@gajake15 Just wanted to comment, I’ve been reading so much research on this as I found out at 25 my amh was 7.7 pmol. (Tested later same month at a different lab and was 12, so don’t know which is correct.) So incredibly low for my age and I’ve been worried ever since, ugh. I will be testing again when it’s been 6 months, I’m 26 in a few weeks.
9-13 is low (statistically these numbers are extremely similar btw, so the fluctuation is not crazy), but for age 36 this is not too far away from average and well within normal range from all the stats I’ve seen. Is very important to remember that Amh fluctuates, my two tests which were quite different in the same month attest to this. What matters is what range you’re in, and 9 or 13 is low either way - though I wholeheartedly understand you freaking out over this “decline” or fluctuation.
Why are you referred to an IVF specialist? Or are you referred to a reproductive endocrinologist? Have you been TTC for six months or more? (Assuming not but this is really the only case in my country where they would refer you to IVF if you haven’t yet tried to conceive)
Amh is disputed, most research has found no link to lower pregnancy rates in women with low Amh meaning if you ovulate regularly you should have the same chances as anyone. Some studies have shown that ETTP (effective time to pregnancy) is longer among women with low amh (13.1 months vs 6.9 months for women with normal Amh). Also miscarriage rates are shown to be higher in some studies, which sucks.
Most notably though is the issue with IVF: we will likely respond worse and get fewer eggs and therefore need more rounds of IVF and need to prepare ourselves for this. However quality of those (potentially fewer) eggs retrieved is always linked more closely with age. Unless you have endo or other issues, there’s no reason your 36 year old eggs should be bad quality (though from 35-37 onwards there is a gradual decline, of course).
If you could do it financially it would be a great time to freeze some embryos with your partner, or freeze eggs if single. A woman’s eggs will never be better than right now, as they say, and depending on how many children you’d like, this is a great insurance if you can’t/won’t TTC very soon.
Lastly, you need to know your antral follicle count (AFC) and your FSH, LH, TSH, and estradiol to get a fuller picture of your fertility. My AFC is also low for my age (12), but not terrible in general, and my FSH is higher than it should be at my age. All this - AMH, AFC, and FSH - point to a diminished ovarian reserve for me, called DOR. I will likely run out of eggs sooner and therefore have reduced fertility, but I may not have any issues if I try within a reasonable time frame. The doctor at the fertility clinic advised against freezing eggs if I wanted to get pregnant in a few years anyway so I’m trying not to worry. I- and you- can’t know anything before we try to get pregnant which is so incredibly frustrating. My partner and I aren’t really ready so I don’t feel I can’t start just because I’ve gotten these results, when I’m quite young and do ovulate and therefore everything could be “fine.”
Sorry for rambling, I just wanted to share some info as it’s so overwhelming and terrifying to get these news. Know that it’s extremely likely everything will work out fine! But do have a talk with an RE if you can to discuss if you should/could freeze embryos if you don’t want to try right away. There are many fb groups if you want more information (search low amh sisterhood.)
ALSO- it’s a good idea to start supplementing for hormonal balance and egg quality. You could take omega 3, vitamin C,D,E, a good prenatal which has a lot of what you need, and ubiquinol (200-400mg every day). If you join the fb groups you can research a lot of supplements if you’re interested in that.
Best of luck to you and hope you don’t get too caught up in these numbers. I was feeling some of the same emotions, but now a few months later and a ton of research later I feel better.
