Over 40, Low AMH, Failed IVF

I’m over 40, low AMH, failed IVF and I have just given birth to a healthy baby boy.  He is the most beautiful baby boy I have ever laid eyes on; ok, so I may be biased, but I’m sure if you saw him you’d agree he’s pretty cute!

My husband and I had been trying to have a baby for the past three years.  At the age of 39 I knew getting pregnant wouldn’t be easy, but naively I didn’t think we’d have to face the challenges we did.  After a year and a half of trying my family doctor suggested we make an appointment with a fertility clinic to ensure all my plumbing was up to code. One week prior to my appointment (6 months after my 40th birthday) I took a pregnancy test and it was positive!  We were so excited!  The thought of visiting a fertility clinic and undergoing a gamut of tests was extremely daunting; we felt enormous relief and I quickly canceled my appointment with the fertility clinic.

Our first ultrasound was at 8 weeks and it was surreal. I couldn’t believe we had gotten so lucky! Unfortunately, our luck didn’t last, at our second ultrasound (at just after 12 weeks) we got terrible news, the fetus had stopped growing and there was no heartbeat. We were devastated. A couple of months after the miscarriage we made another appointment with the fertility clinic and began months of testing. All my tests were normal (low AMH, expected at my age). The clinic advised that my greatest obstacle to having a baby was my age (and therefore, egg quality) and that our best chance was to try IVF with CCS. So feeling that this was our last and only chance my husband and I decided to move forward with IVF.

At this point, I was 41 years old and feeling very discouraged. In addition to the IVF, I had asked the fertility clinic if there was anything else I could be doing, and they provided me with a pamphlet for Acubalance, which practiced fertility acupuncture. This was the first I had heard of acupuncture to increase fertility, so I decided to give it a try (not realizing at the time how valuable it would become). I immediately made an appointment with Dr. Ryan Funk. The plan was to try acupuncture in conjunction with IVF to give ourselves the greatest chance of success. Dr. Funk also provided me with a diet to decrease inflammation and increase fertility.  

So for three months, I stuck to the diet provided by Dr. Funk and faithfully attended all my acupuncture appointments. During the third month, I was preparing myself for IVF and doing two injections a day to promote the growth of numerous follicles. After 11 days of injections, I had to face the fact that we weren’t getting the results we had hoped for as only one follicle matured. The clinic recommended we try IUI instead, which was also unsuccessful. I was beginning to lose all faith as the clinic advised that another round of injections would likely have the same results and therefore was not recommended. It was at this point we felt we had truly run out of options.

During this entire process, I was still receiving acupuncture from Dr. Funk and strictly adhering to the diet he provided. While I was extremely discouraged, it was Dr. Funk’s optimism and encouragement that kept me from losing all hope. He readily provided me with a game plan and we forged ahead. About a month or so later, I was pregnant! As excited and scared as I was, I remained cautiously optimistic! I continued my acupuncture and diet throughout my entire pregnancy. I truly believe that if it were not for Dr. Funk (and divine intervention) my story would have a very different ending.

I cannot stress enough how knowledgeable and supportive Dr. Funk was throughout my journey and how I credit him for keeping me sane and not allowing my fears to control my mind and experience. I now recommend Dr. Funk and Acubalance to anyone who is struggling with fertility and starting a family.

To Dr. Funk and the entire staff at Acubalance, thank you for providing a safe and supportive environment during the most difficult time of my life. And I’m especially thankful for my beautiful baby boy!