# Antral Folicle Count?



## Marshmallow (Jun 3, 2006)

Hi there,

Has anyone had any experience of this?  I'm now 40 and on the advice of my consultant he's asked that I be given an antral folicle count scan after falling pregnant naturally in May of this year, only to have a missed m/c at just under 8 weeks.  I lost my daughter (the result of a FET with embies created when I was 37) in June of last year.  I've been for a scan today (day 6) and I've got 8 follies and am not sure whether this is a disappointing result or not and whether I should have to resort to donor eggs for my future cycles?  My consultant put me on clomid for 3 cycles following my m/c but that didn't work, in fact it cocked up my cycle completely with me ovulating loads earlier than normal and also starting my AF earlier (record was this month's cycle only lasting 24 days!)  I'd got a large cyst on one of my ovaries too today, and when I had my scan with the first dose of clomid I'd got a collapsed cyst - I've never had anything like that before as on all my 3 stimulated cycles I'd only ever had normal folicles, never any cysts.  I should also say that in all my stimulated cycles I was on a high dose of menopur (3 then 4 powders) and always stimmed for over 10 days, and got 7 eggs from my first cycle, 5 from my second and 10 from my last, but only 4 of those went on to fertilise but they've always been good quality, in fact in my 1st and 3rd cycle they froze the remaining embies.

I suppose I just want some encouragement please from anyone whose had experience of an antral folicle count.

Cheers

Alex x


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## B3ar (Jul 6, 2005)

Hi Alex

I have no idea what a good antral follicle count is for our age either but didn't want to read and run and found this

http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/15/9/1937

I'd read that as saying you are average?

Good luck 
xx


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## finlay foxy (May 31, 2006)

Hello,

I didn't want to read and run either.  Have you thought about immune testing and or having genetic tests done, as i know both of these could cause you to miscarry. Also both of them can be sorted out.

Good Luck

LOL
Finlay x


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## nbr1968 (Feb 25, 2008)

Dear Marshmallow

First I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your daughter - I can empathise although my son was not as many months as you dear daughter.

Secondly I am 41 and what is known as a poor responder - only ever produce about 4 follicles maximum, so i would say 8 at day 6 is very good - and as you have said it is quality rather than quantity - i am assuming that with your good results the eggs are mature and looking regular. Have your clinic considered changing protocol? I did what is called a "flare protocol" using chlomid with Gonal F and always get a better response - when I used menopur i produced one egg!

Going for donor eggs is such a personal choice - but when i have read other ladies' advice on this site they have always said do research and then come to terms with your decision to go for donor rather than own eggs. And they have all said that they do not look back afterwards. Also there is a thread on here about the "importance of birth mother" with donor eggs and "epigenetics" both of which have been recommended for those thinking about donor eggs.

i hope this helps a little.


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## Marshmallow (Jun 3, 2006)

Thanks for your messages.

I should have put on my first message that I am on immune drugs. I've got rheumatoid arthritis so the clinic put me on prednisolone for my last 2 cycles of IVF and whilst I was pg this year, plus I've got elevated TH1-TH2 and too many NK cells which was discovered when I went to see George at Nottingham CARE, so when I fell pg naturally they advised I have 2 intralipid infusions.  I'm also on clexane for a blood clotting problem (Protein S deficiency) for every one of my tx since my first one failed.  I'd had a relatively good response to that tx with excellent quality embies (freezing 3 and using 2) and even the consultant was surprised it didn't work, so I insisted on the Level 1 tests which threw up the blood clotting problem, but our karyotyping was fine etc so we didn't go on for the Chicago tests then.  It was only after our 5th tx that I decided to go to George and he recommended I have a selection only of the Level 2 tests done which threw up the TH1-TH2 and NK problems. 

I just get so mad with things though.  If I'd been advised by my consultant at the hospital to continue on clexane whilst I was pregnant past 13 weeks Kitty may still be with us today - her placenta was below the 25th centile so basically she'd starved without me knowing it as her placenta was failing (they never scan to check the size of placentas, only the positioning ). She managed to get to 36+6 but I'll never know how much longer she'd have had if I'd been told to continue past 13 weeks when all my other IVF meds were discontinued...  I feel badly let down by the system and am hoping my body won't let me down in future.  I'm dreading the appointment with George in a couple of weeks just in case he says there is no point in trying with my own eggs if my count is so low.  I've been conscious of my body clock since my first tx (hence we went private rather than waiting to go on the NHS list), had my second tx which I responded terribly to because I was so worried about the problems with beign an older mum and chances of things going wrong and wanted to use my eggs whilst I was still relatively young and to build up my supply of frosties, and was finally persuaded by my DH to go with the FET and felt like we'd hit the jackpot when all 3 frosties defrosted and I got pregnant.  Next time I'm going to be more foreceful and insist on the best of treatment.  I'd get it if I threaten to sue about losing my daughter I bet!!

I've only ever been on menopur so will ask about the Gonal F, so thanks for teh advice on that nbr1968.  I know its more pricey but with what we've paid out over the years - well heck if it works its cheaper than another go!!

Cheers

Alex x


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## Toptack (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi Marshmallow

I'm so sorry for you're loss - I can completely understand why you're so mad with everything.

Re: the antral follicle count, I don't think you should worry too much. I'm 35 and have just been diagnosed with a "slightly diminished ovarian reserve" - like you I had 8 follies at my last scan and I have an AMH of 6.1 pmol/l. My fertilty specialist told me that I shouldn't panic about this as there were still "good prospects of conceiving" at this level, he would just need to tweak the protocol accordingly. We haven't started treatment yet so I'm not sure exactly what he has in mind, but he really did seem quite positive. Obviously that hasn't entirely stopped me from fretting about the whole thing, but it's definitely not the end of the world!

Hope that helps 

xxx


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## armi (Sep 1, 2007)

Hi ya
I had a scan today and had 5 in each ovary. I am on day 5 of my cycle. I got told that was good for a woman younger than me!!! I used Gonal F 450 AND IT PRODUCED A LOVELY boucing gir in Jnauary of ths year.


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