Did you know that the physicians at Shady Grove Fertility can show you your egg quantity? Egg quantity, also known as your egg supply or ovarian reserve, is the number of potential eggs that remain in your ovaries and is closely linked to your ability to conceive. In general, the more eggs you have, the better your chance of getting pregnant, whether trying with your partner on your own or through fertility treatment.
Measuring Egg Quantity
As stated previously, ovarian reserve is how many eggs a woman has—her current egg supply—and it’s possible to see how many eggs a woman has through simple testing. Ovarian reserve testing is typically performed on the third day of your menstrual cycle and includes an ultrasound to show you your ovaries and count the number of eggs you have available at that time, and a blood test to measure your reproductive hormone levels. The primary reproductive hormone levels that are measured include follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH).
FSH is the primary hormone responsible for the production of mature eggs in the ovaries and AMH levels can be helpful in understanding what treatments may be necessary, as high AMH (>3.5) predicts a good response to medication, and low AMH (<1) reveals a lower expectation of response. “Taken together we can predict what the ovarian reserve is going to be,” says Dr. Isaac Sasson, M.D., Ph.D. of Shady Grove Fertility’s Chesterbrook, PA location.
Balancing Egg Quantity and Quality
“When I think about eggs, I think about two pieces: egg quantity and egg quality,” explains Dr. Sasson. “Egg quantity, we can assess. Egg quality does not have a test. The best test for egg quality is your age.”
As a woman ages, the number of genetically normal eggs that are able to mature for a successful conception decreases. At age 25, 75 percent of a woman’s egg quantity is normal, at age 35, 50 percent are normal and by age 40, 10 to 15 percent are normal. It is important to note that even at peak fertility; a woman does not have 100 percent normal eggs.
While the quality of eggs does decrease with age, it is important to note that it does not mean you will not be able to conceive. The physicians at Shady Grove Fertility work with you individually to determine the right course of treatment to result in a pregnancy. Or, if you’re interested in egg freezing, our physicians can help determine if freezing right now is your best option. Dr. Sasson notes, “We need to find the right treatment for you, and very often a lot of our treatment is predicated on balancing egg quality and egg quantity.”
Your egg quantity is a main factor when trying to conceive, whether through expectant management by freezing eggs or through common fertility treatments. If you are interested in learning more about your egg quantity to better understand your fertility, please call 1-877-971-7755 to schedule an appointment and speak with a new patient liaison.
