Mexico IVF Must-Read: What Does Diminished Ovarian Reserve Mean?

For intended parents planning to conceive, especially families considering In Vitro Fertilization and Mexico surrogacy, understanding the concept of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) is crucial. Ovarian reserve refers to the quantity and quality of usable eggs within the woman's ovaries. When ovarian reserve is diminished, it means the woman's egg count is low, and the quality of the remaining eggs may be compromised.

Meaning and Primary Impact of Diminished Ovarian Reserve

1.  What is Diminished Ovarian Reserve?

    The number of ovarian follicles a woman is born with is fixed and naturally depletes with age. Diminished Ovarian Reserve refers to a significant reduction in the number of primordial follicles in a woman's ovaries compared to the average for her age group.

     Key Assessment Indicators: Doctors typically assess ovarian reserve by testing the level of Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) in the blood and counting the Antral Follicle Count (AFC) via transvaginal ultrasound. A lower AMH level and a lower AFC count indicate more severe Diminished Ovarian Reserve.

2.  Impact on Natural Conception and IVF Cycles

    Diminished Ovarian Reserve can have multiple negative effects on the reproductive process:

     Difficulty with Natural Conception: The chance of pregnancy is naturally reduced due to the low egg count.

     Poor IVF Stimulation Response: In an IVF cycle, the woman's response to ovarian stimulation drugs is lower, resulting in a low number of retrieved eggs and a high cycle cancellation rate.

     Potential Decrease in Egg Quality: Diminished Ovarian Reserve is often associated with reduced egg quality and an increased rate of embryo aneuploidy (chromosomal abnormalities), thereby increasing the risk of miscarriage and the birth of infants with defects.

While Diminished Ovarian Reserve poses challenges, modern reproductive medicine and surrogacy solutions offer clear coping strategies.

1.  Optimizing the IVF Protocol to Obtain High-Quality Eggs

    POWER IVF specialists design personalized stimulation protocols for DOR patients, such as minimal stimulation or natural cycles, aiming to retrieve a small, but high-quality number of eggs.

     Medication and Cycle Customization: Doctors carefully adjust the type and dosage of medication to avoid over-stimulation and maximize the potential of the remaining follicles.

     Embryo Screening: After embryos are obtained, performing IVF-PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) is especially important. This can accurately screen out chromosomally normal embryos, thus ensuring the quality of the transferred embryos even with a low egg count.

2.  Considering Egg Donation and Mexico Surrogacy

    For women with severely diminished ovarian reserve or those of advanced maternal age who have had unsuccessful IVF attempts, egg donation combined with Mexico surrogacy is the most direct and highly effective solution.

     Egg Donation Advantage: Using eggs from a young, healthy donor can immediately resolve the issue of low egg quantity and quality, significantly increasing the success rate of the surrogacy embryo transfer.

     Surrogacy Assurance: Mexico surrogacy provides the embryo with a stable, high-quality gestational environment, ensuring your genetic baby is born safely and healthily.

If you have questions about ovarian reserve and wish to consult about IVF, egg donation, or Mexico surrogacy options, please contact POWER FERTILITY CENTER. Power Fertility Clinic is a fully licensed Mexico fertility institution that adheres to US FDA regulations and is directly operated by a US assisted reproductive services agency. Located in the bustling center of Mexico City, just 500 meters from the US Embassy, it is equipped with advanced laboratories and a professional team, providing one-stop clinical reproductive medical services. Power IVF covers programs including egg donation, sperm donation, third-party gestation services, as well as egg freezing, IVF, and embryo screening (PGT-A). In Mexico, IVF, gender selection, and third-party gestation are legally open to all families—including single, married, and LGBTQ+ individuals—and regulations support the import of cryopreserved tissues (sperm, eggs, embryos). Power IVF is licensed to receive overseas frozen tissues, providing clients with efficient and professional fertility solutions.