Women whose mothers went through menopause before 40 should consider getting their fertility tested young, one of Ireland’s leading medical experts in the field has suggested.
Dr Alejandro Montilla McCormick of Sims IVF in Dublin has said a woman’s genetic background can offer important insights into her fertility and said it is worth discussing as a family.
Bella Finn’s experience
26-year-old Newstalk reporter Bella Finn recently got engaged and became curious about her own fertility.
She visited the clinic and spoke to Dr Alejandro Montilla McCormick after he tested her Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels, which measures a woman’s egg reserves.
“You AMH is 15.10,” he told Bella.
“You are in between the normal range and maybe the lower limit for you.
“That’s why I asked you about the oral contraceptive pill because sometimes, when a lady is on the pill, your AMH could be less than expected for your age.
“In this case, it’s a normal one.”
On Lunchtime Live, Bella described this as something that “wasn’t bad news”.
“[It was] middling, is the best way to put it - but middling into the lower range,” she said.
Bella FinnDr Montilla McCormick added that if a woman’s AMH levels begin to drop, one option is to freeze her eggs.
“Because if at some stage in your life you need egg donation or you need your eggs, we don't know whether they’ll be the same [number] for a long time,” he said.
“In the majority of patients, maybe they [decline in number] every year.
“So, it’s important to review and check again your AMH in eight months, 10 months’ time.
“If your AMH drops, definitely one piece of advice could be to freeze your eggs - just in case - it’s like insurance.”
Dr Montilla McCormick said the point at which the number of eggs will drop is “unpredictable” but family history will offer some clues.
“If your mother got the menopause before 40, you have to be careful,” he said.
“You have to check your AMH regularly and if your AMH is dropping, the best advice would be to freeze your eggs or create embryos if you have a partner for future use.”
Main image: A woman holding her pregnant belly. Picture by: Tetra Images/ Alamy.com.
