AFC - antral follicle count - Help! Does anyone know anything reassuring about this?

[MrsGAT]

I've just come back from a horrible fertility scan (well the scan wasn't horrible, just the woman doing it!), prior to our first IVF meeting, where I've been told my total follicle count is 6, which is apparently, according to horrible woman, "low but not unexpected, considering your age"( said very unsympathetically) - I'm 40. Last month, long story short, we had a scan somewhere else where I was told it was 11 ie much better. Anyone know how this can change so much? I'd be so grateful if anyone can shed any light. Just feeling really sad and negative heading towards our first try at IVF now......
x

When was the first scan and the second scan-which cycle days?

Sorry you had such a horrible woman it's stressful enough as it is!! X

Exactly! Thank you. The first scan I had last month was on Day 1 of my cycle. The one I had today was Day 14.
Do you know, can the number change due to the day of cycle? Hope so! But in which case, which number do they go with to determine your dosage for IVF protocol?
x

Maybe when you had your first scan there were 11 of an average size but 14 days later you have 6 that can be retrieved for ivf treatment! That would be my guess! Have they booked you in for egg retrieval?

If your ever unsure call the clinic and ask them for more info, it's really not any good for you to be worrying about it, that's no fair! Good luck xxx

MrsGAT, that's perfectly normal and nothing to stress about at all - honestly! AFC's are always done on day 1-3 of your cycle. During a natural cycle, the strongest few keep growing and the others slowly shrivel away until ovulation when your body has selected the strongest one to ovulate. So of course you will have less at day 14 than at day 1!!!!

I personally have a low AFC even at the start of my cycle ranging from 5-8. I took Aspirin before my 4th IVF attempt in December 2013 and started with a day two AFC of 15! I stopped Aspirin for a few weeks and had a day 2 scan in March and my AFC was only 5. I am now in the middle of an IVF cycle and took Aspirin in the lead up again. It worked again - this time I started with 13.

Although you don't sound like you need Aspirin because your day 1 count is already 11. Aspirin can have negative side effects too so I wouldn't take it if you don't need to. But if you are interested, he is a link to the study I read that made me decide to try:

www.fertilethoughts.com/forums/i-wish-someone-had-told-me/382990-aspirin-may-boost-numbers-eggs-retrieved.html

You need to take Aspirin for two cycles prior to IVF, because your body is preparing to recruit your eggs a couple of cycles in advance.

Hope this gives you some reassurance and you can forget about that unsympathetic cow. When are you planning on starting IVF? Have a great day beautiful.

Hi there, I've had afc done a few times now and never on a specific day (clinic said it can be done at any point in cycle - I'm not sure why but I've never thought about it). Anyway I'm same age as you and have had afc ranging from 12 to 17 last time but my fsh is bad, 11.6 or something like that. I've just had 2nd cycle of icsi and got 6 eggs and was on full dose. I don't honestly know how the afc thing works because when I was told 17 I thought how brilliant but then only got 6 eggs, 3 of which were mature and only 2 fertilised (and ended up negative).
You'll likely be on full dose of meds like me. Unless your fsh is good. The thing with these results is it's a combination of things not just one on its own. I think 6 is probably fine and the clinic will no doubt tell you whether it's worth going ahead with ivf or not. It's hard, and these clinics have a knack of making you feel completely shit about your age. I hear it all the time from mine 'well at your age no point having embryoscope' 'at your age you'll be lucky to get any fertilise'

Mines always up and down between 4 and 8 (im 30) only 4 ever responded to stimms though, if you have a cyst it can often hide some too x

Thank you so so much! You've really put my mind at ease. As this is our first attempt, I just feel really nervous of everything and it just seems to be made a million times worse by anyone you come across who is so negative and unhelpful (of which there have been a few!) so thank you for your kind words.

Thank you Shellster52 for your aspirin info - really interesting reading. I might well mention it at our first protocol meeting next week. I think we are going to start this month (June) - we've sort of agreed to get everything in place and then decide, mainly as I'm so nervous of the whole thing. We're going to go for the mild IVF at Create and see how we go. Fingers crossed!

Thank you so much again for your kind words. Anything else tips-wise, you wanted to add - I'd be really grateful!
lots of love
xxxx

I'm an Aussie so I'm not familiar with Create or what their 'mild IVF' involves. I think once you have a history of IVF failures (like me!), you just want to get as many eggs as possible since you are doing the same amount of injections anyway to increase the odds that one will be chromosomally normal and be my baby.

Have you been given any infertility diagnosis?