What to expect from IVF for diminished ovarian reserve

Ovarian reserve tests, including AMH, antral follicle count, and other fertility findings, help the team plan medication. A lower reserve may mean fewer follicles respond during a cycle, but a test result alone does not describe the quality of every egg or predict one individual outcome. Your clinician may also discuss age, ovulation, sperm factors, the uterus, and whether more than one treatment approach is reasonable.

The usual pathway includes stimulation injections, ultrasound and blood-test monitoring, egg retrieval, laboratory fertilisation, embryo culture, and transfer or freezing. Sometimes there are no embryos suitable for transfer in a cycle; your team should explain what that would mean and which options remain.

Bring previous AMH results, scan reports, operation details, and a complete medicine list to your consultation. Ask how the proposed dose was chosen and what changes might be made if your ovaries respond less or more than expected. Use reminders for injections, keep monitoring appointments, and plan recovery time after retrieval. Discuss emotional support and whether preserving embryos or eggs fits your goals.

Call the clinic for severe pain, heavy bleeding, fever, persistent vomiting, rapid abdominal swelling, sudden weight change, or breathing difficulty after stimulation or retrieval. Seek urgent help for fainting or severe weakness. Follow the clinic's advice about medication changes rather than adjusting doses yourself.

Ask how your reserve tests affect the plan, what response the team expects to monitor, whether embryo testing is relevant to your situation, and when another cycle or a different option would be considered.