Pregnancy requires a balance between various hormones, and a healthy journey of TTC and pregnancy requires a great deal of effort from the woman to regulate her body and maintain normal levels of various hormones. FSH is one of the most important hormones, its main function is to stimulate the follicles to produce eggs.
What is FSH
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is one of the gonadotrophic hormones; the other being the lh hormone. Both hormones are released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland. At the beginning of each woman's menstrual cycle, FSH levels rise, prompting multiple follicles to begin maturing. FSH stimulates the growth of follicles in the ovaries, from which an egg is then expelled at ovulation in a woman. It also increases the production of oestradiol by the ovaries. Thus the curve of FSH during the menstrual cycle is a rise before ovulation, a surge at ovulation, and then a fall after ovulation.
FSH Level in Difference Situation:
During pregnancy：0.1miu/ml as early as 26-30 days post ovulation.
Postpartum: fluctuates in 1-12miu/ml in the weeks and months
following childbirth as the body adjusts.Ovulation when not pregnant： 6.2-17.2 mIU/mL
Related Product: Femometer Ovulation Tracker
What Causes Low FSH Levels?
Lower than normal FSH levels occur rarely. But often results in incomplete pubertal development in children. They can cause poor function of the ovaries or testicles in adults, leading to infertility. The cause of low FSH levels is usually a disease that affects the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. Although rare, many conditions can cause hypopituitarism. Generally speaking, these three main factors can lead to hypopituitarism:
Something is putting pressure on your pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
Damage to your pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
You have a rare disease that may cause hypopituitarism.
One of the most common causes of primary hypopituitarism is pituitary adenoma. If an adenoma reaches a certain size or is growing, it can put pressure on the pituitary gland or block blood flow to the pituitary gland.
Kallman syndrome is a genetic disorder in which your hypothalamus does not produce enough gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Without enough GnRH, your FSH and sex hormone levels will be low. Without treatment, people with Kallmann syndrome will not reach puberty and will not be able to have children.
Additionally, Women who are underweight or have rapid weight loss may also in low FSH Levels.
What Causes High FSH Levels?
High FSH levels are most commonly seen in women over the age of 40 who are approaching menopause. If you are under the age of 40 but have high FSH levels, this means that you may have a reproductive health problem and need to seek medical attention promptly.
Common causes of high FSH levels include:
POI: POI is called primary ovarian insufficiency, which means that when ovarian function is abnormal or the number of functional follicles is reduced, FSH levels will increase. When there are fewer follicles to develop, the brain sends a signal to send out more FSH to help develop the dominant follicle.
Menopause: High FSH levels are a typical feature of menopause. As a woman approaches menopause, her ovarian function declines, resulting in less estrogen production and an increase in the pituitary gland's secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to stimulate the ovaries.
POF: POF occurs when the ovaries stop functioning properly before age 40. This may result in increased FSH levels due to loss of ovarian function and decreased follicle and estrogen secretion.
