As someone with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), I have long worried about fertility—even though I had never looked into my fertility hormones or even explored what PCOS disease is in-depth. And the reason I haven’t taken the initiative to look into these things more was because I was afraid. I have always been a pretty healthy individual, but of course, as a plus size woman, I experience a lot of obstacles like weight bias in medicine when it comes to getting thorough and fair care from a doctor. And when I tried to explore my PCOS diagnosis further, many doctors wrote it off and told me not to worry about it. It felt invalidating. So, I stopped digging into the matter.
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I have always envisioned myself having children one day, but as I enter my 30th year, the desire to have kids hasn’t hit me yet, which is fine. But what does bother me is that it’s impossible to ignore the fact that as women age, their chances to conceive become harder. While it’s totally okay that I don’t want children right now, I knew that I had to start thinking about my options when it comes to possibly freezing my eggs and looking at my fertility hormone health comprehensively.
Testing My Fertility Hormones at Home
But I had no idea where to start. I didn’t want to explore my fertility health or talk about my options with the doctors I had seen previously since I didn’t receive much help in the first place. And that’s when I found Modern Fertility, a fertility hormone test that you can take at home. I didn’t know what to expect with this test since I had never investigated my fertility hormones before, but luckily, Modern Fertility discloses all the important details with you about what your test will show you and how you can use the results to empower your future decisions and plans.
Here are some of the things the Modern Fertility test will tell you:
- If you have more or fewer eggs than average
- If you may hit menopause earlier or later than average
- Help you understand egg freezing or IVF outcomes
- How your general health-related to your hormones
- Help you check general body factors like thyroid health and others that can affect fertility
Learn more about each of these insights and the science behind Modern Fertility’s hormone tests.
You can purchase your very own Modern Fertility Hormone test for $139 with my discount!
Can I Take Modern Fertility’s Hormone Test if I have PCOS?
YES! I was relieved to find out that I could take this test and get a real look into my fertility hormones even if I had PCOS. I was wondering how my condition and my birth control—I have an IUD—would play into my results, but Modern Fertility asks you important questions before you submit your blood samples to their lab. These questions are important to answer as they investigate your cycle, birth control, and any other conditions you may experience that could help shed more light on your fertility hormones. These questions will also help determine the best time during your menstrual cycle to take your test. After I completed the quiz and registered my test kit, I took my blood samples, which consisted of me pricking my finger and placing blood droplets onto test strips. After I let the test strips dry, I placed them in a secure mailer and shipped them back to the Modern Facility lab via USPS. The process was very simple. If you would rather do a blood draw in a lab, Modern Fertility also gives you the option to do that. However, studies show that the test strip blood samples were just as accurate as a typical blood draw.
Which Hormones Does Modern Fertility Look At?
Depending on the kind of birth control you’re using, Modern Fertility looks at several specific hormones that can help doctors understand egg count, ovulation, general body factors, and red flags that relate to fertility. This is very similar to proactive fertility tests that you would pay as much as $1,500 for through your doctor, according to Modern Fertility.
Here are the hormones Modern Fertility will test:
- Anti-Mullerian hormone
- Follicle-stimulating hormone
- Estradiol
- Luteinizing hormone
- Thyroid Stimulating hormone
- Free thyroxine
- Prolactin
The Waiting Game and Getting my Modern Fertility Results
As I was waiting for my results, I downloaded Modern Fertility’s app to track my current cycle. The app was very user-friendly and intuitive. When my results were ready, I got an email notification. I was nervous to see the results, but I was prepared as I had told myself that no matter what the results were, I was ready to get them and that I would always find a way to make a plan that suits my life.
To my surprise, all my hormone levels came back as normal. Because I love to see the actual results and how my numbers measure up to the average, I was so happy to see that Modern Fertility broke down each of my hormone levels and charted them so I could see where I stood. I was also happy to see that Modern Fertility offers me assistance and advice on planning for the next steps of my life like egg freezing. I also got access to in-depth reports based off my results, which are extremely helpful in helping me understand my hormones. I also loved that I could download an extensive report for my doctors, which helps me feel empowered.
My Modern Fertility Experience and Review
All in all, I am so happy that I decided to take Modern Fertility’s at home hormone test because at the end of the day, I was able to empower myself with these results. I gave myself more insight into my body than any doctor ever has. While I know these results may not replace seeing a doctor about my hormones, I feel confident to walk into my endocrinologist or doctor with my Modern Fertility results. I also get a personal fertility team through Modern Fertility where I can chat one on one with a fertility nurse or join weekly webinars. My results have also eased my worries about my overall hormone health. I would absolutely recommend taking a Modern Fertility hormone test if you are interested in learning more about your body or planning your future. Modern Fertility also has pregnancy and ovulation tests, as well as prenatal multivitamins. If you have an FSA or HAS HSA account through your healthcare provider or employer like me, you can use your account to purchase a Modern Fertility test kit.
Do you have any questions about my experience? If so, please reach out to me at natalie@natalieinthecity.com!
Thank you to Modern Fertility for sponsoring this blog post. All opinions are 100% my own. This is a partnership I thought long and hard about taking as it does involve me to be extremely vulnerable–no matter the outcome of the results. I truly appreciate Modern Fertility’s support and thoroughness throughout this time! Thank you for supporting brands that support Natalie in the City.