Female Fertility Test – Best Options Available

Many couples have problems with infertility. Want to know why? It is probably because fertility tests can end up changing the lives of the individuals completely. In this post, we will discuss the female fertility test.

But medicine has made so much breakthrough that it infertility issues shouldn’t be so much of a problem anymore. It isn’t as bleak as we paint it to be. According to medicine, a couple is deemed to have infertility problems after a whole year of failing to conceive.

Looking at that statistic, it seems like a huge problem but further research proves it fairly normal. For example, studies show that many women less than 39-years-old find it difficult to conceive in the first year. This means that you probably don’t have a problem if you have been trying for a while.

How do doctors check if you can get pregnant?

The first thing you should note is that your doctor will check your blood for progesterone levels. If the levels are high, then it shows signs of ovulation. By yourself, you can observe your temperature every morning. It is proven that basal body temperature is slightly higher after ovulation.

So what does checking your temperature every morning prove? It allows you to learn about your ovulation pattern within a few months. Doctors can also run a few tests to check your thyroid and a few other hormonal issues. All of this is needed to check why you have irregular ovulation or it is absent.

Experts believe that you should seek help if you have been having regular sex for up to 12 months without conceiving. However, it is always best that you go for such tests with your spouse. Doctors will be interested in getting answers to certain questions.

These questions are mostly relating to lifestyle and health. Some of them include:

Medical history especially relating to surgeries and long-term conditions.
Medications
Smoking of cigarettes and alcohol consumption, use of illicit drugs, and drinking beverages containing caffeine.
Contact with toxins, chemicals, or any form of radiation at work or domestically.

That’s not all, a few other questions your doctor is likely to ask include:

Frequency of sexual intercourse between you and your spouse.
Use of birth control.
Your history of sexually transmitted diseases.
Issues with having sex.
Occasions of infidelity or sexual relationships with other individuals asides your partner.

You’ll also have to answer questions relating to your period. Some of these include:

If you have ever been pregnant or you are trying for the first time.
The number of periods you’ve had over the last 12 months.
Did you notice any change in your blood flow or were there large blood cloths?
The kinds of birth control methods you adopted in the past.
If this is your first time visiting an infertility doctor or getting infertility treatment.

What is the best Female Fertility Test?

Let’s face it, no test can be referred to as the best female fertility test. What happens is that doctors seek to identify different challenges that result in infertility through several methods.

This is why you may need to tale a Pap smear test. This will detect issues with the cervix like cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. All these issues can lead to you not getting pregnant.

You may also need to check your ovulatory cycle or take a urine test at home. The latter test checks for LH or luteinizing hormone that appears in high levels before ovulation. Having stated all these, let’s look at some common fertility tests.

Ovulation Test

Production of an egg each month is paramount to getting pregnant. This way you need to take an ovulation test. It is mostly carried out through a blood test.

Also, you will undergo an ultrasound scan that observes the lining of the womb/endometrium. With this, the doctors can diagnose if there is a distortion in the womb lining. It also helps to check the following:

For polyps or fibroids that can impact the cycle negatively.
Ovarian cysts.
Ease of collecting eggs from your ovaries.
Ovary size and the presence of numerous small follicles.

This test also provides your physician with a baseline report. The report comes in handy later, as you continue your treatment.

Ovarian Reserve (AMH Test)

This test helps to check for the ovarian reserve hormone. The hormone is known as Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH).

It is a simple blood test that provides an estimate of how many eggs you have left in the ovaries. After getting the results, the physician will explain the results to you. They’ll be able to tell if your egg estimate is normal for your age or not.

Uterus and Fallopian Tube Checks

Sometimes, there is a need to check for tubal patency. This means checking if the fallopian tubes are open or not. Doctors check this at the same as checking for the condition of the uterus. To do this, they carry the following tests:

This is also known as HyCoSy and it is a non-invasive procedure involving an ultrasound. Also, the doctor inserts a small tube into your cervix. This tube contains some dye that needs to reach the tubes and uterine cavity.
This is an x-ray test that helps to check the condition of the fallopian tubes. It only provides limited information regarding the uterus and no information about the ovaries.

Diagnostic laparoscopy and hysteroscopy

This is one of the more invasive female fertility tests. As a result, it is among the last tests and is not necessary in some cases. To perform this test, the doctor needs to place you under general anesthetic.

After this, they pass a fiber-optic telescope or laparoscope via a tiny incision in the umbilicus. Following this, they’ll insert a manipulating probe via the pubic hairline to check the fallopian tubes, ovaries, pelvic cavity, and uterus. This check will provide information on any abnormalities.

Hysteroscopy studies your uterine cavity to check for fibroids, polyps, abnormal anatomy, or adhesions. It makes use of a different fiber-optic device known as a hysteroscope.

Fertility Panel

This is a blood test designed to check the genes relating to the conception or maintaining pregnancy. Both males and females undergo this test to check for:

Stag3
Cystic fibrosis

In females,

FSH receptor
Prothrombin and Factor V Leiden
MTHFR

People who suffer from a delay in conception or have suffered above one miscarriage should take this test. Before you do, you need to discuss with your physician.

At-Home Fertility Test Kits and Apps

In recent years, At-Home fertility test kits have gained a lot of popularity. There are tons of options if you are having issues with conception. The challenge has always been finding the most accurate ones.

There are two major categories for female fertility tests, ovulation tests, and fertility apps. Let’s take a brief look at each of these.

Ovulation Kits

These kits help to track the luteinizing hormone. This will gauge the most fertile period in a woman’s cycle. The hormone increases between 24 – 48 hours before ovulation begins. This is about the best time to have sex with your partner. Check out some of the common ovulation kits below:

Clearblue Fertility Monitor with Touch Screen

If you are in search of a classic digital option, you’ll find it in this kit. It provides very clear results and it is easy for a novice to read. This kit goes beyond tracking just the luteinizing hormone, it also checks estrogen levels.

Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation

This is a more hi-tech option. It goes a little further in delivering results which is why it more expensive. The test kit detects LH levels as well as a spike in your estrogen levels.

First Response Ovulation Kit

Looking for the most affordable option? You should consider this kit. It is economical and brings you one pregnancy test and seven ovulation tests in one pack. The only challenge is that you’ll need to inspect the screen to determine ovulation. Though it isn’t as clear as the tests above, it works just fine.

Fertility Apps

Many of the apps in this category rely on one fact. You are at the peak of your fertility within 14 days of your next period. This is why doctors believe that these apps are best for women with regular cycles. These are some of the common apps available.

Glow

This app presents you with several bonus resources. No wonder it is one of the most popular female fertility test apps. It presents you with about 40 health tags for tracking your cycle. You also have access to more than 10 million users worldwide.

Kindara

This app allows you to log in just about everything including cervical fluid and body temperature. With this, you can keep up with any changes in your body and cycle.

Female Fertility Test-Conclusion

Female fertility tests have become very important these days. You don’t have to suffer in silence, you can take tests at home or speak to your physician. Remember that it is best to work with your partner when carrying out these tests. Finally, whatever the results are, there is always hope of conception.