FSH Levels and You
If you’ve done any studying or reading about fertility, you know that one of the acronyms you need to be concerned with is FSH. FSH stands for “Follicle Stimulating Hormone,” and it’s made in your pituitary gland.
The job of FSH is, in the most basic sense, to help get the ovaries to work. It “Stimulates” the “Follicle.” Th follicle is a cyst filled with fluid that has an egg inside of it. The follicle is very small to begin with, so a woman can have a large number of eggs in her ovaries.
What the FSH does is to cause the fluid surrounding the egg inside the follicle to increase in volume. Eventually, the follicle will become a cyst. You can actually see a follicle on an ultrasound.
During a normal cycle, the follicle will eventually get so full that it will burst. When this happens, the egg will be released and ovulation will occur.
When a woman is younger and her body has many eggs in her ovaries, her FSH levels will be relatively low. The body doesn’t have to create very much FSH to get the follicle to fill with fluid and cause ovulation.
As a woman gets older, her number of eggs is smaller. This means that the body increases the amount of FSH production. The pituitary gland creates more FSH in response to the greater difficulty the body has in ovulating. This greater amount of FSH is designed to help the ovaries produce an egg.
If you’re in fertility treatments, your FSH levels will probably be checked, especially if you’re considering In Vitro Fertilization. If you have an FSH level above 12, you may not be able to get treatment. Some fertility clinics or health care providers recognize the slim chance of becoming pregnant with that high of a level of FSH.
While it’s not always impossible to become pregnant with high FSH levels, the fact of the matter is that the odds are stacked against you.
One Response to “FSH Levels and You”
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February 6th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
I’m 29 and was informed that my hormone levels are at a menopausal stage. Not sure what the exact number is and have to wait 3 weeks to see an RE. We are trying for our first so I was heartbroken when I heard the news. I’ve done so much research online and don’t feel optomistic at all. They tested my levels at Day 21 and also tested my progesterine level. I don’t know what any of them are at to know really what to think and I read it should be tested on day 3 of your cycle. I guess I’m looking for hope here? I haven’t had AF visit since Jan 5th and I’ve only gone one other time this long without AF visiting. I tested twice with BFN so I am not getting my hopes up. So just wanted to see if anyone has any advice for me in case the news truly is bad??? Thanks,