Like any diagnosis that may impact your fertility, a low anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) test result can be scary. However, a low AMH may mean you simply need to work with a fertility specialist about treatment options.
Learn About AMH
The first thing you should do after being diagnosed with low AMH is learn what exactly the test result means.
An AMH test can diagnose health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and ovarian cancer, and is commonly used to assess your ovarian reserve. The level of AMH in your blood can tell your doctor approximately how many eggs are left in your ovaries and whether you’re entering or already in menopause. If you’re planning to have fertility treatments, like vitro fertilization (IVF), your AMH level helps your doctor determine specific medication dosages.
In many cases, low AMH is simply a part of aging, with levels naturally declining–especially after age 35–though this decline varies among women. Low AMH can also be caused by health conditions and treatments, genetic problems, autoimmune diseases, endometriosis, chemotherapy, and previous ovarian surgery.
Try Not to Stress Over a Low AMH
It’s important to remember that a low AMH is just one measurement used to help assess your fertility. Your doctor will discuss your ovarian reserve and how soon you should try to become pregnant, and may also discuss possible treatment options to help you become pregnant or preserve your fertility.
Rather than worrying about your diminished ovarian reserve, try to look at AMH as a useful marker that can help you make the best decisions about when to try having a baby.
Stop Smoking
While you shouldn’t stress over a low AMH, you should take steps to avoid anything that could harm your fertility, especially smoking, which has been linked to lower AMH levels and early menopause.
The effects of smoking on AMH levels appear to be limited to active smokers, or those who have regularly smoked within the past two years. This suggests that if you stop smoking now, you can help prevent your AMH from dropping as quickly if you continued to smoke.
Quitting smoking is challenging, so don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about treatment options.
See a Fertility Specialist
If you want to get pregnant and have been diagnosed with low AMH, don’t wait to see a fertility specialist. While a low AMH level doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to have a baby, it does indicate a lower ovarian reserve, which limits the amount of time you have to successfully conceive.
A fertility specialist can help you get a clearer picture of your fertility and create a treatment plan with the best options for you. Your doctor might start by helping you predict when you ovulate so you can time intercourse to your fertile window. Alternatively, you may wish to try IUI or IVF to increase your chances of conceiving, or you may opt to preserve your fertility by freezing your eggs or embryos.
You and your doctor might also discuss third-party options, including using donor eggs or a gestational carrier, if your ovarian reserve or egg quality is low.
You Aren’t Defined by Your AMH
Often, our instinct is to look for someone to blame when struggling with infertility–including ourselves. Your worth is not defined by a number on a lab result, and it’s important to remember that everyone’s AMH declines as a natural part of aging.
At RISE Fertility, we believe in treating you as a whole person, not just a patient. If you’re struggling with the results of your AMH test, please discuss your apprehensions with us. We want to help set your mind at ease! There are many paths we can take to help you end your fertility journey in baby steps, so please reach out to schedule a consultation with double-board certified fertility specialist, Dr. Sanaz Ghazal.
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