36 and AMH of 2.8 - what next?

[Opposite]

Hello,

I posted yesterday in an emotional mess and then deleted it for no apparent reason. I'm devastated by the idea I may not be able to have children.

For context, I have been suffering with autoimmune Thyroiditis (diagnosed late 2023) and various related illnesses.

I am now feeling good, my thyroid and vitamin levels are all stable, and I am off almost all medication. So, we began TTC.

My Endocrinologist suggested some fertility tests because of my age and health conditions, and because we have used the 'pull out method' for 11 years with no scares. Apparently this is unusual.

My AMH came back at 2.8 pmol.

I am yet to speak to my GP or Endo, as I can't get an urgent appointment. According to Dr Google, this is considered so low that i'm not even eligible for IVF.

Someone kindly messaged me with some advice about requesting an AFC test next, and told me not to give up hope.

I wondered what else I should be pushing for?

Our wonderful NHS is a mess and I had to fight for a diagnosis for my thyroid. I expect to have to fight for any help here, too. I am 36, clearly running out of eggs, and simply cannot afford the thousands for private treatment.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would also love to hear from anyone who had a similar result at a similar age and managed to have a baby. I feel broken and need some hope. Or perhaps I just need to accept it. I really don't know.

Thank you in advance.

[Tarasunny]

My AMH was 2.8 a year before I conceived my twins (with IVF as im a solo mum by choice). I was older as well at 39. Low AMH doesn't mean you can't conceive it just means you would produce less eggs with IVF. If you ovulate each month then you still have a chance at conceiving. Has your partner also been checked?

[Opposite in reply to Tarasunny]

Thank you so much, and congratulations!

I don't think I will be eligible for IVF - a booklet about AMH was emailed to me after my result and it says it has to be above 5 to meet eligibility criteria.

My Fiancé has kids from a previous relationship but his youngest is 12, so he is going to have testing done too.

From what information I can find online, I think there is some hope of conceiving naturally but the odds are against us.

[Loveelou in reply to Opposite]

Plenty of low AMH success stories. It’s mainly about egg quality rather than quantity. Your partner having children is actually more of an issue for IVF eligibility. Check that your local ICB accepts this as many don't accept IVF in circumstances where one person has previous children.

[Opposite in reply to Loveelou]

Thank you, I'm absorbing all these success stories like my life depends on it!

[CyclingAddict in reply to Tarasunny]

Sorry to hear this. Opposite makes a really good point - often when one of you has a child from a previous relationship you are not granted NHS funding. It's silly, I know.

One thing I will say is we started with the NHS and opted to go private, despite having 2 cycles left on the NHS. More and more women are going private despite having NHS cycles because the NHS's success rates haven't been great in recent years and the waiting times can be an issue. After 5 failed attempts on the NHS over the course of 2 years we now have a little boy (from our first private cycle).

So if you're not granted treatment on the NHS it may be worth looking into private. I remember when I mentioned money concerns to my fertility counsellor and she said something along the lines of 'if you wanf it, you can find the money'.

So don't panic just yet. Wait to hear what the NHS says and if you're not granted treatment, there are other options.

Good luck x

[Opposite in reply to CyclingAddict]

Thank you so much, and congratulations on your little boy.

Our area is okay if one has kids, as long as one doesn't. It does say that AMH has to be above 5, though.

I'd also be happy to adopt and everyone makes it sound so easy, but I looked into that further and we really do not make it easy in the UK at all! I actually don't think we would be allowed because one of his kids is estranged.

I have been reading a lot and I can see there is still some hope of conceiving naturally. I've just ordered 'Ovum' to replace my prenatal vits, as it appears to be much better quality.

This has hit me like a ton of bricks!

Thank you for your advice x

[SDB25]

In 33 and my AMH was 4.8pmoh and it increased to 7.8pmoh - I have been taking 600mg of CoQ10 (ubiquinol form) as advised by the fertility clinic and also it features in the book “It starts with the egg” - strongly advise you read that and also speak to a fertility clinic to look at your options of trying to increase it. The NHS process was an absolute nightmare for me but ask your GP to see if they know anything about the emerging research about CoQ10 and improving AMH levels.

I suffer with psoriasis and I was shocked to see that this affects it! Definitely read it starts with the egg as it explains why CoQ10 is critical!

I know how you feel as I too searched google, read stories and looked at chats on here! There are plenty of success stories - low AMH does not effect quality so do not panic! AMH is only a criteria for some boroughs (annoying!) Search your borough's IVF criteria and see if it is on there.

