How to Increase AMH Level: Strategies for Fertility Enhancement

This blog is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for more individualized guidance.

Exploring fertility is a long road that doesn’t simply end after getting off birth control. When you’re trying for a baby, there are numerous factors to stay on top of—from day-to-day decisions like diet to the invisible hormones that make a world of difference.

AMH, or anti-mullerian hormone, is made in the ovaries (though, notably, the hormone is made in both biological males and females). Rather than impacting fertility directly, it chiefly acts as an indicator; AMH levels can be tested and tell you how many eggs are in your ovarian reserve.

Generally speaking, higher AMH levels mean you have more eggs, while lower AMH levels indicate a smaller ovarian reserve. (Though in some cases, inflated AMH levels can point to an underlying health condition, like PCOS, which may complicate matters of fertility.)

If you’re wondering how to increase AMH levels, it’s important to understand that it’s not possible to alter your AMH levels directly. However, learning more about them can help demystify how they do and don’t relate to your ability to have a child. Below, find out what healthy, normal AMH levels are and how to promote fertility holistically.

What’s a healthy AMH level?

One of the most influential factors in predicting female fertility is age: Generally speaking, the older you get, the harder it becomes to conceive a baby naturally.

AMH levels tend to escalate during adolescence and reach their highest level at 25 years old. As you get older, AMH levels begin to decline, and most women reach low levels of AMH between the ages of 35 and 45 years old.

Clinicians use the following AMH level ranges to gauge adult women’s fertility:

• Average or healthy AMH levels – 1.0 ng/mL to 3.0 ng/mL
• Low AMH levels – Below 1.0 ng/mL
• Extremely low AMH levels – .4 ng/mL

AMH tests may be administered by a healthcare provider. They’re also available in the form of at-home finger prick tests.

If you’ve had your AMH levels tested (whether at a clinic or at home) and the AMH results fall outside of the healthy range, it’s a wise idea to speak to your healthcare provider. Not only can they screen you for health conditions that could be causing abnormal AMH levels, but they can also provide recommendations for improving your chances of getting pregnant naturally, including when you are most fertile.

Is it good to have high AMH levels?

It depends.

High AMH levels can indicate a plentiful ovarian reserve. Sometimes, however, they can point to the presence of PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS causes cysts to form on the ovaries, which can cause inflated AMH levels generated by ovarian follicles.

If your healthcare provider finds signs of extra high AMH levels, be sure to ask them to screen you for PCOS. PCOS is fairly common, impacting up to 13% of women of reproductive age—but it could lead to infertility if left untreated or poorly managed.

How important are AMH levels for fertility?

Used on their own, AMH levels aren’t a reliable metric for assessing your ability to have a child. Several other factors are more important when it comes to your ability to have a child, including:

• Your age
• Your lifestyle choices
• The consistency and health of your menstrual cycles
• Your partner’s sperm motility, sperm count, and reproductive health (if applicable)

While it’s possible to make certain changes to optimize your fertility, other factors are naturally beyond your control. Fortunately, assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like IVF can make it possible for many women to plan their families and conceive despite the odds.

If you’re pursuing parenthood using IVF treatment, AMH levels can be a solid metric for predicting how many eggs you’ll make. Healthcare providers may also use it to determine how much medication you’ll need to stimulate egg production in your ovaries.

4 Ways to Promote Female Fertility Holistically

If you’re just beginning your family planning journey, ovulation tracking is a tried-and-true way to boost your odds of conceiving. There are several methods you may use to track ovulation, from monitoring your basal body temperature (BBT) to using an ovulation test kit. If you’re curious about how to get pregnant fast, you can read our guide with some tips.

If you’re still having trouble conceiving, it’s best to consult with your care provider to see if other factors—beyond AMH levels—could be presenting fertility challenges. Apart from their recommendations, one of the best things you can do to promote fertility is to prioritize your overall health.

As a general rule, the healthier your body is, the better supported it will be during pregnancy. Moreover, the better your state of mind, the more readily you’ll be able to tackle fertility challenges if they arise.

#1 Focus on Your Physical Wellness

Many anomalies can present fertility challenges, even in healthy individuals. That said, it’s helpful to focus on what you can control—what you eat, how often you move, and how you take care of yourself.

• Nutrition – Though some sources may trumpet the fertility-boosting benefits of certain foods, the truth is that a nutritious, well-rounded diet is best for supporting your ability to conceive. Aim for whole produce, healthy fats (especially omega-3s), and plenty of lean proteins. Antioxidant-rich foods (consumed by both you and your partner) may also help cushion your body’s cells—including sperm and the eggs in your ovaries—from damage caused by oxidative stress.

