GUIDES
Egg count and things
A woman's egg count refers to the quantity of eggs remaining in her ovaries. This count declines as women age, with a gradual decrease in the number of viable eggs, impacting fertility and the chances of conception as time progresses.
AMH levels decline with age
You’re born with all the eggs you will ever have.
Women are born with ~1-2 million potential eggs (in the body as ovarian follicles) and those are the only eggs we’ll ever have. Unlike regenerative cells such as skin or blood cells, our bodies cannot produce additional egg cells.
By the time we hit puberty, we might have around 1 million eggs. At 25 we might be left with around 3,00,000 eggs. Once we reach our fertility peak, the decline accelerates until we hit menopause – which is when the egg supply is exhausted.
PS. Every individual is entirely unique — your egg count and AMH may drop at a different rate. Measuring your levels over time can help you track changes and predict when menopause might happen for you.
You don’t lose just ONE egg per month
Our ovaries hold many immature egg follicles in the “primordial” or “sleeping” state. With each menstrual cycle, some of these follicles active for potential ovulation, but only one egg typically matures and is released.
Other activated follicles are absorbed by the body and are lost. Therefore, our bodies might naturally only release around 400 eggs in a lifetime. We might lose 1,000 potential eggs monthly, and that number increases as we age.
During the process of Egg Freezing, or IVF, a larger number of eggs are hyper-activated to collect multiple eggs in one cycle. Egg freezing or IVF doesn’t lower your body’s natural egg count; it makes use of more of the eggs you already have.
Normal AMH levels might mean more successful outcomes for IVF and egg freezing.
Low AMH levels might shorten the reproductive window.
Can I track my egg count today?
There are two effective methods to assess egg count: an Antral follicle count (AFC) and an AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) test.
The Antral follicle count not only estimates total egg count but also predicts the potential number of eggs that could be retreived during an IVF or Egg Freezing cycle.
On the other hand, AMH, a protein hormone produced by specific follicular cells, helps in estimating the total follicle count and, by extension, a woman's overall egg count. As AMH levels remain relatively stable throughout the menstrual cycle, the blood test can be administered at any point.
Read more
How can you test your AMH levels?
The Arva Health Fertility Test for Women not only measures your AMH levels but also assesses 12 other key biomarkers, offering the most comprehensive insight into your fertility—all from the comfort of your home and at a fraction of the usual cost.
When you take our test, you'll receive:
Physician-reviewed reports based on your results
A personalised fertility dashboard to help you understand your results and their implications
Tools to monitor hormone changes over time and plan your family timeline
Access to live Q&As with fertility experts
Round-the-clock support from fertility counsellors, doctors, and more
Test your AMH to understand Ovarian Reserve.
Want to keep going?
Go to our library for the most up-to-date fertility information.
