# Positive pregnancy result with Low AMH



## sammy100 (May 25, 2010)

I’ve never posted an entry on the site before, but I wanted to tell others of my IVF experience in case it helps anyone.

I’ve just had a positive pregnancy test after my 3rd attempt at IVF. Details below:

Nov 2009 – 1st cycle.
FSH = 14, AMH = 7, weight BMI reading of 18.
1st IVF cycle at London Women’s Clinic in Cardiff, on 375 of Menopur and 20 of Suprefact. 8 eggs were collected, of which only 4 were mature. 2 fertilised, only 1 divided which meant 1 embryo transferred on day 2. Negative result.

May 2010 – 2nd cycle
I spent the period between Dec 09 – May 2010 doing everything I could to improve my chances of it working. I had weekly acupuncture, a nutrition and general consultation with Zita West, changed my eating habits to include much more protein, took vitamins recommended by ZW, did daily relaxation CDs.
My BMI increased to about 18.5
My medication from LWC was identical as the 1st cycle. On the first follicle scan, I had 2 normal size follicles and 1 small one. So the IVF cycle was abandoned and I converted to IUI. Got a negative result. Completely gutted as I’d invested so much time and effort in trying to do the ‘right things’.

At the follow-up appt with LWC, she said that if I wanted to try again, they would need to take my AMH reading again, and if it had dropped dramatically, I might have to accept the fact that I might not get pregnant.

June 2010  - decided to try the Lister clinic in London. Had an initial consultation, where he based his recommended medication on my FSH and AMH results from Nov 09. He recommended completely different meds.

Aug 2010 – 3rd cycle. I’d increased by BMI to about 19. I had my AMH and FSH taken again. My AMH had dropped to 2.7, my FSH was 8.5. In the run up to the IVF I went back to my normal life – no acupuncture, no relaxation cd, still drank alcohol etc. All I did was continue to increase my protein and continue to take the vitamins.

At the Lister, I was put on the pill (microgynon) for 21 days. I was then given Synarel nasal spray for a couple of days before my injections started. I was on 300 of Gonal F, 75 of Merional and 2 nasal sprays each day.
At my first follicle scan, I had 8 reasonably sized follicles. They said they were advanced enough for me to have them collected 2 days after. Egg collection was under general anaesthetic and they collected 10 eggs. 7 of them fertilised. I got a call saying they were going for blastocyst. When I went in for the blastocyst transfer, the doctor said that “something very unusual had happened which they hardly ever see”. Every one of my 7 embryos had reached blastocyst! The 1 blastocyst that was transferred was described as the ‘perfect’ blastocyst – it was nearly hatching, and the doctor actually took a copy of the picture of it so she could put it on her wall. The next day I was told I had 4 blastocysts suitable for freezing.
And when I tested, I got a positive result!

I can’t believe how different the outcomes were in my different cycles. I was so close to giving up hope, and thought that I would never get pregnant but the last cycle was so much better – the doctor at the Lister even described it as the perfect IVF cycle.

I don’t know what it was that changed the results so dramatically – my feeling is that it was a combination of everything – being more relaxed and normal in the run up to it, the vitamins, the protein and of course the meds that they used. To be fair to LWC they did say that if I were to do a 3rd cycle with them, then they would use Gonal F as well. But I fancied a change so even though London was further away I thought I’d give the Lister a go. And I'm glad I did.

I don’t go on the internet that often, so if anyone responds to this post with questions etc, I will get back to them, it just might take me a couple of days


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## needjustone (May 2, 2010)

Thank you for posting

my fsh was similar to yours earlier this year and AMH has stayed the same at 4.4. I got max 2 follicles

this cycle fsh is 8.8 si im hoping i will get more eggs as you respond better to the drugs when its
lower 

So i hope i have a similar experince to you. It goes to show that the protocol is so important

god luck for your pregnacy you must be so pleased x


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## emak (Jan 21, 2008)

Sammy firstly congrats on BFP .My story is very similar to yours i am a poor responder AMH 1.1    ,i got my BFP on 3rd ivf cycle but first @ Lister .Like you on first 2 cycles i did everything by the book acu ,vits etc but on final cycle (which i was actually thinking of not even going ahead with ) i didnt bother with the acu etc just went with the flow ,i still didnt get a huge number of eggs but hey it only takes one good embie .
I hope my story gives a bit of hope to some of you ladies out there as i was told by consultant at clinic where i had 1st cycle to give up !!!!
Good luck to you all.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## genelia.genesis (Sep 10, 2010)

wow! i much enjoyed reading your experience  i always look forward to read such experiences by people themselves. thanks much for sharing.


