What does your AMH result mean?
Anti-Müllerian hormone is produced by small follicles in the ovaries and gives an estimate of how many eggs remain.
The distinction that matters most
ESHRE (2026) is explicit, and it is worth reading twice.
For predicting ovarian response — AFC or AMH is recommended. Strong recommendation. Age, BMI, basal FSH, inhibin B, basal oestradiol, basal progesterone and basal LH are not recommended for this.
For predicting pregnancy and live birth — female age and BMI are predictors. AMH, AFC, basal FSH, basal LH, basal oestradiol, basal progesterone and inhibin B are not recommended for predicting pregnancy or live birth. Also strong.
So AMH predicts how many eggs you are likely to get in a stimulation cycle. It does not predict whether you will have a baby.
Why this matters
A low AMH is routinely delivered as a prognosis, and frequently heard as "you are running out of time to have a child". That is not what it measures.
Women with low AMH and regular cycles conceive naturally. AMH is a stimulation planning parameter — it tells your clinic what dose to use and what yield to expect.
If you have been given a low result and told it means poor chances of a baby, that goes beyond what the test supports. It is reasonable to ask on what basis.
What AMH does not tell you
- Egg quality. It counts; it does not assess. Quality tracks with age.
- Your chance of natural conception.
- When you will reach menopause, with any useful precision for an individual.
- Whether IVF will work.
Note also that the POI guideline (2025) specifically recommends against routinely using AMH to predict premature ovarian insufficiency, citing insufficient evidence of accuracy.
Where it is genuinely useful
Planning stimulation dose. Identifying who is at risk of over-response and OHSS. Setting realistic expectations where low response is likely. Counselling before elective egg freezing about likely yield per cycle.
Practical points
AMH is relatively stable across the cycle, so timing is flexible. Results vary between assays and laboratories — use the same laboratory for repeats. Hormonal contraception can lower it somewhat.
If your AMH is low
It is useful information for planning. It is not a reason to panic, and it does not mean IVF will not work. It may mean more than one retrieval cycle is needed to accumulate enough eggs or embryos — and ESHRE supports double stimulation for accumulating oocytes where no fresh transfer is planned.
Ask what it means for your treatment plan, rather than accepting it as a statement about your future.
Sources
- ESHRE — Ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI: an update in 2025
- ESHRE/ASRM/CRE-WHiRL/IMS — Premature Ovarian Insufficiency guideline (2025)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good AMH level for IVF?▾
For IVF, AMH above 1.0 ng/mL is associated with an adequate ovarian response. AMH above 2.5 ng/mL predicts a good response (10+ eggs). AMH below 0.5 ng/mL is associated with poor response (fewer than 5 eggs typically). However, even very low AMH does not prevent IVF success — some women with AMH of 0.1 ng/mL still achieve live births, particularly if younger.
Can I get pregnant naturally with low AMH?▾
Yes. A large NEJM study found women with low AMH who ovulated normally had the same natural monthly conception rate as women with normal AMH. AMH predicts ovarian response to stimulation, not natural fertility in ovulating women. Low AMH should prompt urgency (do not delay, seek evaluation sooner) but does not prevent natural conception.
Why did my AMH come back different at a different lab?▾
AMH assays vary between laboratories — different manufacturers use different antibodies and calibration standards. Results from different labs are not directly comparable. For serial monitoring, always use the same laboratory. If you receive a concerning result from a new lab, retest at a specialist fertility centre before making major decisions.