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TESTS · AMH AND OVARIAN RESERVE
One number on a report. What it does and doesn't mean.
AMH is a blood test that estimates how many eggs are left in the ovaries. It tells us how to plan treatment and how quickly to move; it does not tell you whether you will have a baby.
- Any day of the cycle
- One blood test, minutes
- Read with a follicle scan
- Counts eggs, not quality
- Small resting follicles make AMH
- AMH blood test — Any day
- Follicle scan (AFC) — Day 2 to 5, counts follicles
- Egg quality — Follows age, not AMH
01What does an AMH test measure?
An AMH test measures anti-Müllerian hormone, which is made by the small resting follicles in the ovaries, so the level reflects roughly how many eggs remain.
It is the most useful single blood test of ovarian reserve, and it is read with an antral follicle count (AFC): a scan that counts the small follicles in both ovaries. The two together are more reliable than either alone. Older tests, such as day 2 FSH, add less and vary more from month to month.
02How and when is it done?
AMH is a simple blood test that can be taken on any day of the cycle, because the level stays fairly steady through the month.
No fasting or preparation is needed. Hormonal contraception can lower AMH, so tell us if you are on the pill; the result is read with that in mind. The follicle count scan is a vaginal ultrasound early in the cycle.
03Is there a normal AMH value by age?
There is no single normal AMH value: it falls with age in every woman, and each lab uses its own assay, units and age ranges.
A result that is expected at 40 would prompt a talk about timing at 28. So compare your number with your own age band and your own lab's range, not a chart online or a friend's report. If one result does not fit your scan or history, it can be repeated in the same lab.
04What can AMH not tell you?
AMH cannot tell you whether your eggs are healthy, whether you can conceive naturally, or when you will reach menopause.
Egg quality follows age. A woman of 30 and a woman of 42 with the same AMH are in very different situations. What AMH predicts well is how many eggs an IVF cycle is likely to collect, which is why it shapes the stimulation plan.
Honest note
AMH on its own is only weakly predictive of pregnancy, and a very low value should not be used to refuse someone IVF. (What the evidence says (ASRM committee opinion on ovarian reserve testing, 2020))
05Can AMH be increased?
No. No supplement, diet or medicine has been shown to raise AMH or add eggs, and a result that rises between two tests is usually lab variation.
What you can change is everything around the eggs: a healthy weight, stopping smoking, and correcting thyroid problems or vitamin D before treatment. These can help the outcome; they do not change the AMH number. With a low result, the plan changes instead.
Honest note
Dual stimulation at JananamEgg accumulation and individualised stimulation, including dual stimulation, rather than simply higher doses. (Dr Vani Sundarapandian, on how she treats low ovarian reserve)
How to read your report
Units: AMH is printed in ng/mL or pmol/L. 1 ng/mL is about 7.14 pmol/L, so 1.0 in ng/mL and 7.1 in pmol/L are the same result. Many worrying comparisons online mix the two.
AMH (ng/mL)
Anti-Müllerian hormone, in nanograms per millilitre. Common in Indian labs.
- Reference
- No single normal value. Use the age-related range printed by your lab (ASRM 2020: assays differ)
- If outside
- Lower than expected for your age means fewer eggs per IVF cycle, so the plan moves faster.
AMH (pmol/L)
The same hormone in picomoles per litre, used by many UK and European labs.
- Reference
- No single normal value. 1 ng/mL equals about 7.14 pmol/L (standard lab conversion)
- If outside
- A number without its unit cannot be read. Check the unit before comparing with anything.
Method / assay (for example Elecsys, Access, ELISA)
The machine or kit the lab used.
- Reference
- No reference value
- If outside
- Results from different assays are not exactly comparable. Repeat in the same lab if you want to compare.
Age-related reference range / percentile
Where your result sits compared with other women your age, if the lab prints it.
- Reference
- Lab's own reference interval
- If outside
- This line matters more than the raw number.
Antral follicle count, AFC (on the scan report)
The number of small follicles (2 to 10 mm) counted in both ovaries early in the cycle.
- Reference
- No single normal value; falls with age. Read with AMH
- If outside
- AFC is a scan, not a blood test. A low AFC with a low AMH confirms low reserve.
FSH and oestradiol, day 2 to 4
Older markers of reserve, sometimes printed on the same panel.