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## Lissa M (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi Sammy

Your story gives me so much hope. I have low AMH (3.4 p/mol July 09) and have just gone through my first failed cycle of IVF at BCRM in Bristol. I responded poorly - 2 large and 1 smaller follie. On the positive side though, we got 2 eggs which fertilised very well but sadly didn't stick and AF came 8 days later.  
We have follow up appt next week and I want to talk to the consultant about different protocols. I was already on max (300) dose of Menopur and the consultant has told me that's all they can do there so if they don't think creatively I may try elsewhere. A lot of ladies have mentioned the Lister for poor responders.

Finally congrats on your BFP


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## nicki70 (Feb 15, 2009)

Hi Sammy!

My story is almost the same as yours. BFP on my 3rd attempt but 1st at the Lister. I was previously a poor responder, at my 1st clinic (nhs) I was put on 450ml of Menopur & only got 3 eggs the 1st time & just 1 on my 2nd... Gutted as my FSH was 6 & AMH 28! Not bad for a 40 year old.

So went to see Dr Tolba at the Lister where we retested AMH & now it had dropped to 9 (in just 6 months!) Like you I did the pill for around 30 days followed by the short protocol of injecting 0.5mls Suprecur reducing to 0.2 after 4 days. Did the stimm drugs at the same time, Gonal F 300mls & Merional 150mls. EC produced 9 eggs, 7 suitable for ICIS & by day 3 had 5 grade 1's so went to blast where we had 2 perfect hatching 5AA blasts put back & one in the freezer. Amazing!
7 & 9 week scans showed 1 very healthy heartbeat & now anxiously awaiting my 12w scan. 

Best of luck to you!
Nicki xx


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## Daizymay (May 13, 2010)

just marking - incase I need this info in the future. It's good to hear the positive results for poor responders.
daizymay


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## miss mischeif 1 (Sep 6, 2010)

I have just started to use ff today

I have severe endo and a terrible AMH of only 1.28 , I received these results two weeks ago and
it has played on my nerves since.My first cycle I only hd 1 follicle and it was cancelled, the clinic then refused to treat me as said that I should use DE
and very unlikely to fall on IVF,  I am becoming more confident from this website that I am going to do this  

I have been blessed as have my lovely little boy who is my world and I was blessed as fell on my first IVF with him, so all this is a shock to me. 
I am becoming more determined and have read some lovely stories on here thanks everyone x x


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## Daizymay (May 13, 2010)

Sammy100,
Many congrats! I've heard about the Lister for poor responders. How long did you have to wait to be seen? My 2nd NHS IVF cycle is due Dec, after then I'm planning to move to a new clinic. I'm in Wales tho, so not too sure how i could juggle the appointments. What was ur experience living outside of london?
daizymay


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## ~Lindz~ (Mar 17, 2010)

Really encouraging thread.  Huge congratulations on your BFPs Sammy and Emak, it certainly gives women like me hope. 

I just wanted to reply quickly to Lisa M and Daizymay.  I would definitely recommend the Lister for women with low AMH simply because they have so much experience with ladies with diminished ovarian reserve.  After 3 failed cycles at BCRM Bristol I have decided to have one last attempt but I wanted to look somewhere else as BCRM are very rigid in their protocols and dosage and will not adapt them to suit the individual.  The Lister have about 10 different standard protocols and will adapt them to suit you.  I have an AMH of only 1.15 which completely devastated me, but it didn't seem a shock to the Lister at all.  In fact they said they had had pregnancies with AMH's of 0. something and were really positive and encouraging, and I only only had to wait 2 weeks for my initial consultation.  BCRM, on the other hand, say donor eggs is the only route as my cycles consisted of only 4, 1 and 7 eggs collected.

I have been travelling by coach from Bristol for my scans which isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Victoria coach station is literally 10 minutes walk away from the clinic and the coach is really cheap if you book in advance.  It does mean having to take the day off work though.

Good luck to you all.  Lindz xx


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## Daizymay (May 13, 2010)

Thanks Lindz, that's really postive info to hear and great that you only waited two weeks - did you get cycling soon after that? and what did you do about getting your notes/history from BCRM - do they transfer them? 
Daizymay


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## Daizymay (May 13, 2010)

Lindz,
I just want to emphasise how much I appreciate your post....I suddenly feel quite lifted and overwhelmed to hear from someone who has experienced the Lister and your comments about preganancies for people with AMH 0 is quite something.
Thanks again
Daizymay


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## ~Lindz~ (Mar 17, 2010)

Hi Daizymay - you're welcome!  

