Fertility 101 We’re born with all the eggs we’ll ever have and they tick down to approximately zero by the time we hit menopause⁴. As we get older, those eggs naturally become more abnormal⁵. AMH, FSH, and E2 are hormones that are involved in measuring egg quantity⁶—or ovarian reserve.

So what? If you know you have fewer eggs than average for your age (and those eggs decrease in quality) then you can take steps to adjust. Information is power—it can help you maximize your chances by adjusting your timeline, looking into fertility treatments, or having an informed convo with your doctor about your options. We’ll include a doctor discussion guide to get you started.

Fertility 101 Every person with ovaries has a different fertility curve—just like a different metabolism. Knowing where menopause falls for you, can help you work backwards. The average age of menopause in the US is 51⁷ and the process of menopause actually begins 10 years before you have your last period (it’s a funky window called the menopausal transition⁸).

So what? If you know you might hit menopause earlier than average, you can plan ahead. Say you want to have three kids but don’t want to start until your late 30s. If you find out that you may start the process of the menopausal transition (when your chances of concieving naturally significantly decline) as early as your late 30s, you can adjust while you still have time to plan.

Fertility 101 Doctors use ovarian reserve hormone testing (specifically AMH, FSH, and E2) to determine success rates for treatments like egg freezing and IVF or less invasive options like IUIs.⁹.

So what? If you have a higher ovarian reserve than average and you’re not ready to start a family, you can chat with your doctor about your ideal timing. If it makes sense personally and financially, you could also consider egg freezing. We can help you dig in here—egg freezing can give you options but it is not the best personal or financial decision for everyone.

Fertility 101 Fertility is complicated—involving many parts of your body that we can measure with hormones. TSH and fT4, for example, measure thyroid health— which is key for concieving and healthy pregnancy^10,11. PRL helps with milk production during breastfeeding but too much PRL can signal that there’s a problem¹², and T, or testosterone, (yes people with ovaries also have T) also plays an important role¹³. We walk you through all of this in your reports.

So what? If your thyroid levels are off or your prolactin is out of balance, for example, they can get in the way of conceiving now or later. Fertility health is general body health and it’s important to know where you are so you can plan ahead!

Fertility 101 PCOS is a hormone condition that affects your body’s ability to release an egg every month. 1 in 10 people with ovaries have this condition¹⁴ and it’s sometimes marked by weight gain and facial hair¹⁵.

So what? Two hormones we test, AMH and T can play a role in detecting PCOS¹⁶. Although they cannot diagnose the issue, it can help doctors understand if you may be at risk. A high AMH can be a signal of PCOS¹⁷. If you know you have PCOS, you can make a plan for managing it with your doctor if or when you decide to try for kids. It's personal! Read more about the latest research around a PCOS cure here.

Fertility 101 Thyroid disorders, for example, can affect the ability to have a healthy pregnancy for both parent and child^18,19. If your thyroid produces too many or too few hormones, it can impact a lot of things—whether or not you ovulate regularly, your mood, skin, weight, even how tired or hungry you feel^20,21.

So what? Let’s take thyroid for example. If you’re diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, it’s important to talk to a doctor who can help balance things out and recommend a treatment plan.