AMH, or by its full name, Anti-Mullerian Hormone, is a hormone that’s produced by small follicles in the ovaries. It’s not something you’d tend to spend a lot of time thinking about, unless you’re debating trying IVF, in which case AMH’s importance goes up substantially.
Fertility doctors use a blood test to measure your levels of AMH as a way to help determine your ovarian reserve — or approximately how many eggs you have to work with. The higher your AMH level, the more follicles you have, and therefore the higher your potential remaining egg supply. Numbers above 0.3 ng/ml (and preferably above 0.6 ng/ml) can indicate that you’ll have a better response to the ovarian stimulation part of the IVF treatment (so your doctor will be able to retrieve more eggs).
Keep in mind that this is a relatively new test and it’s far from an exact science. And an AMH test is an indicator of the quantity of your eggs, not the quality. But fertility doctors like to use it because the levels are usually constant and it can be done on any day of your cycle. If you’re considering IVF, it’s just one of many tests you’ll be given along the way.
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
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