Dr Maree Lee - Sydney Fertility Specialist

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Dr Maree Lee - Sydney Fertility Specialist Welcome to my page! I'm a Fertility Specialist and Gynaecologist based in Sydney, Australia.

My special interests are IVF, egg freezing, genetic testing and immune therapy. Follow me for expert fertility advice to help you conceive sooner.

09/10/2026

1️⃣  Stress does not cause your infertility. It's real, it's hard, but it's not the reason, and you don't need to add guilt about being stressed on top of everything else.

2️⃣ Yes, egg number and quality declines with age, but it’s not the only factor in fertility. S***m quality, the pelvic environment, and metabolic/immune factors matter too.

3️⃣ You actually don’t need a partner to start a family. Solo parenthood is on the rise and using a s***m donor is an option too.

4️⃣ You don't need to be ready for kids to start thinking about your fertility. Find out where you stand today and consider if egg freezing may be right for you.

5️⃣ "Unexplained" fertility doesn't mean there’s nothing wrong. It means the cause hasn't been identified yet, and there are still effective treatment pathways available.

If any of this is something you needed to hear, comment FERTILITY below and I will send you my fertility guide.

"How long should I wait before I see a doctor?"It is the question I am asked most often, and the answer changes dependin...
29/09/2026

"How long should I wait before I see a doctor?"

It is the question I am asked most often, and the answer changes depending on your age. Under 35, twelve months. From 35 to 39, six. At 40 and over, there is no waiting period worth observing.

Those numbers are not arbitrary and they are not a judgement. They exist because the chance of conceiving in any given cycle falls with age, and it falls faster at certain ages. The thresholds are set to match the pace of investigation to what is actually happening, so that nobody spends a year waiting when six months would have been the better call.

One thing worth being clear about. A reassuring AMH does not buy you extra time. Reserve testing tells us how large the follicle pool is, not how good the eggs are, and it does not predict natural conception. It is useful information. It is not permission to wait longer.

And regardless of your age, come in now if your cycles are irregular or absent, if you have known or suspected endometriosis, if you have had two or more miscarriages, or if a semen analysis has come back abnormal.

None of this means you are behind. It means there is a point at which a closer look is worth having, and that point is different for you than it is for the woman next to you.

28/09/2026

1. Egg quantity has been declining since birth, not since your last birthday. Thirty-five does not mark the point where the decline in egg number starts. It is a point on a curve that started decades ago.

2. Egg quality shifts more noticeably from 35. A greater proportion of eggs carry the wrong number of chromosomes, which is why the chance of conceiving in any given cycle falls and why miscarriage risk climbs at the same time. Same underlying change, two different consequences.

3. You may have seen the claim that only egg quantity declines, not quality. I wish that were true, it would make this conversation easier. Both decline, and treating one as fixed and the other as flexible is not accurate.

4. What actually changes at 35 is the guideline, not your body overnight. Under 35, we wait twelve months of trying before investigating. From 35 to 39, that drops to six. At 40 and over, there is no waiting period worth observing. It is a clinical decision to get you answers sooner, not a statement about what has happened to you.

5. Ovarian reserve varies a lot between women, even at the same age. Two patients, both 35, can get very different results on the same blood test. That’s why it’s important to see a doctor and know your ovarian reserve, rather than relying on an average.

26/09/2026

Five things I would never do as a fertility doctor and why.

1. Using any lubricant off the shelf.
Most lubricants, including the ones marketed as gentle or natural, but they shorten how long they survive and slows their movement. Fertility friendly lubricants are formulated specifically to avoid this. Switching costs almost nothing and removes a barrier you did not know you had put there.

2. Waiting until you're pregnant to start folic acid.
The neural tube forms in the first few weeks after conception, often before a test turns positive. That is the window folic acid protects. The standard dose is 400 to 500 mcg daily, beginning at least a month before you start trying. Some women need 5 mg, depending on their history, which is worth asking about rather than assuming.

3. Waiting too long to see a specialist.
The guidance is clearer than most people realise. Under 35, seek review after twelve months. From 35 to 39, after six. At 40 and over, come in straight away rather than waiting at all. Whatever your age, you can choose to see a specialist at any point simply to get a clearer picture of where you stand. Seeing a specialist does not mean you cannot conceive naturally. It means you have accurate information early, and that almost always leaves more options open later.

