There are certain hormones that fluctuate throughout your cycle. These are key to helping you better understand your fertility.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

The first is FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone), which should be at a low level on day 3 of your cycle. Women are born with their quota of eggs that are released each month until menopause. As a woman ages so do her eggs. As the quality of eggs declines, increasing amounts of FSH are released in order to produce eggs capable of fertilisation. The Fertell test detects when your day 3 FSH is at a level that indicates that your egg quality (ovarian reserve) has decreased and the chances of the egg being fertilised are reduced. The test gives you a measure of your underlying fertility through assessing your egg quality.

Luteinising Hormone (LH)

The second is LH (Luteinising Hormone), which surges once the egg has matured causesing the egg to be released. This is ovulation and normally occurs between days 12-16 of your cycle (but this will vary depending on the length of your cycle). You can buy ovulation prediction kits that let you know when ovulation is happening through detection of LH. An ovulation test shows you the time in your cycle when you are most likely to conceive, it will not tell you about your fertility or the quality of the egg you produce.

Oestrogen

Oestrogen is produced mainly by the ovaries and is largely responsible for the changes which occur in young women around puberty (e.g. breast development and hair growth).

Oestrogen helps stimulate the growth of the egg within the follicle.

Progesterone

Progesterone is produced mainly by the corpus luteum in the ovary following ovulation. When progesterone is produced it causes a slight increase in body temperature. Progesterone prepares the lining of the womb to accept a fertilised egg. Progesterone also prevents the release of any further eggs by inhibiting release of FSH and LH.


For educational purposes only