The number of eggs a woman has in her ovaries naturally decreases over time. The number that remains — known as your ovarian reserve — can be measured using a simple AMH blood test that helps us understand your level of fertility health relative to the average for your age.
Women are born with around 1 million eggs in their ovaries, their lifetime supply. Unfortunately, this decreases as you get older, and by the time you reach puberty, there are often less than half remaining. The egg timer test — also known as the AMH test — uses a sample of your blood to analyse and estimate how many eggs you have remaining, allowing a more accurate gauge of your fertility.
We do this by analysing the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), which is a hormone secreted by the egg-producing follicles in your ovaries. High AMH levels indicate you have a higher ovarian reserve (meaning you have more eggs likely to be available), while low levels are often an indication of poor egg reserve (meaning that you have fewer eggs likely to be available).
Realistically, any woman looking to have a baby would benefit from AMH testing but, in particular, you may benefit if you:
Whether you’ve been trying for a while or haven’t started yet, our fertility specialists can provide answers about your fertility and reproductive health, helping you make informed decisions about your future fertility plans.
High AMH levels likely mean you have more eggs stored in your ovaries than the average for your age, but a low level does not immediately mean that you have no time left to fall pregnant. It may mean you have less time to try for a baby, but it only takes one egg to successfully be fertilised for a pregnancy.
We feel it’s important for patients to understand that this is exclusively an ovarian reserve test — it does not measure your overall fertility health or egg quality, nor does it act as a completely effective predictor of how long you have left to have a baby. While this is what many people believe the test does, the most effective indicator of egg quality is a woman’s age. Your AMH test results do not predict your chances of natural conception in the future.
We may recommend patients who have low AMH start more advanced fertility treatments sooner than would be normal to maximise the use of their remaining eggs. This may include IVF cycles or potentially freezing eggs in preparation for later treatment. It is important to always consult with a fertility specialist who can help you interpret your results and what they mean for you.
AMH is commonly used in IVF treatment to gauge the dose of medicine needed to grow and mature eggs. It can also be used to indicate the potential response to IVF stimulation, including predicting the number of eggs likely to be obtained to help manage expectations from both doctors and patients.
Research has shown that there is only a minor variation in egg timer test results at different stages of the menstrual cycle, with the test able to be performed at any time. There is no best time to test AMH, other than when you are beginning to consider your fertility health and starting a family.
As the test assesses the number of eggs in your ovaries, there is, unfortunately no way to increase this number. Your AMH levels may vary slightly at different stages of your menstrual cycle, but this is not an indication that more eggs are emerging, as each woman only has a finite lifetime supply.
The AMH test is very reliable at assessing a relative idea of the number of eggs remaining in your ovaries. However, it is important not to misinterpret what the test is actually looking at — unfortunately, there is no way to assess the quality of your remaining eggs and, in turn, the likelihood that you will be able to conceive. High AMH test results indicate that you have a higher-than-average number of eggs remaining but cannot be used as evidence of the quality of those eggs. Patients with high results may still struggle to conceive, and patients with low results may conceive quickly. The test results are best used in conjunction with other individual fertility factors to ensure a holistic view of health.
We take great care to assess as many different factors that affect fertility as possible. From basic health checks to more complex genetic testing, our team learns every aspect to find the best path to pregnancy.
To best understand your current fertility situation, we take a complete medical history from each patient, before getting a sense of your lifestyle, general health, and how long you have been trying. We can assess your fertility health and help create the right program for you.
By testing your saliva or a blood sample in a simple procedure, we can screen for hundreds of potential genetic conditions and identify how likely you are to have a baby with different genetic conditions. We’ll support you with clear information and a comforting hand as you plan your next steps.
Whether you’ve been trying to conceive for a while and suspect that you have a low ovarian reserve or you just want to get a better idea of your fertility health when planning for the future, an AMH test is a great starting point. Depending on your results, we may recommend other fertility treatments and methods to achieve your dream of a family.
To discuss the various fertility tests that you may want to consider, book an appointment with a fertility specialist at Create Fertility today.
If you’re interested in an egg reserve test or any other aspect relating to fertility, contact the helpful team at Create Fertility today.
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359 Blackburn Rd, Mount Waverley VIC 3149
226 Clarendon St, East Melbourne VIC 3002
Suite 3, 72 Gloucester Avenue, Berwick, VIC, 3806
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