Antral Follicle count and results of egg collection (SENSITIVE)

[Here4ivfinfo]

Hi everyone!

I had my baseline scan today. The doctor I saw was my least favourite throughout this whole process—she was quite dismissive of my questions, didn’t seem to know anything about me or my history, and had a slightly patronising tone. No big deal, as she was only there to check that I’m ready to begin stims, and I likely won’t see her again.

I asked how many follicles I had, and she quickly counted 11 and 13. I know this is a good number, especially at 38, and I don’t want to sound ungrateful. HOWEVER (and I do apologise to anyone who would love these numbers—I don’t mean to be insensitive), last time I did stims two years ago, my AFC was 25 and 18. I ended up with six blastocysts in the end, which was great, but now I’m wondering: will I end up with significantly fewer this time? Losing 20 follicles feels like a huge drop, and last time, a high percentage of our fertilised eggs didn’t make it. So while I started strong, the final result was lower than expected.

I just wondered if anyone has had such a big drop between cycles and whether it actually predicted the final outcome. I want to manage my expectations without assuming the worst, but I can't help feeling a little uneasy.

My partner’s sperm was the main reason we needed IVF, and last time, they believed his sperm quality contributed to the drop-off. He’s since had surgery, so his quality has improved, which might help. But last time, I was the one balancing things out, and now I’m worried I might also be experiencing a decline. If I’d started with these numbers, I’d have been really happy, but after losing 16 embryos between days 3-5 last time, I know I might really need a high yield.

Has anyone else seen a big change in their follicle count between cycles? Did it affect your final outcome, or was it not as predictive as it seemed? Would love to hear others’ experiences!

[Twiglet2]

I think you answered your own question tbh, those are AMAZING numbers to start with and like your last round showed massive follicle count doesn’t always lead to blasts. The quality is much much more important than the quantity and my last round was my lowest follicle and egg collection yet and the one that worked! There will be a drop off over time and even month on month there are fluctuations. Also thinking about OHSS etc as well your previous round probably put you at quite high risk so you might even feel a little better in yourself this time. Best of luck 🤗💜

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to Twiglet2]

Thank you for getting back to me! I’m going for my first scan tomorrow xx

[Kitkat10]

hi, these are great numbers, I think the number can vary between cycles so I wouldn’t worry too much, plus she counted quickly and I found that different assessors used different criteria as to which size follicles they include in the count.

I was 39, had an AFC of 10 I think and never got any more than 7 eggs collected per collection but was still blessed with a baby so your numbers are fantastic. On my successful round I only got 3 eggs so it just shows, sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to all this. I absolutely agonised over my numbers and in the end it meant not much.

Try not to worry and focus on how great those follicles can be , good luck 🍀🍀

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to Kitkat10]

Thank you. This is reassuring xxx