The IVF guide clinics won't give you — the first of its kind for solo women over 40 →
Resources

Everything you've been trying to piece together.

For solo women over 40 navigating fertility treatment — doing hours of desk research around your day job, on your own, while feeling time-pressured and worrying about finances.

I started IVF at 43 with no strategy, no idea what questions to ask, and no way to evaluate what the clinic was telling me. Everything on this page is what I was looking for then — and couldn't find.

— Sarah, Solo Fertility 40s

Decision tools

Should I Start IVF at 40? Seven-question decision tool Donor Sperm Decision Tool Six-section structured guide

Guides & materials

Ebook The five steps, in one read IVF guide Where to start — in order Orientation Checklist Before your first consultation Consultation Questions What to ask — and when IVF Cost Tracker 54 hidden costs, in one place Pregnant at Almost 44 Month-by-month personal account

Community & calls

Stories 100+ stories on Substack SF40s Circle Monthly live call Strategy Sessions 30-min 1:1 with Sarah
The IVF guide
For solo women over 40

The IVF guide clinics won't give you

Most solo women over 40 walk into their first fertility consultation having done a lot of research — and still not knowing what to ask. They've been led through the process rather than leading it. The IVF guide is there so that doesn't happen to you.

Five steps covering the logistical, financial, and practical groundwork — so you arrive with your own questions, your own picture, and a framework before anyone has framed it for you. It arrives by email, one step each day. Not medical advice.

— The essential groundwork — organising fertility tests, self-advocacy and how commercial pressures can shape the advice you receive
— Building your budget — building a strategy that works for your situation
— Choosing the right fertility clinic — not just the closest — and knowing what to look for as a solo woman
— Booking and managing consultations with your doctor — so you walk in prepared and leave with answers
— Building your constellation of care — so you never have to figure it out completely alone
Get the IVF guide →

Takes a few seconds. Could save you weeks — and a depleted bank balance.

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The IVF Preparation No Clinic Will Give You — ebook cover
Ebook

The IVF Preparation No Clinic Will Give You

Everything in one place. The five decisions most women only work out once they're spending thousands: my story, the five steps with what to do at each, a checklist to tick off as you go, and an orientation to the donor conception decisions.

About 30 minutes to read in one sitting. Print it or save it as a PDF. Plus the 5-step guide: one step each day to build your pre-treatment plan. Not medical advice.

Read the ebook → Get the 5-step guide →
Resource

The Orientation Checklist

The non-medical, logistical, financial, and emotional groundwork that should happen before you step into a clinic. Written for solo women over 40 — by a solo woman who did this twice at 43 and made all the mistakes.

Not medical advice. Independent orientation grounded in lived experience.

— What to understand before you speak to a single clinic
— Building your support team — what support structures exist and where to find them
— Strategic preparation — financial planning, second opinions, IVF in Europe
— What you do not need to do right now
Get the checklist
Woman reviewing a checklist
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Decision Tool

Should I Start IVF at 40?

Seven questions about where you actually are — and a plain answer about what comes next. Works through the practical, clinical, financial, and emotional groundwork before a first consultation.

Takes about three minutes. Shows you your gaps and what to address first — including whether IUI should be considered before IVF.

Go to the decision tool →

What it covers

— Baseline tests — AMH and antral follicle count
— Success rates for your age group and what they do and don't mean
— Clinic research and comparison
— Financial planning for three or more cycles
— Retrieval day support and emotional preparation
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Resource

Questions to Ask at Your Fertility Consultation

A clinic answers what you ask. It doesn't tell you what you didn't think to ask about.

Consultations are typically an hour — and they can still feel rushed. The cost of a cancelled cycle, what published success rates actually measure — neither comes up unless you raise it. When you're over 40, self-funding, going into that room without a partner to notice what wasn't asked, the questions you leave unasked could be the expensive ones.

Get your three-stage framework and print. This is your companion for every consultation.