Sending you so much positive thoughts! Do not give up x

[Opposite in reply to SDB25]

Thank you so much.

I have just ordered 'Ovum', which contains the CoQ10 and lots of other 'egg food'. I will focus on improving quality and hope to get lucky naturally. I will order the book now - thank you for the recommendation.

My area does require an AMH of 5, but it's good to know others do not. If it comes to it, I think it would be cheaper to move than pay for private IVF!

Best of luck in your journey x

[Turtlebug in reply to SDB25]

Which company did you order the coq10 from. The one I seen are £98 for 30 days 😭

[SDB25 in reply to Turtlebug]

I got mine through Amazon via the link on the it starts with the eggs recommended links xx

[Opposite in reply to Turtlebug]

Ovum is £36 per month on subscription

[Mimi2727]

I’m 31 and my amh was 0.4 which is the low of lows for my age! I took coq10 which made it so much better!! From 2 eggs to 6 eggs from taking coq10 to retrieving 8 eggs with ivf and I’m currently 5 weeks pregnant!

Dont panic I know it’s a tough journey but there’s always a solution and it will happen good luck!

[Turtlebug in reply to Mimi2727]

How long were you taking these tablets?

[Mimi2727 in reply to Turtlebug]

I took it for 9 months and stopped right before egg retrieval because the dr told me to do so. They say it takes at least 3-6 months to start working and see a difference.

But make sure to talk to your dr about it.

[Opposite in reply to Mimi2727]

Thank you so much and congratulations! Wishing you a smooth and happy pregnancy x

[Estherlovescats]

Hey i had low amh 3.4pmol. 2 ivf rounds failed. Got pregnant age 40 with the help of mira ovulation tracker. Coq 10 ubiquinol life extension brand and dhea eurovital brand. Tho u need dhea-s and testosterone bloods first to see if it will help or hinder. Randox does them. Some vitamins from the book it starts with the egg. Sometimes mediterranean or keto diet. Lost 40lbs.too. Amh is just the amount. Of follicles for ivf not the quality of eggs. Id highly recommend mira shows you your key hormones and confirms ovulation. 300 quid to set up but a damn site cheaper than ivf. X

[Opposite in reply to Estherlovescats]

Thank you so much for the advice. My first thought was 'I am not paying that!' and then realised the alternative. Of course it's worth it.

Congratulations on your success! I have also ordered the book.

[Angelikid88]

hello there, i sent you a pm

[LupitaLu]

Hi, I was 42 when I started IVF treatment and my AMH was 2.5. I had to go private not because of my low AMH but because my partner already had a child, and the NHS does not give you the benefit unless you are both childless. However, they do all the investigations before you start the treatment privately. At the time, I did all the investigations at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital on the NHS and they also run a private IVF clinic there. I was very dissatisfied with the private IVF clinic service they offered, the worst experience ever, but at least the pre tests were free.

[Turtlebug in reply to LupitaLu]

I agree. My treatment at C&W with the nhs resulted in no eggs to transfer out of 9 follicles- they did not do a personalised treatment and regardless all I got was that my egg quality wasn’t good and I don’t get another round on nhs. Very deflating.

[Opposite in reply to LupitaLu]

Hello. Thank you for sharing, I appreciate the insight very much.

[MinnSam]

Definitely do not give up hope. AMH levels can be highly variable across cycles. Just start improving your lifestyle, Mediterranean diet and regular exercise with focus on reducing inflammation and stress. Take coq10, vitamin d and glutathione. Your AMH may shoot back up.

[Opposite in reply to MinnSam]

Thank you so much ♥️ I will absolutely take all this advice. I'm currently food shopping online for my new diet.

[Hidden]

you liked one of my comments the other day, so I won’t go into my AMH history again. But I would say that when the NHS tested my AMH it was 1pmol and so I didn’t think we’d get funding, but we did qualify. It depends upon each trusts guidelines (even though I read on the guidelines it has to be above 5).

Our trust also granted my sister ivf even though both her and her partner have 1 child from different relationships, but because they didn’t have one together then they were happy to proceed.

Please don’t stress too much about your AMH. But if you haven’t both done already, then get super healthy diet wise, take your supplements, and keep on trying naturally in the meantime 🙏🏻 xx

[Opposite in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate all this. It's so good to know the NHS requirements aren't a hard cut-off point.

I'm taking all this advice on board amd feel so much better after reading these comments. I can't thank you enough xx