4. Taking supplements without knowing why.
There is a difference between a supplement with a reason behind it and a supplement with a hashtag behind it. Many couples trying to conceive get sold supplements or tonics without knowing exactly what’s in them and what they do. Treating a problem that isn’t there can do more harm than good. So always ask why before you spend your money.

5. Only getting her checked.
So many women sit in my office thinking it must be them. They blame themselves before the tests have even come back. Male factor is actually half of all infertility cases. So bring him into the appointment from the beginning and get his fertility checked before you assume it’s all you.

📌 Follow me for practical fertility advice to help you prepare before you start trying.

24/09/2026

In up to half of couples having difficulty conceiving, a male factor is involved. Which is why investigating one partner and not the other is the most common reason couples spend a year looking in the wrong place.

This list usually goes out as two separate posts, one for her and one for him. This time it is together, because that is closer to how an actual assessment should work, both partners at the same time.

If you want somewhere to start, save this and send it to your partner.

I meet a lot of women who are surprised by their own results, and almost always the surprise comes from somewhere else. ...
19/09/2026

I meet a lot of women who are surprised by their own results, and almost always the surprise comes from somewhere else.

A friend who conceived at 43. A celebrity announcement. A comment section full of people who know someone who conceived naturally in their 40s.

None of those stories are lies. They are just incomplete. What gets left out is how the pregnancy happened, how long it took, and what the woman knew about her own fertility before she started.

Age still shapes what is possible, and it shapes it more than most people are told. That is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to find out where you actually stand, while you still have the widest set of options in front of you.

The women who feel most in control of this are not the ones with the best results. They are the ones who found out early.

18/09/2026

Every stage of trying to conceive carries an advantage, whether you’re in your 30’s or in your 40’s. It just depends what your priorities are.

Biology doesn't wait for readiness, and readiness doesn't arrive on a schedule. Some women feel certain about children in their 30s. Others take years to get there, or they're waiting to meet the person they want to build a family with. Neither is a mistake, and neither is a wasted decade.

What shifts with age is the biology, and that part is worth understanding early rather than late. Because you deserve a clear picture of where you stand so that you can make an informed decision rather than one out of fear.

If you’d like to know where your biology sits, book a preconception appointment through the link in my bio.

12/09/2026

3 things I would NEVER do as a fertility doctor

09/09/2026

I am a fertility specialist who is living with PMOS. And in light of PMOS awareness month, here are 5 things I tell my patients that I wish they knew:

1. Irregular cycles do not mean you cannot get pregnant.
Too often, I see patients coming to mean having been told they can’t become pregnant because they have PMOS. The truth is, infertility due to PMOS is one of the more treatable causes of fertility concerns in my patients. Simple changes to lifestyle, few medications, or ovulation induction are all possible paths. So don’t let anyone tell you pregnancy isn’t possible just because of PMOS.

2. Not every patient with PMOS has polycystic ovaries.
Diagnosis is based on meeting two out of three features: irregular or no periods, signs of elevated androgens, or polycystic morphology on ultrasound/ elevated AMH. You don’t need to have polycystic ovaries at all. This is exactly why the name changed from PCOS to PMOS.

3. Sleep quality affects insulin regulation more than most people expect.
Poor sleep raises cortisol, and elevated cortisol makes insulin resistance worse, which makes irregular cycles even more unpredictable. Insulin resistance is one of the main drivers behind PMOS symptoms for a large number of patients. Simple improvements to sleep can shift your hormonal picture over weeks, not years.

4. Don’t ignore missed periods without seeing your doctor
With PMOS, missing your period for months can sometimes feel normal. However, prolonged gaps between periods mean your uterine lining can grow for longer without shedding. So don’t ignore irregular periods as the norm and see your doctor for ways of regulating your cycles.

5. Living with PMOS influences how approach PMOS with my patients.
I know what it feels like to have unpredictable periods, deal with weight that is hard to shift and feeling depressed because of the effects on skin and hair. Because of this experience, I know what information you need and the best treatments available for you, because I’ve lived with it myself.

Address

Q Central Building, Suite 101/10 Norbrik Drive, Bella Vista
Sydney, NSW
2153

Telephone

+61287343310

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