— Stage 1: Pre-screening questions — including success rates for your age group, add-ons evidence, and what happens if the first cycle fails
— Stage 2: Protocol and clinical questions — including how you'll know the protocol is personalised to you, not standardised by age
— Stage 3: What to get in writing before any deposit leaves your account
— Filter by situation — first consultation, returning, donor eggs, going abroad
Get the questions →
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Before you book7 pre-screening questions
 2
In the consultation18 protocol & clinical questions
 3
Before you pay5 things to get in writing
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Resource

The IVF Cost Tracker

The headline cycle fee is rarely the number you end up spending. Medications, monitoring scans, donor sperm, embryo storage, add-ons, travel — none of these tend to appear in the quote you're given first.

The IVF Cost Tracker covers 54 potential costs clinics don't always mention upfront, with space to add your own figures as you research. Use it before you pay a deposit anywhere.

Get the Cost Tracker →

What it covers

— Medications — often £1,000–£3,000 on top of the cycle fee
— Monitoring scans and blood tests, charged separately
— Donor sperm purchase and import fees
— Embryo storage and add-ons
— Travel, accommodation, and legal fees if going abroad
Resource

What I Was Doing When I Got Pregnant at Almost 44

A month-by-month account of everything I did in the lead-up to conceiving — the supplements, the tests, the protocols, the holistic approaches, and the things I'd do differently.

Shared for ideas, not to copy. Each path should be built around what your situation specifically calls for. Not medical advice.

From Two Failed IVF Cycles to Pregnant at 43

An honest timeline of my fertility journey up to conceiving at almost 44.

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    Community

    You shouldn't have to figure this out alone.

    Most solo women go into treatment without anyone who truly understands what they're navigating. The community exists to change that.

    Substack

    Over 100 stories on my fertility treatment, the IVF industry and solo motherhood. Join the community.

    Read on Substack
    Monthly virtual gathering

    SF40s Circle

    Next meet-up: Wednesday 7th October at 7pm BST

    A live virtual gathering for solo women over 40. For wherever you are in the process. Everyone is welcome. Reserve your place. You'll be emailed the joining link.

    Reserve your place
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    A second brain

    Strategy sessions for solo women over 40

    Normally £150 · 30 minutes · one-to-one.

    This is one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions of your life. You're about to spend five figures on it, with less orientation than most people get before choosing a mortgage.

    I am offering a limited number of no-cost sessions while I'm in beta. Apply below.

    I'm a solo mother, and my daughter may be in the background during our call. If she interrupts, that's not a surprise — it's just part of how I work right now, and it won't affect the time or attention you get.

    Apply for a Strategy Session →

    Who this is for

    — You're about to book your first consultation and want to go in prepared, not reactive
    — You've seen a clinic and aren't sure what to make of what you were told
    — You're looking at treatment in Europe — the costs make sense on paper but you want to think through what it actually involves before committing to anything
    — You're having treatment outside your home country and want to think through how to manage it safely and practically as a solo woman
    — You've been reading for weeks and feel less clear, not more
    Sarah, founder of Solo Fertility 40s
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    Next step

    Ready to go deeper?

    Six weeks of live structured sessions, independent expert guests, and a cohort of women in exactly your position.

    Learn about the programme
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    Decision Tool · Password Protected

    The Donor Sperm Decision Tool

    The donor sperm decision involves more than filtering a profile database. This six-section guide works through every fork in the decision — known donor vs sperm bank, the regulatory picture by country, what actually matters when choosing from a bank, the legal and relationship questions for known donors, what to tell your child, and what to do when you can't decide.

    Written by Sarah Allison. References the Donor Conception Network and Paths to Parenthub. Not medical or legal advice.

    — Known donor vs sperm bank — the decision that determines everything downstream
    — Anonymity rules by country — UK, Spain, Denmark, Greece, US
    — What actually matters when choosing from a sperm bank — and what the profile features are for
    — Legal and relationship questions for known donor arrangements
    — Disclosure — what donor-conceived adults say matters most, and the DNA testing reality
    Access the decision tool →

    Password required. If you have access, enter the password on the next page.

    Independent resources referenced

    Donor Conception Network

    Registered charity supporting donor conception families since 1993. Solo mum-specific children's books, DNA testing guidance, community.

    Paths to Parenthub

    Private membership platform for decision-making support at every stage of donor conception, including solo parenthood.

    Donor Conceived UK

    Founded by and for donor-conceived people. Grounds the disclosure section in the perspective that matters most.

    Solo Fertility 40s has no commercial relationship with any of these organisations.