I tried a home fertility test to ease my worries about getting pregnant in my 30s — here's what I learned

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• Approaching my mid-30s has sparked some anxiety about my ability to get pregnant when I'm ready.
• I took Modern Fertility's fast and straightforward test to get more details about my fertility.
• My results came in a week and were clear and easy to understand — they also gave me peace of mind.

Like many other millennial women, I've spent the last decade focused on building my career, waiting to build a family until I felt more financially stable. After all, childbirth is expensive, and so is raising kids. 

Yet, as I approach my mid-30s, I've felt increasingly anxious about whether I'll even be able to get pregnant once I'm ready. 

I already know fertility starts to decline at age 30. So, it certainly didn't make me feel any better when my doctor insisted I "better get started soon" while detailing the increased risks of pregnancy after age 35. Nor did it help when an acquaintance told me I "didn't have much time left" and warned me about how difficult it might be to conceive.

So, when I heard about the Modern Fertility at-home hormone test — which offers insight into key fertility factors — I decided to give it a try. Modern Fertility has a number of benefits, including its price: It costs $179 — far more budget-friendly than a fertility test at a clinic or doctor's office, which can cost $800 to $1,500.

Some evidence also suggests Modern Fertility's fingerprick blood testing kit is as reliable and accurate for evaluating fertility as a regular blood test sent to a standardized lab. Though, it's worth noting that Modern Fertility sponsored this research.

In the end, I'm glad I took the Modern Fertility test because it gave me peace of mind about my fertility. Here's what it was like taking the test, how long I had to wait for results, and why I recommend this test for women in a similar situation. 

How the test works

The Modern Fertility test measures hormones from a blood sample to provide an overview of factors related to fertility.

Your results will provide information on your: 

• Ovarian reserve: The test measures levels of the anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) released by cells in your ovarian follicles, to compare the number of eggs you have against the average number for your age.
• Thyroid levels: Both underactive and overactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, can prevent ovulation, or the release of the egg during your menstrual cycle. If you don't ovulate, you can't conceive.
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels: This hormone plays an important part in controlling the menstrual cycle and stimulating the growth of eggs in your ovaries. Too much or too little FSH can cause fertility problems.
• Estradiol levels: Your ovaries produce this hormone, which is the main form of estrogen in your body during your fertile years. Too much or too little estradiol in your body can affect your fertility.
• Prolactin levels: This hormone stimulates milk production after you give birth and pauses ovulation by blocking the release of FSH. That means if your prolactin levels are too high, you may not ovulate regularly and have trouble getting pregnant.
• Luteinizing hormone (LH): This hormone regulates the length of your menstrual cycle and triggers the release of an egg from the ovary. Too low or too high LH levels can cause irregular periods and fertility difficulties.

If you take hormonal birth control, the test will not consider your FSH, LH, prolactin, and estradiol levels. That's because this type of birth control manipulates these hormones, which could skew your results and give you an inaccurate picture.

How to use it

Per the directions, I waited until the third day of my next period to take the Modern Fertility test.

According to the company, your FSH, LH, and estradiol levels are most stable on day 3, so testing on this day can give you a clearer, more accurate picture of your fertility. 

What's more, having everyone test on the same day makes it easier to compare typical and atypical results.

The Modern Fertility test only took me about 10 minutes to complete, from start to finish. Since the test requires fasting for eight hours beforehand, I opted to take it in the morning. 

Here's what the test involves:

1. First, I followed the instructions and drank two large glasses of water.

2. Then, after activating my test online using the code provided, I wrote my name, date of birth, and date of testing on the bottom of the sample cards.

3. After that, I washed my hands in hot water for about a minute and did some jumping jacks in place to get my heart rate up and blood flowing.

4. Using the alcohol pad provided, I cleaned off the tip of my middle finger. Since I'm right-handed, I decided I'd prick my left hand just in case I experienced any soreness afterward. You can use any finger — it's just a matter of preference.

