IVF for Low AMH / poor responders

Few eggs per cycle — mini-IVF, embryo banking, or an early donor decision. We model expected cycles honestly.

The realistic picture for low amh / poor responders

Few eggs per cycle — mini-IVF, embryo banking, or an early donor decision. We model expected cycles honestly.

Low AMH strategy: low anti-Müllerian hormone means fewer eggs per cycle, not worse eggs. You have two paths: (1) bank embryos over many own-egg cycles (mini-IVF, freeze-all), keeping per-cycle cost down and timing flexible; or (2) move to donor eggs (~48% per transfer, usually faster to a baby). Cost per baby depends heavily on your age and how many cycles you're prepared to attempt.

Low anti-Mullerian hormone signals a small remaining egg pool, so each stimulation yields fewer eggs and the realistic choice is between banking embryos over several own-egg cycles or moving earlier to donor eggs (~48% per transfer at any age). AMH predicts egg quantity, not quality, so a low value does not by itself rule out a healthy baby with your own eggs — but it does raise the expected number of cycles, and therefore the true cost per baby, which is why mild or mini-IVF and embryo-banking protocols are often used to keep per-cycle cost down.

What the registries actually show

IVF success is driven mainly by maternal age and egg type, not by the country you choose. The public registries put own-egg live birth at roughly:

• United States (CDC ART, 2021): live birth per egg retrieval with own eggs — under 35 49.7%, 35-37 36.3%, 38-40 23.1%, over 40 7.7%.
• United Kingdom (HFEA, 2023): live birth per embryo transferred — ages 18-34 about 35%, 43-44 about 5%; national average about 25%.
• Donor eggs (ESHRE/EIM): about 48% per transfer, broadly independent of the recipient's age — the single biggest lever after 40.

Sources & evidence

The success figures on this page come from national IVF registries, not clinic marketing. Primary sources:

• CDC ART 2021 National Summary (US) — US live-birth per egg retrieval, own eggs: under 35 49.7%, 35-37 36.3%, 38-40 23.1%, over 40 7.7%.
• HFEA Fertility Treatment 2023: trends & figures (UK) — UK live-birth per embryo transferred, own eggs: ages 18-34 ~35%, 43-44 ~5%; national average ~25%; ~1 in 5 births used donor eggs/sperm.
• HFEA Fertility Treatment 2021: preliminary trends & figures — UK birth rate per embryo transferred: 40-42 ~10%, 43-50 ~4% (2021).
• ESHRE / EIM - European IVF monitoring — Donor-egg live-birth ~48% per transfer, broadly independent of recipient age.
• Cumulative live-birth with own eggs - PMC10591412 — Cumulative live-birth with own eggs plateaus with fewer cycles for each year of age over 42.
• NICE CG156 - Fertility problems (UK) — UK clinical guideline on IVF access criteria and number of funded cycles.

Compiled and fact-checked by the BabyPath editorial team against the registries above. Per-retrieval (CDC) and per-transfer (HFEA) use different denominators — both are shown so the numbers are not misread. Educational information, not medical advice; outcomes vary by individual and clinic — always consult a licensed fertility specialist.