Important Facts You Should Know About Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Important Facts You Should Know About Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Did you know that as a woman, you are born with all the eggs your body can ever produce?  Your egg supply will decrease with an increase in age, which means that waiting too long may increase your chances of having a hard time getting pregnant.  When your egg supply runs low such that you find it hard to conceive, your doctor may call it Diminished Ovarian Reserve Mountain View.  Just because you have this condition does not mean you can never get pregnant.  Read the discussion below to understand diminished ovarian reserve.

What Can Cause Diminished Ovarian Reserve?

While aging may be the biggest cause of your diminished ovarian reserve, it may be possible to have the condition without a known cause.  Sometimes, you may have genetic disorders affecting your X chromosome, autoimmune conditions, and loss of ovaries.  You may also go through treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, which cause you to have a diminished ovarian reserve.  Lifestyle factors such as tobacco smoking may also interfere with your egg reserve.

Will You Show Any Symptoms?

You may fail to show any symptoms to indicate that you have a diminished ovarian reserve.  However, you can fail to get pregnant after trying regular unprotected sexual intercourse for several months or years.  You may also notice your periods getting shorter every time. 

Are There Treatments For Diminished Ovarian Reserve?

Your doctor cannot reverse your condition so that you can produce eggs.  But if they suspect you have a low egg reserve, you can receive a treatment plan to help you achieve a pregnancy.  Your doctor can recommend freezing your eggs so you can use them later or having IVF with donor eggs.

Can You Freeze Your Eggs?

You can preserve your fertility by preserving your eggs, especially if your doctor says you have an increased risk of diminished ovarian reserve.  During egg freezing, your doctor will inject you with hormones that stimulate your ovaries to make more eggs.  The mature eggs will then go into freezing so that you can use them later during treatment with IVF.  You can also ask your doctor to fertilize your mature eggs with sperm before freezing so you will have a transfer into your womb to conceive.  You can use your partner’s sperm or donor sperm.  Furthermore, you can ask your partner to fertilize an egg from another donor and then have your doctor transfer the embryo to your uterus.

Will IVF Be Successful with Diminished Ovarian Reserve?

Your success rates may vary depending on what causes your low ovarian reserve, the number of eggs, and your body’s response to fertility medications.  Therefore, you will require a lengthy discussion with your doctor to determine your success rates.

A low ovarian reserve does not mean you are infertile and can no longer achieve a pregnancy.  Instead, it means you will have difficulty doing so and may require fertility treatment.  You do not need to feel discouraged because you can work alongside your doctor with a treatment plan to achieve a pregnancy with what remains.  A diminished ovarian reserve may not only come because of an increase in age, but it could also come earlier than usual, which is why you will require your doctor’s evaluation.