How does a woman know if she has Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Dr. D says that if a woman who is less than 35 years old has regular menstrual cycles, she has no reason to be concerned about her ovarian reserve since it is more than likely adequate. However, around age 35 a woman’s level of concern about diminished ovarian reserve should certainly increase. Even though menstrual cycles remain normal, ovarian reserve is reaching its limits in these women. Several tests exist that will hint at how many and/or the quality of the eggs remaining. … Finally, an ultrasound can be performed to check the ‘antral follicle count’. This is a snapshot in time of the follicles that are next in the cue to grow and mature, but also hints at how many eggs remain.
What if I do have Diminished Ovarian Reserve
You are already on your way to the most important step which is gaining an awareness that time is of the essence. If you are in a life position to have children, do it while you can!If you are 35 or over and have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for 6 months or greater, it is prudent to allow for an infertility specialist to perform a thorough infertility work-up.An infertility specialist can also help you stimulate multiple eggs each cycle, which will act to increase your overall chances to conceive each cycle.IVF (in vitro fertilization) may be recommended to you in certain situations. This will give you the highest chances for pregnancy in the shortest amount of time and can also allow you to freeze embryos for future use while you still have eggs left.Your infertility specialist may recommend antioxidants and/or other supplements that have been shown to be possibly beneficial in certain patients with DOR.Tomorrow we will be wrapping up this discussion. You’ll learn if anything can be done to slow or prevent the aging process of your eggs. We will also address the concern that some women have who are not ready to have children quite yet but may want them in the future.