IVF, IUI or egg freezing: your age at cycle start decides your odds, your fee and often whether you are eligible at all. See where you stand before the first injection.
Use the age you will be on the first day of stimulation, not the age you are today. Clinics quote success rates and price lists by that date.
| Maternal age at cycle start | Live birth per cycle | Typical AMH range (ng/mL) | Usual clinic policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | ~40-45% | 2.0 - 6.8 | Full range of options, elective freezing encouraged |
| 30 - 34 | ~35-40% | 1.5 - 5.5 | Standard IVF, mild stimulation increasingly offered |
| 35 - 37 | ~28-32% | 1.0 - 4.0 | Genetic screening of embryos discussed |
| 38 - 39 | ~20-24% | 0.7 - 3.0 | PGT-A routinely offered, donor eggs raised |
| 40 - 42 | ~12-16% | 0.4 - 2.0 | Some clinics require consultation, donor pathway discussed |
| 43 - 44 | ~5-8% | 0.2 - 1.2 | Own-egg IVF often declined or limited to one cycle |
| 45+ | ~1-3% | 0.06 - 0.7 | Donor eggs or embryo adoption in most countries |
Ranges are rounded from published national IVF registry reporting (HFEA, CDC/SART, ESHRE) for fresh, non-donor cycles. Individual clinics vary; AMH is an ovarian-reserve marker, not a diagnosis.
A woman turning 40 in eight weeks wants to know whether starting stimulation now keeps her in a cheaper and statistically better age band.
Many clinics charge by age bracket. Entering your cycle-start age shows which price row you will actually be billed under.
Countries such as France, Italy and parts of Australia set legal age ceilings. The calculator flags when your cycle-start age exceeds a common 43, 45 or 50 limit.
Freezing at 33 and thawing at 39 is a common plan. This tool separates the age that matters for freezing from the age of the transfer.
Does one year really change IVF success that much?
Between 35 and 40, live birth per own-egg cycle roughly halves. The change is not linear, which is why clinics quote narrow age bands rather than a single all-ages figure.
Is there a hard legal age limit for IVF?
It depends on the country. The UK has no statutory ceiling but professional guidance caps treatment around 42 for own eggs; France limits reimbursement to 43; Italy and parts of Australia apply 43-50 depending on region. Donor-egg programmes are usually more permissive.
Should I use my age today or at transfer?
Use the age on the first day of stimulation for own-egg cycles. For frozen transfers of embryos created years earlier, the collection age is the one that predicts outcome.
Does AMH override age?
No. AMH estimates how many eggs remain, while age estimates how many of those eggs are chromosomally normal. A 42-year-old with a high AMH still faces low per-egg viability, which is why clinics look at both.
Why does donor egg treatment look so much better?
Because the egg age, not the recipient's age, drives embryo quality. Recipients over 40 using donor eggs commonly see live-birth rates in the 40-50% range per transfer, close to younger own-egg patients.