Additionally, you may want to incorporate prenatal vitamins into your diet. Yes—even if you’re not pregnant yet. Why? Prenatals contain folic acid, which may increase your chances of conceiving by raising progesterone levels and supporting regular ovulation.

• Exercise – Regular exercise has numerous benefits, whether managing your weight, improving mental health, or reducing chronic stress—one major disruptor of hormonal cycles. That said, it’s equally vital to avoid overexercise or solely engaging in high-intensity movement. Doing so can add more stress to your body, lower progesterone production, and diminish the chance of conception.

It’s recommended that adult women trying for a baby get about 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.

• Sleep – Getting adequate, high-quality sleep serves your physical health and fertility by supporting hormonal balance. Improving your sleep dysregulation can also help stabilize menstrual and ovulation cycles, making it easier to predict your fertility window (when you’re most likely to conceive).

Notably, being underweight or carrying extra weight can put a strain on your body’s ability to conceive. If possible, aim for a healthy BMI (body mass index) range of 18.5 to 24.9, and consult with your healthcare provider about achieving a healthy weight prior to pregnancy.

#2 Double Down on Your Sexual Health

STIs (sexually transmitted illnesses) can impair reproductive health for males and females, but many are curable or treatable with proper diagnosis and care. However, if left untreated or poorly managed, they can lead to both female and male infertility.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia are two STIs that most commonly lead to infertility if left untreated. Both seldom present with symptoms, so it’s important to get tested regularly (especially if you have multiple partners) to maintain your fertility preservation.

#3 Eliminate Unhealthy Habits

Several leisure-related lifestyle factors can impinge on female fertility. These include:

• Tobacco use – Smoking causes your ovarian reserve, or egg reserve, to decline more rapidly, and your ovaries to degrade and age prematurely. Trying for a baby may be an excellent opportunity to quit.

• Alcohol intake – Just as alcohol is unhealthy during pregnancy, binge drinking or excessive alcohol use can interfere with ovulation cycles. In women, heavy drinking is defined as having more than three drinks per day or seven drinks per week. To optimize your fertility potential, it’s best to eliminate alcohol entirely.

• Excessive caffeine consumption – Many Americans take in large quantities of caffeine daily—but drinking too much may impede female fertility. Ideally, you won’t have more than 200 milligrams (around two 6- to 8-ounce cups of coffee) per day.

While alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine have definitive adverse impacts on fertility, other recreational substances and toxins can also make it harder to conceive. If you’re struggling to give up other substances or are concerned about how past use has impacted fertility, reach out to a provider. They can assess your physical health and point you toward resources for quitting.

#4 Undergo Fertility Testing

Meeting fertility challenges after you’ve been tracking your ovulation schedule and working on your physical, sexual, and mental well-being can be immensely frustrating. But it can help to remember that up to 9% of men and 11% of women have difficulty conceiving.

It’s recommended you reach out to a specialist if you’ve been struggling to conceive for more than a year. Fertility testing is a relatively non-invasive set of procedures that can give you a closer look at your likelihood of conceiving naturally. Methods vary between men and women but could include:

• Hormonal blood tests, which measure AMH as well as FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) levels

• Ultrasounds, which examine your pelvic anatomy to discern whether a physical abnormality could be causing fertility challenges

• Ovarian reserve testing, which measures your AMH levels as well as antral follicle count (AFC)

While some testing methods, like AMH testing, are available at home, it’s always optimal to work with a fertility specialist to reliably interpret your results. With their support, you’ll have the best chances of determining the cause of your obstacles and how to surmount them on your pathway to parenthood.

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At SneakPeek, our commitment is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information to empower our readers. Our content is thoroughly researched, reviewed by medical experts, and fact-checked to ensure its credibility. We prioritize the well-being and education of our readers, and our editorial policy adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in all our articles.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:

Katie Smith, MSN, APRN, CNM

Katie Smith is a seasoned Certified Nurse Midwife and a nurturing mother to six children, offering a unique blend of professional expertise and personal experience. She is the founder of Birth Your Way Midwifery and Women’s Wellness Center in Bay County, Florida. Katie's comprehensive approach to care is informed by her hands-on experience in motherhood and her passion for empowering women through their birthing journey. Her dedication extends beyond her center as she actively engages in community wellness and family health education.

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