Fertility 101 We’re born with all the eggs we’ll ever have and they tick down to zero by the time we hit menopause. As we get older, those eggs naturally become more abnormal. AMH, FSH, and E2 are hormones that are involved in measuring egg quantity—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 woman has a different fertility curve—just like she has a different metabolism. Knowing where menopause falls for you, can help you work backwards. The average age of menopause in the US is 51 and the process of menopause actually begins 10 years before you have your last period (it’s a funky window called perimenopause).

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 perimenopause (when your chances of getting pregnant 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 egg freezing and IVF.

So what? If you have a higher ovarian reserve than average and you’re not ready to have kids for awhile, 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, for example, measures thyroid health—key for developing and sustaining pregnancy. PRL helps with milk production during pregnancy but too much PRL can signal that there’s a problem, and T, or Testosterone, (yes women also have T:) also plays an important role. We walk you through all of this in your reports.

So what? If your thyroid levels are off or your luteinizing hormone is out of balance, 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 women have this condition and it’s sometimes marked by weight gain and facial hair.

So what? Two hormones we test, AMH and T can play a role in detecting PCOS. Although they cannot diagnose the issue, it can help doctors understand if you may be at risk. A very high AMH can be a signal of PCOS. If you know you have this early, you can take proactive steps with your doctor to balance your hormones and create a plan— If and when you decide you want to get pregnant. Read more about the latest research around a PCOS cure here.

Fertility 101 Thyroid disorders can affect the ability to have a healthy pregnancy for both mother and child. 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.

Hypothyroidism is associated with increased risks of early pregnancy loss, hypertension and preterm delivery. It’s also associated with low birth weight babies and lower child IQ. It’s important to know your thyroid levels before you get pregnant so you can minimize risk.

Hyperthyroidism should be diagnosed and treated to make sure your thyroid is stable before you attempt to conceive. This minimizes the risk to mother and baby, and allows you to discuss with your doctor appropriate thyroid treatment during pregnancy.

So what? If you’re diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it’s important to talk to a doctor who can help balance things out. She or he may recommend hormone treatment or diet adjustments.