Scientists at St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities in Scotland have made further advances in helping identify how much time a woman has before her fertility starts to decline.

By studying samples from over 3,000 women, researchers were able to identify what a ‘normal’ range of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is in a healthy woman and how it declines with age. AMH is measured as a way of seeing how active the ovaries are and what reserves of eggs a woman has remaining.

Using the new method, the scientists hope that women will be able to tell more accurately when they are likely to start the menopause – and so how long they have left to try and get pregnant.

Currently, there are no accepted tests that can predict exactly how much time a woman has left to have a baby, but we do know that once AMH levels fall below a certain point, getting pregnant can be much harder, and IVF success rates lower. The Scottish study will certainly help in interpreting AMH levels, the researchers are also hoping it could lead to the development of accurate testing to give an exact timescale.

If you want to know about your fertility, AMH-level testing is part of the Fertility MOT.

Whether you’re thinking of having a family now or in the future – Fertility MOT can give you an indication of your current fertility status. You can either choose from the full Fertility MOT, from £750 per couple, or our new ‘Mini MOT’, which costs £500 per couple or £400 individually.

Both MOTs involve a series of simple tests, including AMH tests and semen analysis, for you and your partner, followed by a detailed consultation with our specialists who will explain fully the results of your test and the implications.

The results of the tests will help you to decide when the best time is for you to have your family. And if it does show any problems, you’ll be prepared knowing that you’ll need help to get pregnant in the future.

So you’ve decided to have another baby, the time is right for you to add to your family with a second child.

You start trying to conceive, but nothing happens. The months go by, and still no positive pregnancy test. You start wondering….is there something wrong with me? Why can’t I get pregnant again?

If you’re in this situation, you’re not alone. There’s even a name for not being able to get pregnant again, it’s called secondary infertility, and it’s more common than you think.

The good news is that if you’ve been trying for a while and have yet to fall pregnant, it doesn’t mean you need infertility treatment such as IVF. It could just be that you need to try for longer this time, after all, an infertility diagnosis is only considered if you’ve been having regular, unprotected sex for up to two years without getting pregnant.

You should also realise that your age could make it harder to get pregnant again, especially if you’ve waited a few years before deciding to grow your family. Natural fertility starts to decline from age 30 onwards, and even more so from age 35.

But if you’re concerned, you should consider a Fertility MOT test. It can tell you in as little as four weeks (one menstrual cycle) if there are any underlying medical reasons why you’ve not been able to get pregnant again, and can give you the reassurance that you just need to try for longer to conceive.

Secondary infertility is one of the most common reasons couples come to us for fertility investigations. So don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you think a Fertility MOT could help you. Remember you don’t need a referral from your GP, you can simply book an appointment.

Would you like to know in advance if you’re going to have problems getting pregnant? It seems that most of us do.

Almost three-quarters of people surveyed via a leading fertility clinic, Manchester Fertility Services, said they would consider a Fertility MOT to see how fertile they are which would highlight in advance any problems that could make it difficult to conceive naturally when they do decide to have children.

A Fertility MOT, which involves a series of simple tests for both men and women, is particularly useful if you don’t want to have a family until later in life. Usually, GPs refer you for further investigation if you’ve not fallen pregnant after a year or more.
But if you’re already in your 30s before you even start trying for a baby, any delay can further reduce your chances of treatment success, due to declining fertility rates as we age.

So if you know you will need help in future – for example the test results shows your partner has a low sperm count or you may have ovulation problems – you may decide to have your family earlier in life to maximise your chances of success.

What’s important to remember however is that whilst the results of the Fertility MOT test obviously have huge implications, in most cases the results provide the reassurance that when you’re ready to have a family, there will be no medical reason why you can’t conceive naturally.

But if the results do show that there may be a problem, at least you will be prepared and if necessary, we can help refer you for further treatment and investigation.