Hormones do so much for your body. You’re probably most familiar with estrogen, oxytocin, testosterone, progesterone, and insulin. Or, if you’ve been pregnant before, you may know all about human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
But, you might not be as familiar (if at all) with anti-Mullerian hormone, or AMH. It’s not the most talked about hormone or even the most important one in reproductive health. However, testing the levels of it can tell us a lot about your likelihood of conceiving.
At the Center for Human Reproduction located on the Upper East Side of New York, New York, our team of infertility specialists led by Norbert Gleicher, MD, FACOG, FACS, and David Barad, MD, MS, FACOG, understands that trying to conceive can sometimes be extremely frustrating and confusing.
Because of that, in this blog, we talk more about infertility, the role AMH plays, and whether testing your AMH levels could be beneficial for you.
The AMH is a hormone produced by the granulosa cells in your ovarian follicles. Your ovarian follicles are tiny, fluid-filled sacs that both contain and release eggs. Research tells us that your levels of AMH are directly correlated to your ovarian reserve, or the amount of eggs that you have.
Your ovarian reserve is much like a basket of eggs. You’re born with a full basket; however, the amount of eggs in that basket gets used throughout your life.
When you have your AMH levels tested, it can tell us approximately how full your basket is. If your AMH levels are low, it indicates a diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). That’s why AMH is closely linked to fertility because DOR means your basket is starting to become empty.
If you’re looking for answers about natural fertility or just want an egg count, an AMH test probably isn’t for you. AMH can’t tell you how long it’ll take you to conceive nor can it predict infertility. An AMH test may also give a false positive on a DOR, giving you discouragement when you might be fine.
However, if you’re currently going through in vitro fertilization (IVF), an AMH test can be extremely helpful to not only predict the amount of eggs you’ll produce but also give a good idea of how much medication is needed to stimulate egg production.
An AMH test can also be useful during a general infertility workup to determine your ovarian age. While an AMH test can’t tell us what your egg quality is, it can provide us with information on whether or not your ovaries are aging quickly and your egg count is depleted.
If you’re struggling with infertility or are about to start the IVF process, an AMH test could benefit you.
For more information about AMH tests or other infertility diagnostic processes, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team with any questions you may have. You can contact us over the phone at 626-385-7918 or through our online tool today.
