Low ovarian response is something that many women face when they want to become mothers, especially older women. This can lead to doubts and concerns about the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.
However, there are solutions such as egg cryopreservation or ovarian stimulation, which increase the chances of conceiving through assisted reproduction techniques using your own eggs.
Low ovarian response refers to an insufficient number of follicles produced by the ovaries during a cycle of controlled ovarian stimulation, commonly in fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Generally, a woman with low ovarian response produces less than 3 to 5 follicles, which can hinder the success of assisted reproduction treatments. This phenomenon is often seen in women with a reduced ovarian reserve, which means that they have fewer eggs available.
Low ovarian response is related to the number of follicles that the ovaries can produce under hormonal stimulation, while low egg quality refers to the quality of the eggs that can be obtained.
Although both conditions are linked to ovarian ageing, a woman can have a good egg quality even if she has a low response, and vice versa.
Egg quality tends to be more dependent on age and general health, while ovarian response is more related to ovarian reserve.
There are several causes that can lead to a low ovarian response. Some of the most common include:
For women diagnosed with low ovarian reserve, egg cryopreservation can be an excellent option to achieve a future pregnancy with your own eggs. This procedure consists of ovarian stimulation to obtain eggs, which are then frozen and stored to use them in future fertility treatments.
This option is widely used by women who intend to postpone motherhood or who have to undergo medical treatments that may affect their fertility, such as chemotherapy.
Nowadays, there is no method that allows women to increase their ovarian reserve, as women are born with all the eggs they will have in their lifetime and lose them with each menstruation.
However, there are some practices that can help improve egg quality and maximise the response to fertility treatments.
These include maintaining a healthy weight, reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption, and eating a balanced diet rich in antioxidants. In some cases, doctors may recommend specific hormonal protocols to try to improve ovarian response.
Yes, it is possible to achieve pregnancy even with a low ovarian response, although it may require a more personalised approach and, in some cases, advanced assisted reproduction techniques. The key is to do the treatment with an individualised approach, considering age, egg quality and the underlying causes of low ovarian reserve.
Fertility treatments may be more difficult in these women due to the lower quantity of eggs obtained, but there are options such as the use of personalised stimulation protocols, and the use of egg donation or embryo adoption.
Fertility treatment that involves performing in vitro fertilization with eggs from an anonymous donor.
Embryo adoption is carried out with embryos donated by other patients who have already fulfilled their desire to start a family.