If you’re planning to get pregnant in 2026, January may be the best time to assess a woman’s fertility health.
If starting a family is on your 2026 vision board, January may be the perfect month to stop and assess your fertility health. Doctors agree that early testing can help couples know where they stand from a reproductive standpoint and address any issues they may have before actively trying to conceive.
“Infertility testing is not just for women who are having trouble conceiving. Testing can help you plan better and avoid further stress in the future,” Dr. Sangeetha S. Anand, senior consultant for infertility and IVF at Apollo Fertility in Brookfield, told Health Shots.
Why is January the best time for fertility testing?
A natural reset occurs in January after the festive season. The holiday season is over and our daily lives have returned to normal, including hormone levels, sleep cycles, physical activity, and diet. Therefore, it has become easier to evaluate these factors. “Completing a fertility assessment in January allows couples to set a realistic timeline and identify health and wellness changes that need to be made early in the year,” says Dr. Anand.
Test results during January can allow couples to make lifestyle, nutritional, and medication changes, and also allow them enough time to achieve a positive result when trying to conceive later in the year after implementing the changes and treatments identified by test results.
Infertility tests that women should consider
Women who are trying to get pregnant should check their ovulation regularly. Frequently recommended tests include:
- AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone) It gives an estimate of the number of eggs a woman has left in her ovaries.
- Hormone levels of FSH, LH, and estradiol: This is a test to check how well your ovulation hormones are working.
- Thyroid profile: Women may have irregular ovulation due to an underactive or overactive thyroid
- Pelvic ultrasound examination It is used to check the health of a woman’s uterus and ovaries.
- Vitamin D and iron: The role they play in women’s reproductive health.
“Testing for these symptoms can help detect conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), thyroid dysfunction, and low ovarian reserve early,” Dr. Sangeetha says.
Why should men also undergo infertility testing?
In approximately 40-50% of couples, the male is the sole cause of infertility. According to Dr. Anand, “Semen analysis is a relatively simple test that can measure sperm count, motility, and sperm morphology, and can help provide important indicators of a man’s reproductive health.”
If defects or abnormalities are found in the sperm sample, additional tests such as hormone profiling or DNA fragmentation testing may be required. According to Dr. Anand, “Early understanding of one’s fertility status allows for interventions to correct imbalances and increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.”
Lifestyle factors that affect test results
Lifestyle choices can affect your fertility test results. For example, lack of sleep, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, extreme dieting, stress, or illness in the weeks before the test can cause fertility test readings to be inaccurate.
Dr. Anand therefore advises couples to focus on lifestyle changes such as regular sleep, a balanced diet, adequate exercise, and minimizing stress before their scheduled infertility tests.
The January infertility test is not meant to diagnose a problem. It’s about being prepared. According to Dr. Anand, “Educated couples can take control of their reproductive health and plan a pregnancy with confidence.”
