and egg quality. Both matter, but they affect treatment in different ways. 

Egg quantity
Egg quantity: how your ovaries respond

Egg quantity refers to how many eggs remain in your ovaries — your ovarian reserve.

Even if you’re having regular periods, ovarian reserve can still be reduced.

We assess this using:

  • AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone): indicates how many follicles may be available
  • Antral follicle count (AFC): shows how many small follicles are visible on scan

These results help us estimate how your ovaries may respond to stimulation during IVF.

For example:

  • Lower AMH → fewer eggs may be collected
  • Higher AMH → more eggs may be collected
Egg quality-1
Egg quality: what happens after fertilisation

Egg quality is closely linked to age.

As egg quality declines:

  • Fewer eggs fertilise normally
  • More embryos stop developing before day 5
  • More embryos have chromosomal differences (aneuploidy)
  • Implantation rates are lower

This is why two people with the same AMH can have very different IVF outcomes.

A simple way to explain it:

  • Quantity affects how many embryos we can create
  • Quality affects how many embryos can lead to a pregnancy

Your fertility tests

We arrange your fertility tests before your consultation, so your results are ready for your doctor to review with you.

Our pre-treatment fertility bundle includes all the key tests in one place, saving over 42% compared to paying separately.

Ultrasound
Pelvic Ultrasound Scan
 Internal scan to check your ovaries, uterus, follicle count, and womb lining. 
AMH
AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) Blood Test

Measures ovarian reserve to estimate how your ovaries may respond to treatment. 
full blood count
Full Blood Count (FBC)
Checks overall health and identifies conditions that could affect treatment or pregnancy.
thyroid
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test

Assesses thyroid function, which plays a key role in fertility and hormone balance. 
Hba1c
HbA1c (Average Blood Sugar Test)
Measures blood sugar levels to check for insulin resistance or diabetes risk. 
vitamin D
Vitamin D Test

Checks levels linked to fertility, embryo development, and early pregnancy outcomes.
Semen Analysis
Semen Analysis
Assesses sperm count, movement, and shape to identify any male-factor issues. 
Consultation
Consultation with a Fertility Specialist
Your doctor reviews your results and explains your personalised treatment options. 
Ultrasound
Pelvic Ultrasound Scan
 Internal scan to check your ovaries, uterus, follicle count, and womb lining. 
AMH
AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) Blood Test

Measures ovarian reserve to estimate how your ovaries may respond to treatment. 
full blood count
Full Blood Count (FBC)
Checks overall health and identifies conditions that could affect treatment or pregnancy.
thyroid
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test

Assesses thyroid function, which plays a key role in fertility and hormone balance. 
Hba1c
HbA1c (Average Blood Sugar Test)
Measures blood sugar levels to check for insulin resistance or diabetes risk. 
vitamin D
Vitamin D Test

Checks levels linked to fertility, embryo development, and early pregnancy outcomes.
Semen Analysis
Semen Analysis
Assesses sperm count, movement, and shape to identify any male-factor issues. 
Consultation
Consultation with a Fertility Specialist
Your doctor reviews your results and explains your personalised treatment options. 

Your IVF chances

IVF success over 38 varies from person to person. Age is an important factor, but your hormone levels, ovarian reserve, sperm quality, and medical history also play a role.

You may find that fewer embryos develop to the stage where they can be transferred, and more than one cycle may be needed.

Understanding your test results helps us give you a more accurate view of what to expect.

 

Success rates for patients aged 38+

Success rates using your own eggs decline with age, mainly due to changes in egg quality.

It’s also important to understand how success rates are measured. Some are based on cycles started, while others are based on embryos transferred. These differences can affect how results are interpreted.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) groups national IVF data by age bands. This means that patients aged 40 and above are included within the 38+ age group in reported success rates.

Because of this, published figures for 38+ include a range of ages, and outcomes for those in their early 40s may differ from the overall average.

For patients using donor eggs, success rates are typically higher, as they're linked to the age of the donor rather than the age of the patient. If this is something you're weighing up, our guide to donor egg treatment walks through how it works, how donors are matched, and what to expect, so you can decide whether it's a path you'd like to explore further. 

Click here to view detailed success rates

 

Care Fertility Group - LBR Per Egg Collection - 2022 - HFEA verified success rates

 

Univfy PreIVF report: personalised success rates

Success rates provide a general guide, but they don’t reflect your individual circumstances.

