Fertility Testing

• I Already Have a Child, Why Can’t I Fall Pregnant Again?

  For many women, having children comes with very few obstacles. A couple months of trying to conceive and 9 months later they’re taking a little bundle of joy home from the hospital. However, as you find yourself trying for a second child; it’s not as easy. The logical and common question is: “why can’t I […]

• An Elevated FSH Value lowers Fertility

  Increasing levels of serum FSH in the early follicular phase, a characteristic of reproductive aging is often used to identify women who are likely to have a poor outcome with assisted reproduction.  Counseling patients regarding the value of such a test appears on the surface to be fairly straightforward.  However, immunoassays of FSH are intrinsically […]

• Testing the Basal FSH to evaluate Reproductive Potential

  One of the greatest challenges faced by practicing clinicians is to determine where individual patients are in the process of depleting their reproductive potential.  To address this question, a number of different tests have been proposed (Basal FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone), Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test, Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), Basal Antral Follicle Count, etc…).  Probably the […]

• How to test for Diminished Ovarian Reserve?

  The progressive decline in female reproductive potential with increasing age has been well documented.  It is generally accepted that this diminution relates principally to changes in oocyte quality.  Women, with a depleted oocyte supply to the point that few oocytes remain that are capable of producing an offspring are said to have diminished ovarian reserve.  […]

• What is Ovarian Reserve and why is it important for Fertility Testing?

  Ovarian reserve is the term used to describe the ability of a woman’s ovaries to produce eggs that will ultimately produce a baby.  Age is an important determinant of ovarian reserve, but ovarian reserve can be severely affected even in younger women. This decline in ovarian reserve can occur due to surgery, smoking, cancer treatments, […]