Follicular-Phase Blood Tests The best available technique for assessing the quality of a woman’s eggs is measuring what’s known as the ovarian reserve – that is, the number of immature eggs left in a woman’s ovaries. (Females are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have at birth. Over time, this number depletes at its own rate in each female.) We accomplish this by measuring the hormones FSH (Fol ...

Disruption of ovarian function (presence or absence of ovulation (anovulation) and effects of ovarian “age”) A woman’s menstrual cycle is, on average, 28 days long. Day 1 is defined as the first day of “full flow.” Regular predictable periods that occur every 24 to 32 days likely reflect ovulation. A woman with irregular periods is likely not ovulating. Ovulation can be predicted by using an ovul ...

During a normal menstrual cycle, the lining of your uterus -- called the endometrium -- begins to thicken in preparation for becoming pregnant. If you don't become pregnant that month, your body sheds the endometrium during menstruation and the process starts over. In endometriosis, for reasons that researchers don't entirely understand, tissue very similar to the endometrium begins to grow outsid ...

Causes of female infertility Female infertility can be caused by: ovulation problems polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) problems with the fallopian tubes problems with the uterus endometriosis. Ovulation problems causing female infertility The menstrual cycle functions by several glands and their hormones working in harmony. For ovulation to occur, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus prompt ...

Primary ovarian insufficiency: — also called premature ovarian failure — occurs when the ovaries stop functioning normally before age 40. When this happens, your ovaries don't produce normal amounts of the hormone estrogen or release eggs regularly. This condition often leads to infertility. Primary ovarian insufficiency is sometimes confused with premature menopause, but these conditions aren't ...

Causes of female infertility Causes of female infertility may include: Ovulation disorders, which affect the release of eggs from the ovaries. These include hormonal disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Hyperprolactinemia, a condition in which you have too much prolactin — the hormone that stimulates breast milk production — also may interfere with ovulation. Either too much thyroid hormo ...

Symptoms: The main symptom of infertility is the inability to get pregnant. A menstrual cycle that's too long (35 days or more), too short (less than 21 days), irregular or absent can mean that you're not ovulating. There may be no other outward signs or symptoms. Each of these factors is essential to become pregnant: You need to ovulate. To get pregnant, your ovaries must produce and release a ...

Fertility Problem Sign It is common for a couple to observe fertility issues after they have tried to get pregnant unsuccessfully for a year. Most of the causes of infertility are silent and they don't have obvious symptoms. However, the following signs may indicate a fertility issue and may give you signal to appoint a doctor. Your age is 35 or more, and you have been trying to conceive for 6 m ...