When in your cycle should you have an Anti Follicle Count done?

[Bluebirds7]

Hi All

This is my first post! My partner and I are considering IVF (I am 42 my partner is 43). In the last year we have had 3 miscarriages, so considering the chromosome testing.

Anyway my question is does anyone know when in your cycle you should have an anti follicle count done (its a scan)? The NHS tested my AMH which came back as 34 pmol/L but the IVF clinic we went to see said they would want me to have a scan to count the follicles as well.

The NHS will not do the scan but I have found a scan place local to me that does it but they will not advise when you should have it done. I am doing it this way as the IVF clinic wants £ 475 for the blood test and scan, but since I've had the blood test via my miscarriage clinic and can get the scan for £65 I plan to take the results to the clinic.

Any help will be appreciated.

[Cinderella5]

Im guessing you mean antral follicle count? If so this is usually done around day 2/3 of your cycle. I would just check that he IVf clinic will accept it as they may want to do it themselves....its all a bit of a money making market unfortunately and you dont want to pay for the scan then have to have the expensive one done anyway!xx

[Bluebirds7 in reply to Cinderella5]

Yes I did mean 'antral', thanks for that.

The clinic knew I was due to been seen at the miscarriage clinic and I said I would ask for these tests, they seemed fine with it!

From the reading I have done I had concluded it was about day 3, so that's good!

Thanks for your reply

[Fingerscrossed38]

I agree with Cinderella in that you will probably have to do many scans and bloods during ivf and your clinic will likely want to do these themselves. If your AMH is 34 that's amazing so is likely your follicle count is pretty good so if I were you I'd book a consultation at a fertility clinic asap and get the ball rolling on this ivf with pgs testing! It's a longish process and at 42 you probably want to get going with things. I've just had my first retrieval with pgs testing and about to have my first frozen embryo transfer in a few days. It's a very expensive process so if you can cut corners in places (shopping around for medication for example) go for it but to be honest having all the testing and scans done on one place is often better and outs going to cost...a lot. Best of luck xx

P.s. I'd be having the scan before ovulation

[Bluebirds7 in reply to Fingerscrossed38]

I was really pleased with my AMH level, I had it done a year ago and it was 30.1 so was very nervous having it done again as I know it's high so figured it would have dropped...but it's gone up! Crazy!

It is very expensive but I am hoping to use an Access Fertility programme, which should (in theory) limit the cost. It is a multi cycle programme! But I am finding it hard to make the decision to go ahead with it all, but time is definitely not on my side so I do need to get on with it.

Good luck with your transfer x

[Fingerscrossed38 in reply to Bluebirds7]

Yes I also had a high AMH (although not as high as yours!) And I discovered that I have polycystic ovaries (but not polycystic ovary syndrome) which apparently pushes the AMH level up.

We looked into doing a 3 cycle package deal too but we didn't want to do a bunch of ivf retrievals unnecessarily if we got a good number in the first retrieval. But it's a decision that needs to be made at the start which is so frustrating because you just don't know if you'll have issues and need more or if one round is enough...also our clinic was strange and expected us to do all three referrals back to back to bank multiple embryos to send off for testing before you were allowed to do a transfer! We opted to do one round and see how we went as the money we saved doing the package wasn't that much anyhow. We did really well in the one and only retrieval we did and got 6 normal blastocysts. They're in the freezer now and we're praying one works!

All the best with everything xx

[Bluebirds7 in reply to Fingerscrossed38]

How did they discover you had polycystic ovaries? (if you don't mind me asking?)

I am working on the basis that I might produce an okay amount of eggs (based on my AMH level) and be able to freeze some. As on the access programme you get two cycles, blastocysts storage for a year and all the frozen transfers from both cycles. So *if* I produce even just one extra egg that can be frozen on each cycle it would be cost effective. But like you say you have absolutely no idea until you do it! At least this programme does one egg retrieval then all frozen transfers from that cycle then you move onto the new cycle!

[Fingerscrossed38 in reply to Bluebirds7]

Yes that sounds good that way if it works you don't need to do the second retrieval. I just didn't like the idea of having excess blastocysts stored and knowing we'd never need them. At least your way you use the first round up first.

By having the antral follicle scan they could tell I had a lot of follicles which I took as being a good thing and in my case it was but sometimes it isn't a good thing because the follicles push the amh level up misleading people to think they have good chances and the follicles don't contain any eggs...

Even some of my blastocysts were graded top grading but when pgs tested were actually abnormal. But having pgs normal blastocysts doesn't guarantee a successful pregnancy unfortunately. But it give your a chance to "weed" through those that would not have made it or have ended in miscarriage. I'm glad we paid the extra to have it done.

Have you tried an IUI (turkey baster)? We only did one and it didn't with for us but perhaps you ought to try one first before IVF (I wouldn't did the 3 rounds of iui that is quite often recommended because it's got lower rates of success) that way they'll scan you and check everything is functioning as it is and if it doesn't work then jump into IVF but if it does, it obviously saves you a lot of time and money. A friend of mine did one and had a lovely 2 year old son from it...I guess this is why gabbing a consultation is helpful as it'll give you options and hep you decide your best course of action.

Also one thing I did discover is that the price advertised for IVF is rarely what you actually pay. They don't always include blood tests and medication etc so I'd double any figure you're given and you'll be closer to the actual about you pay unfortunately

Baby dust to you

[Bluebirds7 in reply to Fingerscrossed38]

Thanks for all the info you have been very helpful. It's made me feel a bit more positive about the whole process.

It's great you have 6 frozen blastocysts, hopefully you will be lucky with your first transfer, I shall keep my fingers crossed for you x