I'm really impressed with the Lister so far, and feel like I've made the right decision; even if I'm not successful I know that I've done everything I can.  I'm due to start cycling on Thursday which is just over 3 weeks since my initial consultation.  The Lister were quite thorough with scans etc before letting me start so it's quite different from BCRM - were you there too?  At BCRM they will photocopy your notes for you if you ask - it only costs £10 (unless you have a massive file!) and takes about a week.  Other clinics will do the same although from what I've read prices seem to vary quite a bit.
Lindz x


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## Daizymay (May 13, 2010)

Hey Lindz,
That's useful to know. Did they do the scans at your initial appointment or was another trip needed? 
Everything crossed for you! I'd love to know how you get on. Did BCRM refer you / your GP or yourself? 
(I am at IVFWales Cardiff).
Daizymay


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## ~Lindz~ (Mar 17, 2010)

Daizymay - I referred myself, just phoned up and was shocked when they offered me an appointment straight away.  The initial appointment was just a consultation, although you can book to have a scan on that day too before you see the doctor.  I had two scans before I started cycling to check that my ovaries and uterus lining were ready.  I'm really nervous now as this is my last try, and now I know my AMH is Sooooo bad I am quite worried.  I never had it tested before now, but just praying I will be one of the lucky ones and be able to add a low AMH BFP to this thread!


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## Lissa M (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi Lindz
All the best at The Lister.
I am going to have one more try at BCRM.
Our consultant was quite positive at our follow up appt last week only 3 follies but 2 x grade AB emboss which he thought was a good sign.
He also agreed to upping my dose to 450 Menopur.

Keep us up to date with you progress- I might be following you down the M4 if this one doesn't work.


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## VixS (Oct 19, 2010)

Hello - I'm new here and hoping one of you'll be able to help me... 

After 3 consecutive failed DIUIs at London Women's Clinic, I requested an AMH test and was totally shocked when they said it was 0.7 pmol...

Does anyone know whether the Gonal F I'd taken for the IUIs could have had a residual affect on my hormone levels?

I now need to decide whether to give IVF a go with London Women's Clinic or switch to the Lister at significant additional cost...
Has anyone experienced IVF at both places who can advise? Is the extra cost at the Lister worth it??

VixS


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## Ceri. (Sep 6, 2004)

Vix ... If you have a look at the London board, you'll see lots of Lister/LWC related threads there too http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=345.0


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## joanne2328 (Oct 13, 2010)

Hi everyone

so glad to see that there can be positive news from low amh results, I'm only 34 and mine has just come back at 4.7, my fsh was 8.8 but not sure wot that means.

can I just ask what vitamins you increased and what you ate to improve protein intake as well? I want o give my body the best chance and believe I am asking the right people by coming on here x x


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## Daizymay (May 13, 2010)

Hey Joanne,
For a list of supplements go to: http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=226042.0 . It's scary, but will give you the info to then discuss with your GP/consultant. Personally I just eat a healthy diet and take 'mother-to-be' sanatogen vit&min supplements. Protein can be found in foods like chicken/beans/pulses/nuts/seeds/milk/cheese/eggs - google it.
A low AMH level and high FSH level indicate that a woman has a low ovarian reserve - not many eggs left - but it's quality not quantity we need. Quality decreases with age. A FSH reading higher than 10 indicated that some women may have difficulty conceiving. To know what your AMH levels mean you'll need to know if they are measured in pmol/L or ng/mL . This chart I copied from a thread sometime back - I don't have a reference for it tho!

Ovarian Fertility Potential pmol/L ng/mL

Optimal Fertility 28.6 - 48.5 4.0 - 6.8
Satisfactory Fertility 15.7 - 28.6 2.2 - 4.0
Low Fertility 2.2 - 15.7 0.3 - 2.2
Very Low / undetectable 0.0 - 2.2 0.0 - 0.3
High Level > 48.5 >6.8

There's a thread about low amh - the girls there may be able to help more: http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=242664.0;topicseen
Good luck on your journey.
Daizymay


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## joliejo (Oct 28, 2005)

Just bookmarking, some wonderful stories xxxx


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