Fertility Testing at Day 3 and Day 21
The specialists at Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine, PC, a leading Omaha fertility center, understand that dealing with infertility is a very personal experience. This is why they take a personal approach to diagnosing and treating infertility. Rather than being driven by medical statistics alone, the doctors take great care to offer reproductive and infertility care that best meets the specific needs of each patient. In order to do this, a doctor must first diagnose the cause of infertility. When a couple is having difficulty conceiving, each partner should be evaluated. For patients in Omaha, female infertility testing is likely to include Day 3 and Day 21 fertility testing.
The beginning of any patient evaluation will begin with a discussion about the patient’s medical history. Once this information has been collected, the next step in female infertility testing is to determine if the woman is ovulating. If the woman has been experiencing periods on a somewhat regular basis, the patient can proceed with Day 3 fertility testing. Day 3 fertility testing is done on the third day of the patient’s period. When conducting Day 3 fertility testing (which is a simple blood test), lab technicians are measuring three important substances:
- Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH): During the first half of the menstrual cycle, FSH stimulates the production of estrogen and eggs. High levels of FSH can indicate that the quality or quantity of the patient’s eggs is low, which can make it difficult to become pregnant. The FSH test can also help diagnose ovarian cysts.
- Luteinizing hormone (LH): LH levels should rise at mid-cycle, about 24 to 36 hours before ovulation occurs. High levels of LH on day 3 may indicate disorders such as polycystic ovary disease or ovarian failure.
- Estradiol: Day 3 testing will also measure the level of estradiol, one of the most important forms of estrogen.
On day 21 of the patient’s cycle, another blood test will be given. Day 21 fertility testing is used to measure the levels of progesterone and to again check the levels of estradiol.
- Progesterone: On day 21 the progesterone level is checked to determine if ovulation has occurred. A low level of progesterone suggests that no egg was produced and pregnancy cannot be achieved.
Depending on the information that is gathered from Day 3 and Day 21 fertility testing, a variety of fertility treatment options may be recommended. For many patients in Omaha, in vitro fertilization is a viable treatment option. Hormone treatment can stimulate the production of several eggs that can then be extracted and fertilized in the lab before being transferred to the uterus. Day 21 testing is actually a useful tool in testing the levels of estradiol during IVF treatment.
Schedule a Consultation
Patients that are interested in learning more about the fertility testing and reproductive treatment options available at Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine can schedule a consultation today. The physicians at Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine look forward to helping patients on their journey to become pregnant.