- Reference
- Lab's reference interval for the early follicular phase
- If outside
- A raised FSH supports low reserve. Explained on the hormone tests page.
Source of ranges: No guideline sets one normal AMH value. ASRM (Testing and interpreting measures of ovarian reserve, 2020) notes that AMH and AFC are the most useful reserve markers, that values differ between assays, and that AMH only weakly predicts pregnancy. Your lab's own age range applies.
What the result changes.
IfAs expected for your age
Reserve is not the limiting factor. We move on to the tube check, ovulation and his semen analysis.
What that meansIfLower than expected for your age
Time matters more, so we test both of you quickly, set short time limits, and move to IVF sooner if needed.
What that meansIfVery low, planning IVF
Stimulation fitted to you, and eggs or embryos banked over more than one collection, sometimes with dual stimulation.
What that meansIfVery low, over 40, with poor response before
Dr Vani will say plainly if treatment with your own eggs is unlikely to help, and talk you through donor eggs.
What that meansIfHigher than expected
Often a sign of PCOS. In IVF it raises the risk of over-response, so we use gentler stimulation, a different trigger and freeze the embryos.
What that meansIfNot ready for a baby yet
If your AMH is low for your age, egg freezing sooner rather than later is worth discussing.
What that meansDo you need this test?
Do any of these sound like you?
- We're planning IVF or thinking about egg freezing
- I'm over 35 and want to know how much time I have
- I've had surgery on an ovary, or chemotherapy
- My cycles have become shorter
- I have an AMH report and don't know what it means
Already told your AMH is low? Read what it means and what can be done.
Your first visit
1
Talk
Your age, cycles, any ovarian surgery, and how soon you want a baby.
2
Test
AMH with a follicle count scan, plus his semen analysis.
3
Plan
What your number means for your age, and how fast to move.
4
Treat
A natural try with a time limit, IVF planned for your reserve, or egg freezing.
Questions patients ask
Still unsure? Ask us on WhatsApp — a real person replies.
What is a normal AMH level by age?
There is no single normal AMH level by age, because AMH falls steadily with age and each lab uses its own assay, units and age ranges. Read your result against the age range printed on your own report, and with a follicle scan.
What does low AMH mean?
Low AMH means fewer eggs remain than usual for your age, so fewer eggs are likely to grow in one IVF cycle. It does not mean poor egg quality, and many women with low AMH still conceive.
Is AFC a blood test?
No, AFC (antral follicle count) is a vaginal ultrasound scan, not a blood test. It counts the small follicles in both ovaries early in the cycle and is read together with the AMH blood test.
Can I do the AMH test on any day of my period?
Yes, AMH can be tested on any day of the cycle, because it stays fairly steady through the month. The pill can lower it, so mention it if you take one.
What does a high AMH mean?
A high AMH usually means many follicles, and it often goes with PCOS. In IVF it raises the risk of over-response (OHSS), so stimulation is planned to be gentler.
Can AMH be increased with supplements?
No supplement has been shown to raise AMH or add eggs. A healthy weight and stopping smoking help the eggs you have, but they do not change the number.
Does AMH predict menopause?
Only loosely. A very low AMH suggests menopause may come earlier than average, but it cannot predict your own timing.
Where can I get an AMH test in Chennai?
Jananam takes the AMH blood test at its Neelankarai centre on ECR and its Thiruporur clinic, and reads it with a follicle scan and your age. Message us on WhatsApp to book, or send a report you already have.
In their words, not ours.
Patient from USA
· Practo
Right from our first visit, we found that Dr. Vani and her team were up to date on our case.
Kishore K.
· Google
It felt less like a medical facility and more like a place of hope.
Sources (4)
- ASRM: Testing and interpreting measures of ovarian reserve: a committee opinion (2020)
- ASRM: Fertility evaluation of infertile women: a committee opinion (2021)
- ESHRE: Guideline on ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI
- ESHRE: International evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of PCOS (2023)
Send us the number. We'll read it with your age.
Share your AMH report, your age and how long you've been trying. A real person from Dr Vani's team replies on WhatsApp, usually within minutes during clinic hours (Mon to Sat, 9am to 5pm. Sunday closed.).
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Sex selection is prohibited in India under the PCPNDT Act, 1994 and the ART Act, 2021.