IVF Support, Advice & Friends

Hi Ladies,

I am 32 years old and contemplating IVF with PGD due to a genetic problem that me and my husband have. I have had 3 naturally conceived pregnancies, but my last two ended in second trimester losses. I know that IFV with PGD can be used to screen the embryos, then only place unaffected ones.

We have a 50/50 chance with each naturally conceived pregnancy that the baby will be affected. Theoretically this also means that about 50% of any IVF embryos would also be affected. As well I have read that some embryos do not make it past the biopsy and continue growing to 5 days. So the more eggs retrieved and fertilized the better odds for us.

I have a question....is there any way to tell how many eggs I may produce before any IVF treatment were started?

Thanks, and good luck to everyone.

While there's no way to know for certain, an antral follicle count may be a good place to start... it's done via vaginal ultrasound and it's usually done at the beginning of each IVF cycle along w/routine blood work.... FSH, E2, P4.  AMH ( Anti-Mullerian Hormone) levels can also be tested - another predictor of ovarian reserve - though the results can be misleading.  Antral follicle count seems to be the way to go.  Just keep in mind, that the number of antral follicles at the beginning of a cycle does not always correlate w/the number of eggs retrieved - sometimes more, but often less.  I speak from experience.  But, it is a good initial predictor of ovarian reserve.  I've pasted info on antral follicles below.  HTH.  Good luck!    

Antral follicles are small follicles (about 2-8 mm in diameter) that we can see - and measure and count - with ultrasound. Antral follicles are also referred to as resting follicles.

Vaginal ultrasound is the best way to accurately assess and count these small structures. In my opinion, the antral follicle counts (in conjunction with female age) are by far the best tool that we currently have for estimating ovarian reserve and/or chances for pregnancy with in vitro fertilization.

Presumably, the number of antral follicles visible on ultrasound is indicative of the relative number of microscopic (and sound asleep) primordial follicles remaining in the ovary. Each primordial follicle contains an immature egg that can potentially develop in the future. So when there are only a few antral follicles visible, there are much less eggs remaining as compared to when there are more antral follicles. As women age, they have less eggs (primordial follicles) remaining, therefore they have fewer antral follicles on ultrasound.

Antral follicle counts are a good predictor of the number of mature follicles that we will be able to stimulate in the woman's ovaries when we give injectable FSH medications that are used for in vitro fertilization. The number of eggs retrieved correlates with IVF success rates.

Make a pregnancy ticker

this is such a difficult question to answer.

it's not only the count - it is the quality. it is possible to get a lot of eggs - like more than a dozen - then end up with a lot that are not mature, and even further of those mature have a small percentage fertilize due to poor egg quality.

there are a lot of different protocols out there - your doctor will carefully choose a protocol based on your specific situation. each cycle is unique. and in the real IVF world, it most often takes multiple cycles to conceive, each cycle gives the doctor more information to change the protocol and enhance/improve the results.

however, the fact that your need is genetic PGD testing rather than various infertility issue should help you to get a good number of quality mature eggs and fertilised embies.

best of luck to you and i hope you have beginner luck!

I guess that's a great point too!  It's def quality over quantity.

I have a friend at work I just found out went through IVF.  She's 45.  3rd attempt and she's 10 wks preggo now.  She said she had a really hard time because she had so few active follicles.  She was freaking out. 

They ended up with 6 after ER.  Of those, 3 fertilized and all 3 made it to 5dt. 

I don't know how many she transferred, but I believe she did 2.  I know she has one left that she froze. 

She was a great support when I found out about my cyst.  While my rt ovary has 6 or 7 follicles, I was afraid that my left wouldn't get a chance to play along.  Maybe if my rt can give me ONE GOOD EGG THAT WORKS, that's all I need, right?  LOL

Oddly, my acupuncture doc said he gets concerned if you have more than 14 total follicles.  He believes that they need room to breathe and grow and such.  He really likes between 8 - 10 total.  It's more "balanced" in his mind.