When it comes to fertility, knowledge truly is power. Yet, for many women, reproductive health remains an area that is shrouded in mystery. According to the Organon Women’s Fertility Study Report, 4 in 5 Australian women want more education around fertility and the support available.
Motherhood begins at plenty of different ages, but women are increasingly starting families later in life. There are now more first-time mums in their 30s than first-time mums in their 20s, and as a result, proactive fertility management is high on the national agenda.
Given the later preference to begin starting a family, many are still caught in a reactive cycle – only seeking help once issues arise.
This is something that Maz Coote, the founder of reproductive health brand WHEN, was confronted with. “I found out I had low AMH [Anti-Müllerian Hormones] in my 30s and I had to go through multiple rounds of fertility treatment freezing my eggs,” she tells Women’s Health.
“Talking to some of the country’s leading specialists – I came to understand, that there were plenty of other women like me that had low AMH and some who had run out of eggs early, that didn’t know until it was too late. I was lucky enough to find out early enough.”
Yes, the prospects can be unsettling, but don’t panic. Even if fertility has laid in the back of your mind until the moment you decide you want to conceive, there are professionals, tools and tips at hand. Here’s what you need to know.
How to support preconception if you want to get pregnant
Before you decide on a course of action, speaking to an accessible health professional like a pharmacist or GP can help set you on the right path in increasing your fertility knowledge.
Blooms The Chemist Pharmacist Andria Aird has a few key pieces of advice that can help support preconception and at the very least, ensure you’re more knowledgeable about fertility.
- Take folic acid and prebiotics. Aird highlights the importance of taking folic acid. This essential vitamin helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects in babies, while other vitamins and minerals like probiotics can also contribute to fertility and the health of the baby.
- Consider your male partner’s health. As Aird stresses, fertility is not just a women’s issue. The health of the male partner is equally important, and both potential parents should undergo general health checks in the initial stages of planning a family.
- Time conception with your cycle. Timing is another crucial aspect of maximising fertility, according to Aird. Ensuring that the fertility window aligns with your attempts to conceive can significantly boost success rates.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Stress management, a nutritious diet and limiting caffeine and alcohol intake are all factors that can positively influence reproductive health. Smoking, in particular, should be avoided as it has been linked to decreased fertility in both men and women.
How to do a fertility check at home
If you want to get a handle on your fertility by checking your egg count from home, a product developed by Maz Coote and WHEN can help you do it. “Knowing your egg count and understanding your egg quality are key pieces of information we need to understand to be able to make a fertility plan,” says Coote.
A decline in egg count and quality is a natural part of aging, but many women remain unaware of the extent or implications until they face difficulties conceiving. Coote points out a glaring gap in how we approach fertility. “We do our breast checks, have our cervical screens, dental checks, and skin checks, but we aren’t taught to be proactive about our fertility. With our fertility, we wait until there is a problem and then we see specialists to solve it. When is that ever a good approach to health?”
By talking to women who had gone through similar experiences to her own, Coote recognised that women weren’t being provided with the tools they needed to conceive later in life. “When I was talking to women, they had been told to try for 12 months before investigating their fertility. But what is being suggested for someone that isn’t ready to have a family? To just wait and see down the track?”
To remedy this issue, WHEN developed an at-home egg count test to measure your egg count through a simple fingerprick. The test can provide clinical grade results and help you better understand what’s going on inside your body – and it’s one of the few of its kind available in Australia.
Our top 4 preconception picks
At what age are women most fertile?
Women are generally most fertile in their early 20s. During this time, both egg count and egg quality are at their peak, offering the highest chances of conception.
When does female fertility start declining?
Female fertility typically begins to decline around age 30, with a more noticeable decrease after age 35. By the time a woman reaches her 40s, both the quantity and quality of eggs have significantly diminished, making conception more challenging and increasing the risk of complications.
What do at-home fertility tests measure?
At-home fertility tests typically measure hormones like Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), which can provide an indication of your egg count.
How do you take an at-home egg count test?
Most at-home fertility tests will require you to take a blood or saliva sample before sending it back to a lab for analysis. Results are usually available within a few days and will offer a snapshot of your fertility status, without the need for a doctor’s visit.
