DCL
Q: I'm thinking about having a baby in the next couple of years. Is there anything I should be doing now?
A: I encourage women to know as much about their bodies as possible, even if they are not looking to have a baby right now. One thing a woman can do to learn more about their fertility potential is take an at-home FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) test like the FIRST RESPONSE® Fertility Test for Women, which is an effective screening tool to evaluate ovarian reserve, one of the leading, most relevant factor of reproduction potential in women. The test can tell a woman if her FSH levels are elevated, indicating that she may have low ovarian reserve. The value of understanding this cannot be underestimated. A woman who is faced with the diagnosis of low ovarian reserve may have significant trouble conceiving and future fertility can be seriously compromised. Knowing information about ovarian reserve sooner can therefore be very important. In addition, a woman should go to her OB/GYN for a pre-conception visit. This will give her the opportunity to discuss medical history and begin taking important steps to prepare for pregnancy, like taking prenatal vitamins containing folic acid.
Dr. Peter Ahlering is a board certified obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) with a focus in operative laparoscopy and advanced laparoscopic procedures and spokesperson for First Response.
