IVF or getting pregnant during peri menopause?

[Rosiestraws]

Background:

I'm 38, with diminished ovarian reserve. My AMH was 1.4pmol at 31 and 0.8pmol at 34.. I haven't bothered testing again as I know it'll be bad! I have had some egg freezing cycles at age 35-36 which usually only got 1-2 eggs per cycle but as far as I understand, these eggs are just as good as any other eggs from a 35/36 year old - the DOR doesnt affect egg quality. I had an early miscarriage at 35 the first/only month I tried naturally with a previous partner also - so presumably something semi-working there...

I am now hoping to bank some fresh embryos (given my age) with my current partner and of course try to implant if/when we get have a good one after 3 cycles.

However, during a few incredibly stressful periods last year, my cycle stopped for 50-60 days (twice) and I was having night sweats. I had my FSH tested and it was sky high (I think 48ish one month and 69ish another). But, my cycles have largely come back to normal (irregular, but normal for me) and no obvious meno symptoms. I was referred to the early meno clinic via NHS last year but by the time I saw them (6ish months later) I was not experiencing those symptoms and they discharged me.

I'm now waiting for my period in order for FSH and other blood tests on day 3 as my clinic wants to see what my hormones are doing now before deciding if we can pursue fresh cycles again. The Dr seemed to imply that if my FSH is high it would affect the cycle etc and I might not respond..she also mentioned I might not be ovulating every month. I'm a bit confused by this as surely if I'm usually only getting 1-2 eggs a cycle anyway then there's not much to expect to need to respond to, we could even just do a fully natural cycle and collect that one egg? I usually do natural modified IVF with 150 gonal f from day 5.. so surely if we pick a month where there's at least 1 follicle growing, and continue to monitor the oestrogen levels, we'll know when going forward, if there's going to be at least that 1 egg or not..?

I know time will tell but I'm just wondering if anyone else has any experiences they could shares of IVF/pregnancies whilst you were in peri or having peri symptoms etc and how that affected things?

We're moving this thread to our Chat topic for the OP.

Thanks for the move.. hopefully bumping in case there's any one who can give their experience - apologies for all the detailed IVF stuff at the beginning as I was originally posting in Infertility, but hopefully there might be some natural pregnancies here too and can give me hope! 🙏

Noone? :(

I know someone who was in a similar situation and I know she mentioned that most places have a cutoff point for FSH whereby above it the clinic won’t attempt it, could that be what she meant?

thanks, yes that's the kind of thing I think the Dr was suggesting.. still waiting for my (irregular) period so I can't have that blasted test for a while still..

I'm hoping though that someone women may be able to comment on at least having got pregnant in peri menopause naturally, if not via IVF though? Surely can't be that uncommon... 😞

Hi I remember reading your posts lots re egg freezing as I too was going through same process with low AMH 1.54 pmol/L about 3 years ago at 38. My username was something like starlight and you gave me lots of advice when I was really upset re fertility MOT results. I had everyone saying I needed to have a sperm donor and ivf asap.

I have no clue what my amh is now, maybe zero?! But I managed to concieve naturally at 40 and just turned 41 last month and now have a 3 month old boy. Prior to that I had 3 early miscarriages in a row at 6 weeks. I seem to get pregnant really easily just they didn't stick. I had all the recurrent miscarriage tests and was told nothing abnormal and to just carry on.

I can't comment on fsh level as didn't get it tested since the amh reading when I was 38. It was a bit raised from what I remember. The fact you got pregnant naturally is v positive, it really does just take one good egg!

Thanks @Marj84 that's reassuring in some ways