Do you wish you had been told about ovarian reserve testing in your 20s/early 30s?

[Anonymous]

I wish more women did it so they would know that not all fertility issues are age related instead of assuming that they could've had all the babies in the world if they just started earlier.

[Anonymous]

I think the things people regret depend on their situation. I am 40+ and have fine reserve numbers (AMH 2.4, FSH 7). I have been trying actively for 3 years since 38. During that time my reserve has maintained its good standing but i have not had success.

Here are the things I regret: wasting $10k on 3 iuis at age 38 that didnt work (including unmonitored, non-trigger IUI where they relied on a self-administered opk test to determine when I was ovulating). I regret wasting time with practices that managed toward ESET with PGS testing rather than putting back more than one good quality blast. I regret discarding embryos that tested mosaic bc PGS testing was presented as definitive. And finally I regret not finding this community until id been trying for more than a year. I would have learned far sooner to question everything, speak-up and to be my own self-advocate.

[Anonymous]

Yes I wish my OB had mentioned this, was diagnosed DOR at 30 when I thought I had more time. About to start my second IVF cycle and I should have looked into my options more, or been offered some baseline testing so that I could have prepared better and started earlier or froze my eggs.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had been diagnosed earlier with my issue. PCOS is not as tough to address as DOR but IVF is REALLY expensive without insurance (dual Fed family), so I would have wanted to plan financially for ART.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HOLD THE PRESSES! You mean fertility decreases with age? Why isn’t anyone talking about this?!

Wait, they are and always have been. Either you listen and do something about it or choose to live on planet “hope for the best.”

For many of us, DOR or early menopause happens way before the expected age, without any outward signs that anything could be wrong.

[Anonymous]

I hate this thread. Not bashing OP but part of the pain of infertility for me at least has been the series of regrets and what ifs. I hate the fact that I’m 42 and every day that goes by the regrets feel more and more poignant. I frankly try not to think about it. I knew about decline in fertility with age but waited anyway for the right partner...

[Anonymous]

Yes. Me. I think I at least would have frozen eggs. I got married at 34 and was dx’d after 6 months with DOR and a blocked left tube. .4 Amh. I don’t think if I had my AMH tested at 30 I would have had the resources to be a single mom but I for sure would have frozen my eggs. Luckily we got DD after 3 IVFs at 36 but am now a week from 39 and have had 3 failed FETS in a row and think we’re probably done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the things people regret depend on their situation. I am 40+ and have fine reserve numbers (AMH 2.4, FSH 7). I have been trying actively for 3 years since 38. During that time my reserve has maintained its good standing but i have not had success.

Here are the things I regret: wasting $10k on 3 iuis at age 38 that didnt work (including unmonitored, non-trigger IUI where they relied on a self-administered opk test to determine when I was ovulating). I regret wasting time with practices that managed toward ESET with PGS testing rather than putting back more than one good quality blast. I regret discarding embryos that tested mosaic bc PGS testing was presented as definitive. And finally I regret not finding this community until id been trying for more than a year. I would have learned far sooner to question everything, speak-up and to be my own self-advocate.

don't beat yourself over this. i did 3 ivfs on highest doses at 39-40 and they all failed. i did a few unmonitored unmedicated IUIs at 44 and one of them worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend had a great AMH in her mid-30's. She took her time with trying to have a child, and now has run out of options. In her case it was false reassurance.

this!!
people put way too much weight on these tests. there are plenty of false negative and positives.... for better or worse only trying to have a child will give you definitive answer re: your and your partner's fertility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate this thread. Not bashing OP but part of the pain of infertility for me at least has been the series of regrets and what ifs. I hate the fact that I’m 42 and every day that goes by the regrets feel more and more poignant. I frankly try not to think about it. I knew about decline in fertility with age but waited anyway for the right partner...

I think that's part of the point- you could've been infertile at 30. Stop beating yourself up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the things people regret depend on their situation. I am 40+ and have fine reserve numbers (AMH 2.4, FSH 7). I have been trying actively for 3 years since 38. During that time my reserve has maintained its good standing but i have not had success.

Here are the things I regret: wasting $10k on 3 iuis at age 38 that didnt work (including unmonitored, non-trigger IUI where they relied on a self-administered opk test to determine when I was ovulating). I regret wasting time with practices that managed toward ESET with PGS testing rather than putting back more than one good quality blast. I regret discarding embryos that tested mosaic bc PGS testing was presented as definitive. And finally I regret not finding this community until id been trying for more than a year. I would have learned far sooner to question everything, speak-up and to be my own self-advocate.

All of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HOLD THE PRESSES! You mean fertility decreases with age? Why isn’t anyone talking about this?!

Wait, they are and always have been. Either you listen and do something about it or choose to live on planet “hope for the best.”

For many of us, DOR or early menopause happens way before the expected age, without any outward signs that anything could be wrong.

This, for me. I wish I'd known at 32 that I was rapidly approaching menopause, with one retired ovary and 2 follicles on the other. I was caught totally by surprise.

[Anonymous]

No, testing my ovarian reserve would have given me a false sense of security. My ovarian reserve was great, even at 36/ 37, when I had it tested! But it turns out I have a balanced translocation, so most of my eggs are chromosomally messed up, and always have been, even when I was young. I am so thankful that I didn't freeze my eggs, because it would really, really suck to freeze a bunch of eggs, and then find out years later that most of them are chromosomally defective.