The woman's ability to conceive is determined, among other things, by the number of follicles in her ovaries. How many of them are there at the moment, does this number correspond to the norm, and what, in fact, is the normal number of follicles in the ovaries? Let's find out!
Number of follicles in the ovary
Unlike men whose sex cells mature throughout their lives, women do not have this ability. On the contrary, nature is laid down so that the maximum stock of follicles (up to 2 million) is laid even before the birth of the girl and gradually drains to the time of the onset of menopause.
Therefore, the number of follicles in the ovaries has its own rate, depending on the age of the woman. So, for example, when entering adolescence, the girl has about 300,000 follicles ready for egg production.
Find out the exact number of cells in the ovaries, or an ovarian reserve, will help conventional ultrasound examination of the appendages. Carry out this procedure better with the help of a vaginal sensor - only so the doctor will be able to see the exact number of antral (small, diameter from 2 to 8 mm) follicles. Their number can be interpreted as follows:
- from 16 to 30 - normal;
- more than 30 - polycystic ovaries;
- from 7 to 16 - low number, but pregnancy is likely;
- from 4 to 6 - a low probability of becoming pregnant;
- less than 4 - infertility is possible.
Thanks to this study of the follicular reserve of each of the ovaries, a specialist can accurately assess the fertility of a woman who wants to become a mother.
How many follicles in the ovary on different days of the cycle?
In order to understand whether a woman can become pregnant in this cycle, the doctor often prescribes folliculometry - ultrasound monitoring of the number and size of the follicles in the ovaries.
From the 7th to the 9th day of the cycle, one of the follicles in the ovaries begins to ripen and dominate, which means that it is ready for ovulation. Therefore, the first examination is ideally on the 7th day of the menstrual cycle, when the total number of follicles is estimated (on average from 10 to 20). Then, ultrasound is carried out every 1-2 days to be able to observe the growth and maturation of the dominant follicle.
Speaking about the norms of folliculometry, we note the following. Physicians often diagnose multifollicular ovaries when the number of cells exceeds 30. This may indicate polycystosis or simply be a feature of the body.
If the follicles are much less than the norm (up to 5 in both ovaries), this can be a consequence of both various diseases and a decrease in the level of sex hormones. To find out the exact reasons for this and exclude infertility, it is necessary to undergo a number of additional examinations.