The answer to the first question we receive when a patient is diagnosed with a diminished ovarian reserve is NO: we cannot improve a female’s ovarian reserve.
But that does not mean that you cannot get pregnant. It is true that the likelihood of pregnancy is higher for females with a normal or high ovarian reserve, while a diminished ovarian reserve makes conception more difficult and may mean you will need help from assisted reproduction treatment in order to conceive.
At URE Centro Gutenberg we bring over 35 years of experience to the table, and there have been many cases of patients with a diminished ovarian reserve who now have a baby at home. Feel free to read this Real Story submitted by a patient if you would like to hear about someone who was able to conceive after being diagnosed with a low ovarian reserve, and so that you don’t become discouraged if you have received the same diagnosis.
What is ovarian reserve?
Ovarian reserve refers to the number of eggs present in a female’s ovaries at a specific point in time, i.e., the moment when this value is evaluated or studied.
A female is born with a set number of eggs which will diminish over the course of her lifetime – this is inevitable. However, in addition to a decline in number, the eggs will also experience a decrease in quality. This in turn results in a decline in fertility, meaning a higher likelihood of miscarriage or chromosome abnormalities in the embryos.
What does having a diminished ovarian reserve mean?
As we mentioned above, ovarian reserve is one of the parameters we need to take into consideration when evaluating a female’s reproductive health. After age, ovarian reserve is one of the most important factors when it comes to predicting outcomes.
A diminished ovarian reserve is related to lower pregnancy rates both in terms of natural conception and through assisted reproduction. And if the patient with the diminished ovarian reserve is over the age of 38, her odds of getting pregnant will be even lower.
It is also important for you to know that having a high ovarian reserve is not a guarantee that a female will get pregnant, as there may be other issues in the equation that can impact her ability to conceive.
What are the causes of a diminished ovarian reserve?
A woman’s age is the factor which most greatly impacts her ovarian reserve, but there are also other factors that can have a negative effect on female fertility such as medical or surgical treatments, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, stress, obesity, environmental contamination, lifestyle habits, etc.
Can a diminished ovarian reserve be improved?
As we mentioned above, we are not able to improve our ovarian reserve; however, we can help the ovaries, as an organ, to function much better and to offer better ovulatory cycles.
We can achieve this by implementing healthy lifestyle habits and avoiding bad habits which can negatively affect our fertility.
The foods we eat are also a key part of this process seeing as a healthy, balanced diet favors our general health, boosts are defenses, etc.
Taking vitamins and supplements that have an antioxidant effect can also help to improve the functioning of our ovaries.
Stress is another detrimental factor that can negatively contribute to a female’s menstrual cycle by impacting her ovulation and, in turn, her fertility.
For all of the reasons listed above, the team at URE Centro Gutenberg is constantly encouraging our patients to make improvements to their lifestyle -to the extent possible-, by implementing good habits, getting exercise, trying to reduce stress levels, etc. These factors are all imperative when it comes to trying to conceive.
What treatment options exist for someone with a diminished ovarian reserve?
The most effective treatment for women with a diminished ovarian reserve who have not been able to conceive naturally after trying for a reasonable amount of time is assisted reproduction treatment, such as In Vitro Fertilization using a personalized stimulation protocol like a mini-stimulation, Duostim, etc.
In cases of patients with a severely diminished ovarian reserve, an alternative option is In Vitro Fertilization with donor eggs, or egg donation.
Nowadays, thanks to egg vitrification, we can “freeze” the passing of time in the ovaries and keep a female’s eggs preventatively stored if she is uncertain about when she will want to conceive, or knows that she wishes to delay motherhood.
We hope we have helped you to better understand what it means to have a diminished ovarian reserve now, as it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get pregnant. Do you still have questions? Don’t be shy and send them to us! We’ll be happy to answer them for you!
