One of the most common questions that I receive is "I have a low egg count... can I still
get pregnant?"
Or, "I've just found out that my AMH levels are only ... whatever, I'm desperate to have a baby...
can I still get pregnant?".
So, if this is you asking these questions, I've made this video for you...
Stay tuned and I'll answer your question and explain exactly what you need to do....
Hello!
If this is our first time connecting, welcome!
My name is Melanie McGrice and I'm a fertility and prenatal dietitian.
I help couples boost their fertility and give their baby's the best start possible with
the power of good nutrition.
Make sure you subscribe to my channel and social media so that you can access all of
my content.
You can find all my social media handles in the description underneath this video.
Having worked with thousands of women who have had problems conceiving, plus going through
my own personal fertility rollercoaster, I get that it can be really stressful when it
dawns on you that you may not be able to have kids.
Most women spend years trying not to get pregnant, then all of a sudden, you discover that you
may have actually missed your chance and it's gut-wrenching!
Firstly, it's important to note that chronological age doesn't always equate to biological age.
Yes, statistically the older we are, the more the odds are stacked against us, but our health
also plays an incredibly important role on our changes of conceiving.
Next, I want to clearly explain that there is a difference between low AMH levels and
a low egg count.
Let's start by looking at your AMH levels first.
AMH is an acronym that stands for Anti-Mullerian Hormone.
AMH is a hormone made by the small follicles in your ovary which have not yet begun to
develop into mature eggs.
If you go to see a doctor worried about your fertility, it is one of the first tests that
they will undertake to get a sense of your egg count, also known as your ovarian reserve.
Have you ever walked into a shop and seen a dress or pair of shoes that you loved, only
to discover that your size wasn't available on the rack?
Hopefully, you ask the attendant if they may have any more stock hidden away... the attendant
disappears for 5-10 minutes as you stand there feeling anxious, then reappears stating that
yes, they had one more left in your size out the back.
Sometimes, they come back only to announce that that's it, what's on the rack is all
they have, so you have to choose to squeeze into something that doesn't really fit properly,
or give up and walk away....
Certainly, if you're your size isn't available on the rack, it's usually a good indication
that they are running low on stock of this item and if you really want it, you should
purchase today, but it doesn't mean that they don't have any.
Well, this is how I like to think of AMH.
AMH is a good indication that your stocks of viable eggs aren't plentiful and you should
definitely be taking your fertility seriously.. if you want to have a baby, you need to start
taking action now instead of putting it off for a few years while you advance your career
or travel for a while... BUT low a AMH alone is not enough to diagnose low ovarian reserve.
It's only one factor.
Other indicators of low ovarian reserve may include having an ultrasound to undertake
a follicle count and testing your FSH levels (which stands for Follicle Stimulating Hormone).
So, what happens if these factors all come back low too, and you are diagnosed with a
'low ovarian reserve"?
Then, it comes down to a discussion between you and your Fertility Specialist.
You need to think about how far you willing to go to have a baby.
Some couples with a low ovarian reserve need to go through multiple interventions and multiple
cycles of egg collections to collect the eggs that they require for IVF.
Some women, even with a low egg count, get pregnant in their first cycle of IVF.
I've also known of women with a low egg count who decide not to opt for fertility treatments,
then surprisingly, conceive naturally.
Sure, it's not the norm and if you really want a baby, I wouldn't recommend relying
on it, but it has happened!
Everyone's path is different.
Overall, the key things to remember are that: number 1) it only takes one egg to have a
baby - so although egg count is an important factor, it's not the only factor that determines
whether or not you can have a baby, then secondly, if you do have a low egg count, the quality
of those eggs becomes even more important, so optimising your nutrition is essential.
So, I'd highly recommend downloading my free fertility meal plan to help get your started.
Just go to www.melaniemcgrice.com/fertility.
And, make sure you check out some of my other videos on topics such as optimising implantation
and reducing the risk of miscarriage to optimise your chances of conceiving.
I look forward to seeing you in my next video!