Whether you’re ready to start a family now or are planning for the future, you should schedule a fertility assessment to get a full overview of your fertility health. A fertility assessment is a great way to learn more about your fertility and family-building options. You’re never too young (or too old) to learn more about your body, your fertility, and better understand where things stand.
When it comes to fertility, the most important thing to think about is your age. If you were born with a uterus, you were born with all the eggs you’re ever going to have – about 2 million. By the time you reach your first period, you’re already down to 300,000-400,000 eggs (totally unfair, we know). From there – whether you’re on birth control and actually bleed or not – you lose up to 1,000 eggs every month. As you get older, the quality of your eggs declines too. Poor egg quality could result in a higher rate of miscarriage or having a child with a genetic abnormality.
Doctors typically point to 35 as the age at which fertility declines, but this isn’t just a switch that turns off one day. Approximately 1 in 20 people born with a uterus experience low ovarian reserve prematurely. The good news is it’s possible to be proactive with your fertility care. Here is a step by step breakdown of what to expect during your fertility assessment at Kindbody:
1. Sign in
When you first walk into our clinic, you will be greeted by one of our friendly patient coordinators who will have you fill out some paperwork.
2. Get your temperature taken
Our patient coordinator will review your paperwork and take your temperature out of an abundance of caution to keep everyone in the clinic safe.
3. Make yourself at home in our living room
Sit back and relax in our aesthetically pleasing living room while you wait for our ultrasound technician to be ready to see you.
4. Ultrasound
Our Ultrasound technician will perform a vaginal ultrasound to count the number of follicles in your ovaries. Follicles are small fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries that contain the eggs released every cycle during menstruation. The number of follicles detected can help indicate the number of eggs available in a given month.
5. Bloodwork
Once you’re done with the vaginal ultrasound, one of our phlebotomists will draw your blood to test your AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) levels. AMH is released by your eggs as they grow and it is one of the most reliable measures of your ovarian reserve.
6. Consult with provider
At the end of your visit, you will have a 1:1 meeting with one of our fertility specialists to discuss your results and your family planning goals. The specialist will work with you to come up with a personalized plan that works for you.
