What is an ovarian reserve?

Ovarian reserve is the term used to describe how many eggs are left in a woman's ovaries. A woman's fertility depends on the quality and quantity of eggs in her ovaries. Ovaries are among two of the most important glands of the female reproductive system. Women, generally speaking, have two ovaries; one located on each side of the pelvis. The ovaries are responsible for producing egg cells, the number of egg cells in your ovaries is your ovarian reserve.

The quantity of eggs any woman has largely depends on two main factors. The first factor is how many eggs a woman was born with (it may surprise you to learn that some women are born with 50x more eggs than other women). And the second factor is the rate at which the eggs in the ovaries are depleted during each menstrual cycle.

There are a few tests which can be carried out to determine what a woman's ovarian reserve is; here below we describe some of the most common ones:

AMH

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a hormone produced by the developing follicles in a woman's ovaries. Measuring AMH levels gives an indication of a woman's egg reserve (how many eggs are left in the ovaries). High AMH levels indicate that there are sufficient developing follicles in the ovaries, whereas low levels suggest egg reserves are low. AMH can be measured via a blood test at any time in the menstrual cycle.

AMH naturally decreases with age as the ovarian reserve is depleted. AMH levels are considered ‘satisfactory’ if they are above 21.98 pmol/l, although age and other circumstances have to be taken into account in order to make the most accurate assessment. Don’t worry if your AMH levels are below this; at abc ivf we treat women with AMH levels as low as 12 pmol/l.

FSH

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is a hormone release by the brain's pituitary gland with the aim to stimulate the growth and development of follicles within the ovaries.

Developing follicles release oestrogen which inhibits the release of FSH, indicating that the ovary now has enough follicles. Therefore when FSH levels are high, it indicates that there aren't enough developing follicles in the ovaries and the brain is sending signals to grow and develop more. This is why women with a diminished egg reserve will have high FSH levels and those with good egg reserves have low FSH levels.

FSH used to be the most common blood test used to assess ovarian reserve, however, due to the fact that levels can vary from month to month, we now prefer to test AMH results for a more accurate insight into ovarian reserve.

AFC

Antral Follicle Count (AFC) is the number of developing follicles within both ovaries. The AFC can be monitored using a Pelvic Assessment Scan.

BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

Your fertility specialist may tell you which test to undergo to test the ovarian reserve in you and then proceeds towards further treatment.  If you would like to start your fertility journey with Shantah IVF Centre then do call us on +91 11 41040956 or +91 9958466687 and you can also connect with us through our Facebook page and we will be in touch to arrange a consultation.