5. I removed the tip from the lancet, placed it just off-center on my fingertip, and applied some pressure until I heard the "click" and felt the pinching sensation. If you have trouble with needles, I suggest having someone else do this for you.

6. After wiping away the first drop of blood with the gauze dressing in the testing box, I stood up to allow gravity to do its thing and let drops of blood fall from my finger onto the left side of the testing card.

7. My blood sample didn't quite reach the required line, so I had to use the backup lancet to repeat steps 1-4 — this time, on my ring finger. Fortunately, the second finger provided enough blood to meet the requirement.

After applying a couple of band-aids on my fingers, I waited for the blood samples to dry, which took about an hour and a half. Then, I placed them in the blood sample return bag and dropped that bag inside the pre-paid return envelope. 

Getting the results

Modern Fertility promises to provide results within 10 days after you send in your sample — and I received an email with a link to mine seven days after mailing my sample. 

Admittedly, I felt nervous about opening my report and even contemplated waiting for my fiance to come home so I had some emotional support throughout the experience. 

But I was too antsy to wait, and I ended up reading them over right away. I could feel my heart pounding and my hands sweating as I logged into my Modern Fertility dashboard.

When I saw that my results were "normal" for my age, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

As I dug deeper into the report, I could easily read and understand it. Rather than dwelling on specific hormone measurements — which meant nothing to me — or using overly technical jargon, the dashboard simply summarized what my levels meant. 

While scrolling down, I found more in-depth information about my fertility. For example, I learned that nothing out of the ordinary seems likely to affect my ovulation, and I have an average ovarian reserve for my age.

The benefits

According to Dr. Alex Robles, a reproductive endocrinology specialist at Columbia University Fertility Center, Modern Fertility tests all the same hormones that a typical in-office fertility evaluation examines.

"Access to this information can be beneficial for planning the timing of pregnancy, especially if you choose to delay childbirth," he says. 

"If you learn that you have a low ovarian reserve and are not yet ready to have a family, you can take steps to preserve your fertility by freezing your eggs or embryos," Robles says.

Dr. Monica Grover, board-certified OB-GYN and Chief Medical Officer at VSPOT, says this test can also help you figure out if your periods and ovulation normalize after you stop taking hormonal birth control.

Who it's designed for

Modern Fertility says the test can work for anyone between the ages of 21 and 45 who has ovaries. 

Dr. Joshua Hurwitz, a reproductive endocrinologist at Illume Fertility, says this test kit provides a great way to get a quick fertility snapshot. However, since so many nuanced factors can play a role in fertility issues, he says certain situations may call for a consultation with your primary care physician or OB-GYN.

For example, Hurwitz recommends talking to your doctor if you know or suspect you have: 

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Endometriosis
• Painful or irregular periods

"More complex questions, like, 'Why am I having trouble conceiving?" aren't as easy to answer with at-home testing kits, as they require more context and expert counseling from a fertility specialist," he says.

Next steps

If you have any abnormal results, Grover advises talking with your doctor.

For example, any of the following could signal an underlying health condition:

• Low AMH levels
• High prolactin levels
• Thyroid, FSH, or LH levels not within the normal range 

The faster you address concerns like these, the better your chances of preventing them from affecting your fertility.

"We always encourage people to use their Modern Fertility results to start a conversation with their doctor about their reproductive goals — even if results are all normal," says Dr. Nataki Douglas, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility advisor for Ro.

Insider's takeaway

The Modern Fertility test didn't just reassure me. It also helped me feel more in control of my reproductive health. 

If I do decide to start a family in the near future, it doesn't seem like any glaring physical issues will affect my ability to conceive. I also now know I'm in a fairly good position to freeze my eggs, which I could then use for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) later on.

All that said, experts agree that fertility is nuanced and complex. So, while this test does provide some helpful information, it's a good idea to get additional insight and counseling from a doctor — especially if you're trying to get pregnant and having trouble doing so.