What Is AMH and Can You Change It? A Real Talk From a Midwife + Functional Fertility Specialist

What Is AMH and Can You Change It? A Real Talk From a Midwife + Functional Fertility Specialist

Let’s talk about AMH—Anti-Müllerian Hormone.

If you’ve been trying to conceive and found yourself spiraling through Google at 2 a.m., you’ve likely seen this acronym pop up in fertility conversations, lab results, or maybe even on a provider’s face as they raised an eyebrow at your “number.”

As a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) and Functional Fertility Specialist, I get questions about AMH all the time. So let’s break it down:
What does it really tell us? What does it not mean? And can you actually do anything about it?

So… What Is AMH?

AMH is a hormone produced by the tiny follicles in your ovaries—the ones that haven’t started maturing yet. Think of it as a snapshot of your “follicular reserve.” It's not a count of eggs per se, but more like a whisper from your ovaries saying, “Here’s about how many follicles we’ve got sitting in the wings.”

Higher AMH = more ovarian follicles (not necessarily better quality, but more).
Lower AMH = fewer follicles.

This is why fertility doctors often use AMH to help assess how someone might respond to IVF stimulation medications. It gives a general sense of how many eggs your ovaries might be able to produce in a cycle with pharmaceutical support.

What AMH Doesn’t Tell You

Let me say this clearly:
AMH does not predict whether you can get pregnant naturally.
It does not tell you the quality of your eggs.
It does not mean you are infertile if your number is low.

This is where a lot of women are misled (and freaked out unnecessarily).

Research shows that women with low AMH can and do get pregnant—naturally and through ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies). One large study even found that AMH levels below 0.7 ng/mL didn’t significantly reduce the chance of natural conception within 12 months for women under 35.

What AMH does correlate with fairly well is IVF response—specifically how many eggs you might produce when given stimulation meds. That’s it.

Can You Improve Your AMH?

Here’s the honest truth:
AMH can shift—but not always in the way we expect.

It naturally declines with age (which makes sense—we’re born with all the eggs we’ll ever have).
But research and clinical observations show that AMH can also fluctuate based on:

• Inflammation

• Environmental toxin exposure (think plastics, pesticides, heavy metals)

• Chronic stress and cortisol imbalance

• Blood sugar dysregulation and insulin resistance

• Thyroid dysfunction

• PCOS (where AMH is often high, not low!)

So yes—supporting your body in these areas can create measurable changes in AMH. I’ve seen it firsthand.

But here's the real win: even if your AMH doesn’t skyrocket, addressing these root causes dramatically improves your fertility outcomes. We’re not just trying to boost a lab number—we’re supporting whole-body hormone balance and egg health.

What You Can Do

If you’re feeling defeated after a low AMH result, take a breath.

Ask yourself: What is my body trying to tell me?
Because low AMH isn’t a diagnosis—it’s a clue.

Here’s where I typically start with clients:

• Nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods (especially fat-soluble vitamins, omega-3s, and minerals)

• Targeted supplementation based on labs and genetics

• Sleep hygiene + circadian rhythm reset

• Blood sugar balance—every meal, every day

• Toxin reduction in your home, body, and mind

• Stress resilience tools that actually fit your life

And yes, we look at the deeper systems—gut health, methylation, mitochondrial support—because your egg health depends on more than just your ovaries.

You Are More Than a Number

You are not your AMH score. You are not broken.
Your fertility is not a pass/fail grade—it’s a story your body is telling. My job is to listen, test wisely, and help you rebuild the systems that create life.

If you’ve been told “your AMH is too low” and walked away feeling hopeless, please know: there is so much more to the picture—and so many steps we can take.

You're not behind. You're just ready to go deeper.

Let’s do that together.

Brianna Batchelor, CNM, APRN
Certified Functional Fertility & Gut Specialist
“I don’t see symptoms. I see systems.”

📚 Research + Resources

• Broer SL, et al. “The role of AMH in prediction of outcome after IVF: comparison with AFC and age.” Human Reproduction Update, 2011.

• Steiner AZ, et al. “Antimüllerian hormone as a predictor of natural fertility.” Fertility and Sterility, 2017.

• Tal R, Seifer DB. “Ovarian reserve testing: a user’s guide.” American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2014.

• Dewailly D, et al. “The physiology and clinical utility of AMH in women.” The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2017.

⚖️ Disclaimer

The information shared in this post is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every woman’s fertility journey is unique. Please consult your personal healthcare provider before starting any new health protocol, supplement, or treatment. I am a licensed nurse-midwife and functional medicine practitioner, but I am not your provider unless we’ve established a formal relationship.