The Univfy PreIVF report uses your clinical data, including your age, AMH levels, and medical history, to estimate your likelihood of success with IVF before treatment begins.

This can help you understand your chances across one or more cycles and plan your treatment with more confidence.

It’s a personalised prediction tool designed to support decision-making at the start of your journey.

An example of the Univfy PreIVF report - designed to give you personalised IVF success rate predictions using artificial intelligence at Care Fertility.

Learn more about the Univfy PreIVF report

Treatment options over 40

Your treatment plan will depend on your test results and what feels right for you.

Some patients may be suitable for IVF with their own eggs, while others may benefit from donor treatment or additional techniques to support fertilisation.

We’ll explain your options clearly, so you can decide how you want to move forward.

 

IVF fertilisation icon
IVF

IVF allows sperm and egg to meet naturally in the lab.

After egg collection, sperm is added to each egg and fertilisation happens without intervention. The resulting embryos develop over several days before one is selected and transferred to the womb.

This may be recommended when both egg and sperm quality are suitable for natural fertilisation.

Learn more about IVF packages

ICSI Icon
ICSI

ICSI is a form of IVF where a single sperm is injected directly into each egg.

You’ll take medication to stimulate the ovaries, eggs are collected, and fertilisation is supported in the lab using this technique. The strongest embryo is then transferred to the womb.

This may be recommended if sperm quality or previous fertilisation outcomes could affect success.

Learn more about ICSI

IVF fertilisation icon
Donated eggs or sperm

This approach changes where the egg or sperm comes from.

Embryos are created using donor eggs or donor sperm, rather than your own, and then transferred to the womb. The process is similar to IVF, but the focus is on improving outcomes through donor gametes.

This may be recommended when egg or sperm quality is affecting your chances of success.

Learn more about donor gametes

Enhancing your chances during IVF

During IVF, we can use additional techniques to help select embryos most likely to lead to pregnancy.

These approaches don’t improve egg quality, but they can help us make more informed decisions about which embryos to transfer.

 

CF_Icons_Purple__Caremaps AI
Caremaps Ai

Caremaps AI helps us choose the embryo with the best chance of success. Embryos are grown in a time-lapse incubator, where they’re continuously monitored without being disturbed. This protects their environment and gives us a complete view of how they develop.

The AI has been trained on millions of embryo images, helping identify patterns linked to implantation that aren’t always visible through standard checks.

For patients over 40, where fewer embryos may be available, this extra insight helps us make more informed decisions about which embryo to transfer first.

Learn more about Caremaps Ai

Embryo testing for PGT-A
PGT-A embryo screening

PGT-A involves removing a small number of cells from an embryo to test its chromosomes before transfer.

Around 50% of embryos are aneuploid, meaning they’re unlikely to lead to a successful pregnancy. PGT-A helps us identify and avoid these, so we can focus on embryos with the best chance.

For patients aged 38 and over, PGT-A helps identify embryos most likely to succeed, though the HFEA says evidence for improving birth rates at this age isn't yet strong. It's better supported for reducing miscarriage risk, which is often why patients choose it. 

Learn more about PGT-A

NHS funding if you're over 40

NHS-funded IVF gets harder to access once you're over 40. Under the latest NICE guideline, women aged 40 or 41 may be offered one full NHS-funded cycle, provided they meet the eligibility criteria and haven't had IVF before.

This is a national recommendation, though, not a guarantee. Each Integrated Care Board (ICB) sets its own local policy, and many offer less than NICE recommends, so it's worth checking directly with your GP or ICB to understand what's available where you live.

If NHS funding isn't an option, or you'd rather not wait, our patient enquiry team can talk you through the cost of private treatment and the funding options available, including interest-free finance and refund schemes. 

 

What this costs

Cost is often one of the biggest questions at this stage, and we'd rather you had a clear picture early than find out partway through. Our pre-treatment bundle, covering your fertility tests and consultation, starts from £575.

From there, treatment costs depend on your personal plan, whether that's IVF, ICSI, donor eggs, or additional techniques like PGT-A. You'll receive a full cost estimate via our treatment companion app, salve, after your consultation, so there are no surprises.

If you'd like to see typical costs before you come in, our fee schedules and funding options section breaks everything down clinic by clinic, including interest-free finance and refund-guarantee plans.

