Fertility tests are a great tool for family planning. Fertility tests help reveal how well a woman’s ovaries are functioning and how many eggs she has remaining. A woman’s remaining eggs is called her ovarian reserve. In addition to function and ovarian reserve, fertility tests can indicate the quality of the remaining eggs.
Why test for female fertility?
Unlike men, women don’t create new eggs during their lifespan. Women are born with all of their eggs, and these eggs age as they do. A woman’s ovarian reserve, or amount of eggs, decreases with age. Every woman’s eggs are different, however, so fertility tests help a woman identify her individual fertility.
What types of fertility tests does Dr. Morice provide?
Dr. Morice provides three main types of fertility tests:
1) Day 3 FSH
The Day 3 FSH test checks the levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) in a woman on the third day of her menstrual cycle. FSH is the hormone that your pituitary gland releases to cause a follicle to mature into an egg for ovulation. If there are few follicles available or only poor quality follicles, more FSH will be needed to stimulate development. Therefore, if a woman’s FSH levels are higher than normal on the third day of her period, it may indicate decreasing fertility, a reduced ovarian reserve, or a perimenopausal state. Once a woman enters menopause, her FSH levels remain high for the rest of her life. Her body will continue to try to stimulate follicles despite there not being any available.
2) Day 21 Progesterone
The Day 21 Progesterone test checks the levels of progesterone during a woman’s luteal phase. The luteal phase happens after ovulation. During the luteal phase, the corpus luteum has released the egg and secretes progesterone. The high levels of progesterone prepare the uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg. Progesterone peaks 5 to 9 days after ovulation, hence the test being done on day 21, or 7 days after a day 14 ovulation. High levels of progesterone during your luteal phase signal a successful ovulation, while low levels indicate a lack of ovulation. Therefore, the day 21 progesterone test helps determine whether or not a woman is ovulating.
3) Any Day AMH
A woman’s AMH levels (anti-mullerian hormone) can be measured at any time in her cycle. AMH is a hormone released by developing follicles. These follicles contain eggs that will later be released during ovulation. A woman’s AMH levels indicate how many eggs a woman is producing each month. If her AMH levels are low, it suggests her ovarian reserve is also low, which can indicate decreased fertility.
Are you interested in fertility tests? Dr. Morice is an OB-GYN in Morgan City, LA. He also specializes in low-cost tubal reversal surgery. Call our office today at (985) 702-BABY or drmorice@mybabydoc.com today for a free tubal reversal consultation or to make an appointment for a fertility test.
