Wondering how much longer I can leave it for - which fertility tests?

[yogamum2013]

Hi folks

I'm 37, wondering how much longer I should leave trying to conceive. I'd like to have a fertility test done to help me decide (in the event my eggs are depleting at a rapid rate I'd want to start sooner rather than later).

I am healthy, a non smoker, a non drinker, exercise regularly, eat well etc. I have no reason to believe I will have any problems.

Problem is that all the information I've encountered assumes that fertility tests are for those that have fertility issues. I haven't yet tried to get pregnant. I just want to know where I'm at so I can plan my life a bit better.

I also live in China and don't have fantastic Chinese language skills. It's hard for me to communicate the complexities of what I'm after. I'd prefer to just go in, and ask them to run a few tests.

So - is there such thing as a basic fertility test? or is this a myth? If there's no such thing as a basic fertility test, then what tests should I be getting?

Thanks so much in advance!

Yogamum

There are tests that can tell you if there is a problem, but nothing can confirm that you are fertile apart from trying for a baby and succeeding. About a third of cases of infertility are due to female problems and a third are due to male problems. The other third is "unexplained" - i.e. the tests don't show a problem. There is nothing that can confirm that you won't fall into this category.

I'm also 37 and have a healthy lifestyle like you (save that I do drink, moderately). We fall into the unexplained category. We have been trying since I was 34 and all the standard tests are normal.

The best indicators of whether female fertility is declining are two blood tests - for FSH and AMH (FSH rises as fertility declines and AMH falls). You can have your tubes checked (a test called a HSG) and your ovaries checked for cysts. But these tests can all come back normal and yet you will be unable to conceive.

At 37 my advice would be not to wait if you want children.

I agree with the pp. If you want children then waiting could lead to heartache.

None of the tests can say how fertile you are or not. They can give a rough indication of the number of eggs left. But even if these test come back with excellent results, this does not mean you will get pregnant quickly or easily. And even if you do, then the risk of miscarriage increases dramatically as you get older as more of the the eggs left, are a poorer quality. Sorry to be brutal but it is not a good idea to put off trying to conceive on the basis of fertility tests.

If you want children and are in a position to start, then do not delay.