Don’t know what to think? 7 follicles found on first investigation at 38yrs

[Luckyladybird1]

Hey ladies looking for advice from real people not just internet AI results! I had initial investigative ultra sound (still waiting on blood test results) - I had it on CD6 and they found 7 follicles - 6 on my left and 1 on my right which she said was the dominant follicle which would ovulate this month.

We have been ttc for baby #2 for about 8 months, after conceiving first month trying with DD1. I was expecting it to take some time but as I’m 38 I thought why not check and have a fertility MOT - the ultrasound lady said she wasn’t a specialist (we just went to them as a clinic and Hertility will give a report on the results ) but she said then and there “I’m not going to lie, 7 is low’ and then started talking about IVF.

Im still hoping we can conceive naturally but she’s put the fear of god into me that my chances are very very slim. I know follicle count goes down with age but is she saying 7 is low even at 38? I’m not imaging I’m going to have 30 follicles or so like I did when I was 20! But is 7 low even for a 38 year old or is it ‘low’ but as to be expected for a 38 year old… are my chances as they should be at my age or am I f**d?

Can anyone help shed some light on this based on real experience as everything I read on dr google seems to contradict itself or seems vague.

Any positive stories of conceiving naturally at around 8 months of trying at 38/39?

thank you

Given the sonographer isn't a specialist she shouldn't be unhelpfully commenting.

7 is a bit below average for 38 but not to the point where you're in a terrible situation. Did you also find out your AMH and FSH?

A few other points:

• AFC can slightly fluctuate each month and sometimes increases with IVF stimulation
• AFC is not relevant for natural conception. If you are ovulating then you have a chance every month.
• Egg quality is more important than either AFC or AMH. Someone can have 20 useless eggs or 2 eggs that both become euploid blastocysts. You can only find out which side of things you fall by going through a cycle but it's in your favour that you have already had a child.
• Get your partner on antioxidant supplements if he isn't already
• The majority of people can still conceive at 38/39. It can just take slightly longer to get there.

This is so helpful and reassuring in a realistic sense thank you. I will wait for blood results to come back and report back. And thanks for the recommendation on antioxidant supplements for my partner - what do they do exactly? Any brand recommendations? Thank you so much.

@Luckyladybird1 just something like Wellman Conception from Boots etc is perfectly fine (often on a 3 for 2). Antioxidants help to ward off DNA damage and will get the sperm into good shape if there are any borderline issues. Regular ejaculation also helps with this.

@sirensong ah yes we have both been taking Conception supplements- Zita West is what we are taking at the moment. We are both really healthy, exercise, eat unprocessed loads of veggies, hardly drink. DH does use the sauna a lot which he’s just stopped doing. Do you know much about Ubiquinol? I’ve read it can be helpful for situations like mine.
I’ve also been taking vitamin B6 to extend my literal phase from 25/26 days to 27/28 days which is good?

You will probably already be getting everything you need from your balanced diet but you could add Ubiquinol or CoQ10 if you want to feel like you're doing everything. It's touted on forums as some kind of miracle supplement but in reality it's not going to drastically move the dial. I take CoQ10 from Holland and Barrett.

Do not take things like DHEA or myoinositol unless specifically recommended by a doctor after you've had a full hormone panel. They can do more harm than good for those that don't need them.

Anyone else? Any other experiences fo share?

thanks so much @sirensong for your wise words x