Need advice on AMH level 7.9pmol at 33 - should I start IVF

[Charlotte124]

Hi everyone,

I just wondered if anyone had any advice on what I should do in my current situation? I've been trying to conceive for 6 months, we found out early on my husband had low motility and morphology, but after taking many vitamins, both motility and morphology are now in the normal range.

I paid for a private fertility mot for myself as I'm a worrier, my hormones look normal, I'm ovulating, but my transvaginal scan showed 7 follicles on one side and 4 on the other - 11 in total. My AMH came back at 7.9pmol or 1.1ng/ml and after speaking with the specialist, they think I have diminished ovarian reserve and suggest I start IVF now.

I've read a lot and different doctors say different things, because of my age I'm scared to wait any longer for my DOR to decrease further, but then it's also possible I could get pregnant naturally, and given my husbands sperm is now normal, should I give it more time naturally?

Everything else is normal with my cycle, apart from I start spotting from 10DPO which I worry about a lot too.

If I'm honest, ttc has really affected my mental health. I never knew it would be this difficult or would have such a negative impact on my life.

Thanks for any advice provided, I'm just really unsure as to what to do x

Hello Charlotte,

just wondering how you got on? We’ve just done an ivf cycle my AMH is slightly higher than yours at 9 but 9 follicles. Partners morphology is 1% but I was told I didn’t have time

Hi @Apple101101 so I kept trying and fell pregnant naturally in September this year. I'm now 3 months pregnant. It took me 15 months to conceive. I had a number of tests, all were OK apart from lower AMH and my iron was low. I took iron supplements and I also went for fertility acupuncture which I believed helped a lot, it can increase follicle count and quality of the eggs, it also helped reduce my premenstrual spotting. I feel perhaps my lower amh meant it took me longer to conceive, but didn't stop me conceiving. I think ivf clinics use scare tactics when it comes to AMH. AMH will tell you nothing about your chance for conception, it's not a fertility indicator, so keep that in mind. There are other factors that can lower AMH too that you could investigate such as low iron, digestive issues, inflammation. There are articles online about ivf clinics scaring women into ivf with low amh wrongly. Just be wary. I know a lot of women say this, but I honestly never thought it would happen to me, I still wake up and can't believe it. You will get there. Wishing you all the best x

Thank you so much for sharing. Fantastic news you’re pregnant! Big congratulations! There’s still hope for me yet

I have low AMH (it was 5 when I was 25/26 years old) and we've been TTC for maybe 9/10 cycles. I'm now nearly 29. This definitely gives me hope. Congratulations x

@Apple101101 There is absolutely hope! I came across an insightful article in The Guardian explaining how AMH tests are not reliable indicators of fertility. Unfortunately, some IVF clinics use these results to pressure people, and that’s exactly what happened to me. I was told I needed IVF immediately, which left me feeling deeply depressed and uncertain about what to do next.
Another fantastic resource is Alex’s website. She does an incredible job of breaking down what AMH levels really mean. Her site is full of helpful articles, and her Instagram is a great place for additional tips and support. I hope you find this information helpful! I've been where you are now and I know how hard it is. You will get there, remember 99.99% of women will conceive in the end.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/29/widely-advertised-hormone-test-unreliable-as-fertility-prediction-tool-researchers-say

https://www.essexfertility.co.uk/

@Nessie2395 There is always hope. Remember AMH isn't an indicator of fertility, you are still very young so please don't worry. If you are ovulating you have as much chance as someone with high AMH. I came across an insightful article in The Guardian explaining how AMH tests are not reliable indicators of fertility. Another fantastic resource is Alex’s website. She does an incredible job of breaking down what AMH levels really mean. Her site is full of helpful articles, and her Instagram is a great place for additional tips and support. I hope you find this information helpful! I've been where you are now and I know how hard it is. You will get there, remember 99.99% of women will conceive in the end.

https://www.essexfertility.co.uk/blog

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/29/widely-advertised-hormone-test-unreliable-as-fertility-prediction-tool-researchers-say