Click here to explore our pricing and packages

 

What this means for you

If you’re over 40, it’s completely normal to feel like time matters more.

The aim of everything we’ve talked about — from testing, to treatment options, to tools like PGT-A and Caremaps AI — is to help you make informed decisions and focus on what’s most likely to work for you.

For some people, that means trying IVF with their own eggs. For others, it may mean considering donor treatment earlier, or using additional techniques to support embryo selection.

There isn’t one right path. There’s the path that fits your results, your timeline, and what feels right for you.

We’ll talk you through your options clearly, so you can move forward with confidence.

You don't have to work this out alone

Decisions like whether to try with your own eggs, move to donor treatment, or take a break between cycles are rarely just medical ones.

If you want space to talk it through, our counselling team is available throughout your treatment, not just at the start, and it's there whether you're a patient with us or still deciding if IVF is right for you.

Many of our over-40 patients tell us that having someone to talk to about the emotional side, alongside the clinical plan, made the process feel more manageable.

Click here to learn more about how our expert fertility counsellors could help you

Frequently asked questions

Am I too old to have IVF?

Not necessarily. Many people explore IVF in their 40s, and the right option depends on your test results, health, ovarian reserve, sperm quality if relevant, and your personal circumstances.

Fertility does change with age, especially egg quality, which can affect fertilisation, embryo development, implantation and miscarriage risk. But age alone doesn’t tell the full story. That’s why we start with fertility tests before your consultation, so your doctor can look at your results and explain what may be possible for you.
Can I have IVF with my own eggs over 40?

Yes, some people over 40 are suitable for IVF using their own eggs, but your chances depend on your ovarian reserve, egg quality, medical history and how your ovaries are likely to respond to treatment.

Your AMH blood test and pelvic ultrasound scan help us understand how many eggs may be available, but they can’t tell us everything about egg quality. Your doctor will talk you through what your results mean and whether IVF with your own eggs is a suitable option for you.
What is the age limit for IVF using your own eggs?

You’ll need to have your eggs collected before your 46th birthday and complete treatment before your 50th birthday.

If you’re planning IVF using your own eggs, egg collection must happen before you turn 46. Once embryos are created, treatment, including embryo transfer and pregnancy, must be completed before your 50th birthday.

These limits are in place to give you the best chance of success while keeping your health and safety in mind. They’re based on clinical guidance, HFEA advice, and what we know about how fertility and pregnancy risks change with age.

Your fertility tests will be arranged before your consultation, so your doctor can review your results with you and talk through what’s possible. They’ll explain your options clearly and recommend the most suitable path forward.
What is the age limit for IVF using donor eggs?

You must complete treatment before your 50th birthday.

For IVF with donor eggs, treatment must be completed before you turn 50. This includes time for donor matching, which can extend the overall treatment timeline, so it’s important to start the process with this in mind.

Using donor eggs can be a helpful option for some people over 40, because success is more closely linked to the age and quality of the eggs used, rather than your age alone.

After your fertility tests and consultation, we’ll guide you through the donor matching process, expected timelines, and what needs to happen before treatment can begin. Our team will make sure you feel informed, supported and ready for each next step.
Are donor eggs more successful after 40?

Donor egg IVF can offer higher success rates for some people over 40 because success is more closely linked to the age and quality of the donor eggs, rather than your age alone.

It isn’t the right choice for everyone, and it’s a very personal decision. If donor eggs may be suitable for you, we’ll explain how the process works, what donor matching involves, and what timelines to expect, so you can make an informed decision in your own time.

You can learn more about IVF with donor eggs by clicking here

Get started

If you're ready to get started, you can call us now on 0800 564 2270, or fill out the form below to choose a day and time that suits you for a call back from one of our friendly enquiry team.

What this means for you

If you’re over 40, it’s completely normal to feel like time matters more.

The aim of everything we’ve talked about — from testing, to treatment options, to tools like PGT-A and Caremaps AI — is to help you make informed decisions and focus on what’s most likely to work for you.

For some people, that means trying IVF with their own eggs. For others, it may mean considering donor treatment earlier, or using additional techniques to support embryo selection.

There isn’t one right path. There’s the path that fits your results, your timeline, and what feels right for you.

We’ll talk you through your options clearly, so you can move forward with confidence.

Book your fertility tests or speak to our team today