Three successful pregnancies following natural conception over an 8-year time span despite serum follicle stimulating hormone level greater than 15 mIU/ml

To demonstrate that the concept that a level of serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) of > 15 mIU/ml on day 3 of a younger woman's menstrual cycle suggests that the remaining eggs are of very poor quality consistent with a woman of very advanced reproductive age is a fallacy. A woman with a serum FSH > 15 mIU/ml on day 3 was studied over an 8-year time period. Despite the absence of therapy with follicle maturing drugs, and at the latter part of the study the development of oligomenorrhea, the woman had three successful conceptions over eight years without ART techniques. Though two of her pregnancies were treated with progesterone starting in the luteal phase, her last pregnancy was without any treatment. The policy of certain physicians to advise couples that their eggs are extremely unlikely to develop into a normal pregnancy because of increased day 3 serum FSH and that they should immediately proceed to using donor oocytes (even if that is not their desire) is wrong. These women should be given an attempt to achieve a pregnancy with their own eggs. However, the treating physician should avoid the use of high-dosage follicle maturing drugs.