The Power of Knowledge: Why Consider Fertility Assessment

Every woman should consider fertility testing because not only does it increase your chances of conceiving naturally but also detects problems that may be the reason that you are not able to conceive yet. Doctors also create their treatment plans based on fertility test results. Learn the timeline for fertility assessment tests in this article. Schedule an appointment at Doral Health and Wellness – Women’s Health Center.

Timeline for fertility assessment

Before fertility testing, women need to stop using hormonal birth control because it can affect the accuracy of test results. While in commercial fertility tests, blood tests are recommended to measure ovarian reserve to find reliable results, however, they are only a small part of the big picture.

For proper fertility assessment, the patient’s timeline needs to be assessed with a proper assessment plan which may follows:

  1. Day 1: Bleeding on your period for the first day.

If this happens on the first day, then the official fertility assessment process starts that day.

  1. Day 2 to 5: Ovarian reserve testing.

In this period, an internal ultrasound and blood tests are used for preconception counseling and hormone levels in the early follicular phase. In these tests, doctors check follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol/estrogen, and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) to check your ovarian reserve.

An internal ultrasound uses a wand-shaped device to see the inner structures of the uterus. It may feel like getting a Pap smear. Its images help doctors to rule out or diagnose gynecologists to rule out conditions like advanced endometriosis, endometrial polyps, and uterine fibroids.

The AMH tests measure the level of hormones with blood tests. If AMH levels decline with advancing age, then you can assess normal egg reserve according to age-specific ranges. While AMH is a reliable test for ovarian reserve, it doesn’t provide a clear picture of egg quality, which is necessary for pregnancy especially when a patient is going to have menopause.

In some cases, the exam and test also help to diagnose polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition that affects ovulation and periods by making them irregular.

  1. Days 5 to 10: examination of the fallopian tubes.

In this period, a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is used to check whether the fallopian tubes are either blocked by scar tissue or infection (or not) because it can prevent an egg from traveling from the ovary to the uterus.

An HSG test is only recommended for women who have a history of long primary infertility or multiple abdominal surgeries, which can leave them with scar tissue or fallopian tube blockages. It can also be recommended for women who had STIs before or endometriosis.

This provides a real-time snapshot of the uterus rather than relying on initial imaging or ultrasound. In the procedure, the doctor inserts a thin tube through the vagina and cervix. Then, a contrast material (dye) is injected into the uterus which is visible in X-ray to see inside the uterus and fallopian tubes.

Abnormalities can be detected in white and unblocked fallopian tubes filled with dye. The dye then spills into the pelvic cavity and gets absorbed by the body. If the fallopian tube is blocked, the doctor may recommend laparoscopic surgery to open the tube or in some cases, you may need to consider IVF treatment.

  1. Days 10 to 14: Assessing the uterine lining.

For women with regular periods, halfway in their cycle, the doctor may perform an ultrasound to examine the endometrial thickness to get information from the ovary to track ovulation. Endometrial abnormalities can cause scarring, polyps, or fibroids that will be diagnosed in this ultrasound.

This also tells the ideal window for sex when ovulation happens because sperm can easily last 3 to 5 days in the female body while an egg lasts around 24 hours after ovulation. That’s why finding the ideal window time increases your chance of conceiving.

  1. Day 21: measure progesterone hormone with a blood test.

Approximately 6 to 8 days after ovulation, blood progesterone levels can provide more information that ovulation has occurred, as this hormone helps thicken the lining of the uterus and prepare it for a fertilized egg. It’s commonly known as the day 21 progesterone test.

Take fertility tests to improve your conceiving chances, call us to book your appointment at our gynecology clinic. At Doral Health and Wellness – Women’s Health Center, we have the best GYN doctor in Brooklyn, and we provide women with quality health care services. To schedule an appointment, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call us on 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at http://www.gynecologistbrooklyn.com/.