Hi all, I hope this is useful for those who've had disheartening fertility test results. I'd read that they're not necessarily a true indication of pregnancy chances - and then discovered this for myself, to my huge surprise.
Despite AMH of 0.9, AFC of 5 and FSH of 15.9 - which are statistically poor - I conceived naturally after about 9 months of trying (on and off). It turned out to be twins, who were born healthy a few weeks ago.
I did the tests because we were trying for our second child, as we'd decided we wanted a sibling for our first. I was almost 39 - so I wanted to check that things were ok. I was healthy and normal otherwise, so it was a shock to get those specific results... and while I saw shiny success stories online, I didn't really believe them (or assumed my situation would be different). I did find it helpful to read experiences on these forums, however. It was a tough couple of months, assuming I had secondary infertility.
A fertility doctor I spoke to (at Create) said that there was actually nothing to stop me conceiving naturally - and he wished I wasn't so hung up on the numbers! He said stress was often the biggest problem... and he was right, as it turned out. I'd found 2020 a stressful year for various reasons, then got further stressed by the tests. I felt better after speaking with him and regained some confidence in my body.
We'd weighed up whether we'd do IVF (I started quite a few threads on here) and had pretty much decided it wouldn't be for us. We weren't eligible for NHS treatment because of our first child, but they were going to check my tubes were clear.
I had to show a negative pregnancy test to undergo that procedure... but to my shock, it was positive. I didn't really believe it for the first few weeks.
I'd had a bit of fertility counselling and also some Chinese treatments - acupuncture, reflexology, massage, herbal teas. I'll never know if it made a difference... but it definitely improved my general wellbeing, which may have been a factor (the stress thing again). I didn't make any massive lifestyle changes.
So, that's it really - I just wanted to share, as I spent a LOT of time posting and reading on these forums and was always watching out for stories like this. It's important to know that clinical numbers don't necessarily determine the outcome.
If you want to ask any questions, please do. xxx