My trilogy of infertility – low AMH, high FSH, and over 40 began in early May of 2014. My husband and I were having difficulty conceiving our 2nd child. I was 41 years old and recently diagnosed with high FSH / early perimenopause. Shortly after that diagnosis from my GP, I had my telephone consultation with Dr. Ryan Funk, who suggested that I have an AMH (Anti-Mullarian Hormone) test done, which is an indicator of ovarian reserve. I did, and my results were not what I expected…less than 0.1 – I had what I call the ‘trilogy of infertility’ – over 40, high FSH, and super low AMH. On paper, my numbers looked terrible. My husband and I were told by a fertility specialist that because I was over 40, had high FSH and ‘virtually undetectable levels of AMH’, IVF was not an option for us; donor eggs would be our ONLY option. She told me “your reproductive years are over”. I will never forget that. She said there was a less than 5% chance that I could get pregnant naturally, and if I did, because I was over 40, it would likely be an abnormal egg that got fertilized, leading to a ‘virtually 100% chance of miscarriage’. My initial reaction was, ‘I’m only 41, how can this be happening to me?’ I was just starting my family. Both my husband and I were left feeling devastated and deflated. We were discouraged and felt abandoned by western medicine.
I began seeing Dr. Ryan Funk, who gave me a treatment plan that consisted of weekly acupuncture treatments, Chinese herbs, supplements, and dietary changes, such as lots of cooked veggies, and limiting caffeine, sugar, gluten, and dairy. He also included 30 minutes per day of moderate exercise in his treatment plan, which is as simple as walking or riding a bike. I also did yoga a few times per week.
I dove head first into his plan. I really wanted to conceive a sibling for my daughter. An easy way for me to up my fruit/veg intake was to have daily smoothies. I tried to include cooked veg with every meal and snack, switched to almond milk, and chose to completely cut out coffee and added sugar. I walked during my lunch hour and rode my stationary bike at home after work. It wasn’t even that hard to make the changes, I just kept focussing on what it could help achieve – pregnancy.
I am now happy to say that I am pregnant – and it happened naturally! We’ve received the results from my NIPT test (Non Invasive Pregnancy Test) – and the genetic test results revealed that everything is normal! My husband and I are thrilled! I have to admit that I was shocked at how fast I conceived after starting with Acubalance. In total, it was just over a month from the time I started treatment to the time we conceived.
I am happy to share our success story with everyone who is struggling with infertility now. After seeing the fertility specialist, who by all means is an ‘expert’ in her field, and receiving such bad news from her, I felt like the world had dropped out from beneath me. But even ‘experts’ can be wrong – I am proof of that! Maybe it happened quickly for me, and maybe it will take longer for others, but I honestly feel that had I not gone to Acubalance and changed my lifestyle, in addition to the acupuncture and Chinese herbs, I feel as though I may still be fighting that very same infertility battle. I am eternally grateful to Acubalance and Dr. Ryan Funk for helping us complete our family! And to all of you ladies out there who feel discouraged and deflated – I was a worst-case scenario and I was able to conceive. Don’t give up hope just because western medicine tells you it can’t happen because it can!