AMH of 0.6 - next steps?

[Megandmog]

Hi everyone,

I am just looking for some advice really. I had an AMH blood test done which came back as 0.6. I had this blood test around 5 and a half weeks after taking the last of my 3 month dose of the Zoladex injection. My gynae says it might be so low because that is still in my system. What do you think the likelihood of that is? I have to retake the blood test 3 months from my last injection so end of June.

I don’t know what to do next. Ivf is not funded on the nhs with AMH less than 5.4pmol/l. The fertility nurse said to go straight to a donor egg but I’d rather try with my own first if I can. Do we spend money doing that first or go straight in for a donor? I feel so conflicted 😔. I also only have the one ovary and can’t conceive naturally because my tube is blocked!! I don’t know how I feel about using a donor either.

Thanks in advance xx

[Bunnywoo]

Hi Megandmog , I'm so sorry that you have had the news of a low AMH. i don't know anything about how zoladex could affect this but I do know how you feel receiving the news of having a low AMH and I felt devastated.

If you're still keen to try your own eggs I believe there are definitely options. Our clinic recommended IVF where they do three egg collections in a row and freeze whatever they can each time. Then do embryo transfers at the end of the third cycle. There are also clinics that specialise in natural IVF.

As for the donor egg route, this is a very personal and hard decision. There are lots of ladies on here who are on the donor egg IVF journey who may be able to help if you have any questions or concerns. I have come to terms with the decision to use DE and have found the ladies in here to be a massive support. Good luck with your decision making xxx

[Megandmog in reply to Bunnywoo]

Thank you for your reply bunnywoo. What was your AMH? I keep telling myself it only takes one egg. Where do I even start looking for ivf clinics which would be beneficial to my situation? It costs so much just for a consultation so I feel at a loss. Sorry to hear of your low AMH. Fingers crossed a DE is successful for you xx

[Bunnywoo in reply to Megandmog]

My AMH was 1.5 and I'm 37 years old. I'll send you a PM with the clinics I went to see re Natural IVF. Some clinics offer free open evenings or initial conversations. It certainly only takes one egg! xxx

[Claire_2018 in reply to Bunnywoo]

Hi bunnywoo. would you mind messaging me the clinics you went to see re natural ivf? Thanks Claire

[Karen82]

Hi Megandmog, I also have low AMH, can’t remember the number. We paid for one private and just hit the number for two on the NHS, but it was so hard on my body. I just wasn’t producing the eggs so I remember the 3rd attempt was particularly hard as we badly wanted it to work but knew it wouldn’t. We did get some eggs but they weren’t great quality either. Our journey was very very long and we took a break after IVF and started the adoption process. However, a bad health scare for my OH led us to reassess and we decided to try embryo adoption. Donor egg and sperm. We went to Spain and it worked on the second attempt. Tomorrow I’ll be 32 weeks pregnant - it has taken 12 years to get here.

Having a baby not genetically related to you might seem like a big deal but it’s not. I’m growing my baby, nurturing it and I will feed it and raise it. This baby will be as much ours as one we created with our own genetics, and while a few years ago my husband wouldn’t have considered embryo adoption, he came around to it over time and feels the same way that I do.

Personally, if funds are limited I would strongly recommend considering embryo or egg donation/adoption. Take advice on the chances of you producing eggs - if it’s not going to happen you should take some time to get over the grief and then move forward with the best possible chance for you to have your baby. We lost time and money by trying to get our own baby, and it’s hard on your body. IVF is exhausting physically and emotionally - particularly when it doesn’t work.

Good luck! PM me if you want the name of my clinic in Spain. Kx

[Megandmog in reply to Karen82]

Thank you for your response Karen. I know what you’re saying about ivf being hard, but I know if I don’t try at least once with my own eggs then I’ll always be wondering what if. I am slowly coming round to the idea of egg donation. Did you have a certain check list for your donors? i.e. hair colour, eye colour etc? Is that how it works?

I’m pleased you’ve got your baby in the end 🥰😘 xxx

[Karen82 in reply to Megandmog]

I was the same - I needed to try with my eggs first There wasn’t a choice with the donors - our clinic say they match as much as possible on physical characteristics and some things are standard (e.g. ethnicity). It might depend on where you do it. There aren’t many donors in the UK - we went to Spain as the donors and child will never be able to find out who one another is, it’s completely confidential