# 29 and just discovered I have a very low ovarian reserve



## Mousey123 (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi all,

I'm very new to all of this, so apologies if there are things I haven't grasped.  I joined the site after discovering 2 weeks ago that I have low ovarian reserve - which means I have less eggs than I should at my age (I'm 29, nearly 30) and am at risk of premature menopause.  All my tests apart from AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) came back as normal.  My AMH is 8.9 pmol/l, which equates to the low end of low fertility.  At my age, I should be in the 'optimum fertility' range, which is 40 - 69 pmol/l.  Massive gap - which is obviously not going to get better or stay the same for long.

Although my mum experienced the menopause at 55, I took the test after my sister experienced premature ovarian failure at 34/35.  The doctor didn't give me an explanation for why this has happened to me - only that I was "born this way" and she hasn't offered to refer me to any kind of specialist or for any further investigations.

I don't have any children yet and desperately want a family at some point.  I am in a 3 and a half- year relationship, but my boyfriend is only 25, nearly 26.  

The doctor has put me on the pill to stop me from ovulating, to protect the eggs I have, but I don't know if that will buy me much time from a fertility perspective.  The doctor said it won't stop me from hitting premature menopause.

I'm so scared about what's ahead.  I'm confused as to whether to try for a baby straight away, even though my boyfriend is so young and we're not ready yet, or whether to get my eggs / embryos frozen.  But I'm not even sure if that will use up most of the viable eggs I have left.

I would love to hear from other people with similar experiences, or any advice anyone has.  I don't even know if it is usual for your GP not to refer you anywhere.  I feel a little bit abandoned by the medical profession.

Caroline x


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## littlebird (Nov 10, 2011)

hello mousey,
welcome to fertility friends, i am new myself and have found this board so helpfull 

i also have a low ovarian reserve mine is 0.07 and i am half way through my first cycle of ivf.  Although i am 38 i know exactly how you feel it is very scary and worrying to find out you have a low count.  If i was you i would go back to your gp and ask for more information or to be referred to someone who can provide you with more information.  The nhs works very slowly and it can take years of trying for a baby before they will help.  I went back to my doctor 4 times complaining of terrible period pains before he fiiiiiinaaaallllllyyyy sent me for tests.  It turned out i had terrible endemitreosis that ruined both my ovaries and lowered my ovarian reserve to practically nothing.  I am not trying to scare you honey but you need expert opinion of what to do for the best for your future family and it would be awfull for you to have to struggle to concieve if you can do something positive now 

hope that has helped you a bit, get on the phone in the morning hun and make that doctor help you its his job xxxxxx
                                                                  hugs  
                                                                    littlebirdxxxxxxxxxx


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## Wraakgodin (Jun 17, 2006)

to FF, Caroline!!! This is a great website for support, information, laughter and friendship, it has kept me (relatively!) sane though all my treatment. Have a good look round the site, post in whatever section you want and make yourself at home. There are so many sections here with a huge amount of information, so whatever you are going through there will be someone here to help you.

I am glad Littlebird has posted and has given you some personal experiences. Unfortunately sometimes I hear of some of our members having to really push to find out what is going on in their own bodies. I don't have any personal experience, but I can point you in the direction of the POF / Early Menopause section ~  CLICK HERE. I am sure the lovely ladies there will be able to help and offer some sort of advice on what the next step is.

Here are a couple of other links that I think might help you.

I know you said you wouldn't be undergoing treatment at the moment, but here is a link to our Poor Response to Treatment With Low AMH/High FSH section ~   CLICK HERE   At least they could give you an idea of what to expect.

The What Every New Member Needs To Know (includes a list of common abbreviations) thread will give you some info on how to navigate the site ~   CLICK HERE

We have a live chat room where you can meet other members, take part in themed chat events and gain a wealth of information from people who are or have been dealing with infertilty. New member chat is at 8pm on Wednesday, where we can introduce you to other members, show you around the chat room and help with any queries you may have both in the chat room and on the boards. Please take a look at the calendar and of course our Chat Zone: CLICK HERE

Please feel free to ask more questions here, or on any other part of the site, there will be wonderful helpful people there to give you lots of support, information and cyber hugs if you need it.

Good luck!        

Sue


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## Mousey123 (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi both,

Littlebird, thank you so much for your reply.  You're right about medical advice - I actually went back to my GP this morning.  I got rid of my coil - such a relief to get rid of that thing!  The doc couldn't tell me how long I've got before I hit the menopause, or how long it's safe to wait before trying (I'm hoping the pill buys me some time).  She has referred me to a private fertility specialist (I can't go NHS as I haven't been trying long enough to get IVF and the NHS doesn't do freezing).  I think that will be the first major step forward.  I know I have to start taking action now - you're so right.

I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles, thank goodness you are getting the help you've been asking for now.  I really hope it works - don't give up!  

Sue - thank you so much for the links.  I hadn't seen the POF / early menopause section - and it is exactly what I was looking for.  At the moment, it's a little scary for me to read it properly - but I think that is part of me still having to come to terms with the fact I have this problem.  I will read through it all soon though.

I think I'm going to go for freezing as soon as I can - then I always have that as back-up.  So although I won't be doing the full IVF treatment yet, I'm sure I'll be going through the first part of the treatment - and all that entails.

Thank you both - so good to hear from you and I'm so glad I joned this site.

Caroline x


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## littlebird (Nov 10, 2011)

i'm so pleased you went back to your doctors, good luck with everything luv littlebird xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## daisyg (Jan 7, 2004)

Caroline,

I agree that you are right to take action now.  Certainly having a second opinion from a fertility specialist is absolutely the right thing to do.

I am not sure that the pill does protect fertility in this way personally, so I would double check with the specialist about that.

Egg freezing is worth thinking about, but don't forget that this is in very early stages and so far, only a handful of pregnancies have resulted from egg freezing.  It should not be relied on as your only solution as this may not be reliable enough.

Have you ever had your thyroid checked?  Thyroid issues are a potential cause of POF and you need to have an up to date TSH, T3, T4 and antithyroid measurement taken, either by GP or fertility specialist.  Your TSH needs to be between 1 and 2 for fertility.  Don't be fobbed of by your GP telling you it is 'normal' - get the numbers from him/her.  Many GPs are very ignorant about fertility and know nothing about thyroid and other relevant issues.

What were your FSH/E2/LH/prolactin measurements?  These are also important.

You are still young and have time for further investigations by an expert.  I am glad you are taking this step so you can diagnose and deal with as many issues as possible which will help you get pregnant now (if you choose) or at some time in the future.

Knowledge is power and I would be proactive in getting as many tests and answers from the experts as possible.  You might also ask if your GP would refer you to an endocrinologist for further hormone testing.

Best of luck,
Daisy
xxxxx


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