{"id":39644,"date":"2025-06-23T12:56:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T10:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/ovarian-reserve-and-assisted-reproduction-what-is-it-and-how-do-we-diagnose-it\/"},"modified":"2025-06-23T12:56:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T10:56:26","slug":"ovarian-reserve-and-assisted-reproduction-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/ovarian-reserve-and-assisted-reproduction-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Ovarian reserve and assisted reproduction: what is it and how do we diagnose it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When we talk about female fertility there\u2019s a very important term that every woman should know. We\u2019re referring to the ovarian reserve,\u00a0<strong>something which is essential if you\u2019re trying to conceive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In this article we want to slow down and explain to you what the ovarian reserve is as well as why it\u2019s so\u00a0<strong>vital in assisted reproduction<\/strong>, as it will determine whether one type of fertility treatment should be used, or another. Keep on reading and we\u2019ll tell you more.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Tabla de contenidos<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #3f3f3f;color:#3f3f3f\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #3f3f3f;color:#3f3f3f\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/ovarian-reserve-and-assisted-reproduction-2\/#What_is_the_ovarian_reserve\" >What is the ovarian reserve?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/ovarian-reserve-and-assisted-reproduction-2\/#How_do_we_diagnose_the_ovarian_reserve\" >How do we diagnose the ovarian reserve?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/ovarian-reserve-and-assisted-reproduction-2\/#How_are_a_females_ovarian_reserve_and_her_fertility_related\" >How are a female\u2019s ovarian reserve and her fertility related?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_ovarian_reserve\"><\/span><strong>What is the ovarian reserve?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We define the ovarian reserve (OR) as\u00a0<strong>the number of eggs that a woman has<\/strong>\u00a0at a certain moment in her life.<\/p>\n<p>This means that it is\u00a0<strong>a concept which varies over time<\/strong>, as the female oocyte population is constantly declining from the time she is born until her eggs, or ovarian reserve, run out completely. Now you will better understand why we insist so much that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/how-a-females-age-impacts-her-fertility-and-chances-of-becoming-a-mother\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a woman\u2019s age impacts her fertility and chances of conceiving<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_we_diagnose_the_ovarian_reserve\"><\/span><strong>How do we diagnose the ovarian reserve?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are different types of tests used to determine the amount of oocytes a woman has. However, in particular there are\u00a0<strong>two tests that have proven to be far superior<\/strong>\u00a0to all others. We are referring to the antral follicle count via ultrasound and the blood test to analyse the anti-mullerian hormone (AMH).<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>antral follicle count\u00a0<\/strong>consists in carrying out a transvaginal ultrasound between the second and fifth day of the cycle to determine how many eggs there are. An optimal ovarian reserve would be between\u00a06\u00a0and\u00a08 follicles per ovary.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/anti-mullerian-hormone-and-ovarian-reserve-why-we-order-this-test-in-assisted-reproduction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">anti-mullerian hormone blood test<\/a>\u00a0is an analysis that should also be carried out\u00a0<strong>between cycle days two and five<\/strong>. The result should range from 0.7\u00a0to\u00a03.5\u00a0ng\/ml to be considered a normal ovarian reserve.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_are_a_females_ovarian_reserve_and_her_fertility_related\"><\/span><strong>How are a female\u2019s ovarian reserve and her fertility related?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ovarian reserve is a\u00a0<strong>factor of crucial importance to female fertility<\/strong>\u00a0as it conditions both a female\u2019s natural ability to get pregnant as well as her results if she needs to undergo assisted reproduction treatment. Regarding the oocytes, the concepts of egg quality and number are not equivalent but they are very closely related.<\/p>\n<p>Generally speaking, we consider that\u00a0<strong>a female possesses a good ovarian reserve and good egg quality until she turns 30 years old<\/strong>. This is her most fertile period! After this age, egg quantity and quality begin to progressively decline, an occurrence which becomes more evident after the age of 35 and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/becoming-a-mother-at-40-pregnancy-risks-beginning-at-this-age\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">which dramatically worsens starting at the age of 40<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, there are a significant number of\u00a0<strong>women whose ovarian reserve declines even more quickly<\/strong>. This may be due to the very nature of their ovaries (women who are born with a fewer number of eggs), or it could be the result of circumstances that have damaged their ovarian reserve. An example of the latter would be certain\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/habits-that-have-a-negative-impact-on-your-fertility-avoid-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">habits that harm fertility and which should be avoided<\/a>, but there are also cases such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy\u2026<\/p>\n<p>As you can imagine, this situation causes menopause to arrive at an earlier age (premature menopause or premature ovarian failure) and, as a result,\u00a0<strong>an inability -early on- to conceive with own eggs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>For all of these reasons, at our fertility clinic in Spain we believe that evaluating the ovarian reserve is an\u00a0<strong>important part of the gynaecological examination<\/strong>\u00a0for women who would like to conceive, especially if they plan on waiting to start trying to get pregnant until after the age of\u00a034.<\/p>\n<p>A poor result should be taken into consideration when it comes to planning for maternity by\u00a0<strong>trying to conceive at as young an age as possible<\/strong>\u00a0and maybe by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">turning to assisted reproduction<\/a>\u00a0in order to become a mother.<\/p>\n<p>Do you still have questions about the ovarian reserve? Are you looking for a specialist in assisted reproduction? Remember that\u00a0<strong>your first appointment with us\u00a0is completely free<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>You can request an appointment by calling us\u00a0<strong>0034<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>952 122 565<\/strong>, or\u00a0you can do it\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When we talk about female fertility there\u2019s a very important term that every woman should know. We\u2019re referring to the ovarian reserve,\u00a0something which is essential if you\u2019re trying to conceive. In this article we want to slow down and explain to you what the ovarian reserve is as well as why it\u2019s so\u00a0vital in assisted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[499,497],"tags":[677,676,511,512,504,529,542,678,521,522,675,518,507,508,540,567,503,509,510,679,561,515,557,516,505,530],"class_list":["post-39644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assisted-reproduction-treatments-and-techniques","category-fertility-problems","tag-anti-mullerian-hormone","tag-antral-follicles","tag-assisted-reproduction-clinic-in-algeciras","tag-assisted-reproduction-clinic-in-malaga","tag-assisted-reproduction-techniques","tag-causes-of-infertility","tag-clinic-gutenberg-en","tag-early-menopause","tag-egg-donation-in-algeciras","tag-egg-donation-in-malaga","tag-eggs","tag-fertility-clinic","tag-fertility-clinic-in-algeciras","tag-fertility-clinic-in-malaga","tag-fertility-preservation","tag-gutenberg-malaga-en","tag-in-vitro-fertilisation","tag-ivf-clinic-in-algeciras","tag-ivf-clinic-in-malaga","tag-oocytes","tag-ovarian-reserve","tag-reproductive-treatments","tag-sterility","tag-ure-en","tag-ure-centro-gutenberg-en","tag-vitrification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39644"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39646,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39644\/revisions\/39646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}