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Terrified at 43 with very low egg reserve

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 12:02 am
by BellaIQ
Doc,

A year ago in March 2016 my AMH was 1.52, quite alright for my age bracket. But in January 2017 after few stressful months in which I tried to conceive and ran my boyfriend away, my AMH was 0.446. Living in a Muslim country where IVF is illegal unless you're married meant to me that I had to return to the USA to do something about it: freeze my eggs. So, I retested in March 2017 and the AMH was even lower: 0.113. As I type this on Apr 10 I'm in the stimulation cycle for egg retrieval.

My questions have to do with survivability of vitrified (not slow freezing) eggs versus vitrified embryos. I understand that my age places a huge toll on my reproductive system and odds to have a child. But I tried by natural insemination and though my boyfriend's spermogram was normal, I never made it to "you're pregnant" moment. Twice I had signs of early pregnancy (Candida Alba, breast tenderness, pain during the implantation phase) but I believe that using the electronic scale is the culprit in miscarriages. However, I'm not giving up yet.

So, assuming that the quality of the retrieved eggs is good for conception - since I was an athlete and had a healthy lifestyle and a "beautiful uterus" according to three doctors on three continents - why would I have to scramble for a cryobank when I would like to just vitrify the eggs and wait for the FDA requirement of quarantine to lapse in order for a known donor of my choice, a real person with whom I still have emotional bonds, have his sperm ready in six months? By then I might rearrange my finances for the IVF.

I went to another fertility doctor to ask for a second opinion. He told me that the ratio of eggs to have a child is 6:1; that is, I need at least six eggs in order to have one child.

I'm terrified about the vitrification and thawing process even with this amazing technology of our days, but somehow, I hope that maybe in the next few months I could actually have the whole story and use the specimen from the man who would like to walk with me this path of parenthood :) However, hoping and doing nothing about it has certainly the opposite expected result of motherhood.
I also understand that the body might produce eggs in the future which is not detected by the AMH test. Is that correct and what does it mean?

My apologies for the length of my question.

Re: Terrified at 43 with very low egg reserve

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:20 am
by Dr. Wisot
If someone walked into my office with this story and the emphasis you put on the social aspects I would be recommending that you freeze the eggs by vitrification depending on the quality and experience of the lab. You need to ask the lab you are using what their experience is: eggs vs. embryos and if they are roughly equivalent go with the eggs.

But from the social aspects I think you will be much happier taking your shot with the person you want.

Also, your eggs will never be better so you may want to consider another collection cycle now and then meet Mr. Right. 8-)

Arthur L. Wisot, M. D.
Reproductive Partners Medical Group, Inc.
Redondo Beach, California