How long can you wait to have a baby?
Posted in Fertility on August 17th, 2011
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.