How to Improve Egg Quality

When an assigned at birth female is born, their ovaries contain all the eggs (approximately one to two million) they would need in their lifetime. Each month, one of those eggs is released during ovulation and awaits fertilization and successful implantation. The higher the quality of eggs the higher the chances of pregnancy. 

Different factors affect the quality of an egg, and in this article, we will look at steps you can take to improve the quality of your eggs to increase your chances of conception. 

Key Takeaways

• Egg quality is a major determinant in female infertility, and it can be affected by everything from lifestyle choices to mental health and genetic predisposition.
• Some of the biggest factors affecting egg quality include diet and exercise, age, and medical history.
• If you have been trying to get pregnant for over a year without a successful pregnancy, it may be time to talk to a healthcare provider about ways to assess and improve fertility and egg quality.

Age and Egg Quality

“Egg quality” refers to an egg’s genetic normality or abnormality. Studies have shown that a woman’s eggs begin to decline in quality after they reach 35 years of age. This makes it harder for women 35 and older to not only conceive but also carry a pregnancy to term. 

For some women, this means that they’ll have to rely on assisted reproductive technologies like intrauterine insemination (artificial insemination) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Particularly women who are suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or Endometriosis. 

Nonetheless, there are still many women who still conceive even past this age. In fact, recent research shows the global average age of women in childbirth is rising. Optimizing egg health through lifestyle modifications can significantly improve fertility outcomes. Therefore, addressing concerns about egg quality is particularly vital for individuals undergoing IVF or trying to conceive naturally, as it directly affects their chances of success.

Generally, if you have been trying to conceive for over a year and you’re over the age of 35, it may be time to consult with healthcare professionals like those at Ivy Fertility, who will be able to walk with you and lay out the next steps for you. 

How to Improve Your Egg Quality

Women struggling with fertility can still have successful pregnancies even with fertility treatments. There are certain steps one can take to increase their chances of fertility, one of them being improving your egg quality. 

The following steps can be taken to improve your egg quality. 

Maintain a healthy diet

A woman’s diet plays a big role in her reproductive health. The goal is to ensure you eat a nutrient-rich diet and avoid highly processed ones. A recent study found that diets rich in high levels of trans-saturated fats and highly processed foods could potentially have a negative effect not only on pregnancy rates but ovarian health in general. Not only that, but a healthy diet is also the simplest way to improve your egg quality.

Moreover, though a healthy diet should provide all the nutrients needed for prospective mothers, some prospective mothers require additional help through supplements. In some cases, compounds like Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are given to prospective mothers in order to improve pregnancy rates. This even works especially well for women who have not responded well to ovarian stimulation during in vitro fertilization cycles. Other supplements with Vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and myoinositol have a positive impact on results for some women’s embryological development.

However, before taking any supplements, always consult with a healthcare professional while pregnant or in the process of trying to become pregnant.

Understand Your Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual cycle is critical in a successful pregnancy. This is why it’s important to understand how your cycle works, including ovulation and menstruation will help you know whether your body is operating as it should.  

Exercise

It is no secret that a healthy lifestyle also includes regular exercise. A 2023 study showed that overweight and obese women, in particular those with polycystic ovary syndrome, experience a significant increase in the likelihood of conception once they incorporate an exercise routine in their day-to-day.

Quit Smoking

The effects of cigarette smoking during fertility treatment of natural conception can result in a 50 percent lower success rate in the implantation of an embryo. While many think that vapes are safer, a 2023 study, showed that women who use alternative devices like vapes and other nicotine-containing products still have similar negative impacts on both ovarian reserve and quality. Therefore, no tobacco or nicotine substances are safe for those looking to conceive. 

Manage Stress

Stress is unavoidable and prospective mothers will likely face extreme levels of stress at various points in their pregnancy or fertility journey. Emotional stress can negatively affect egg health and, in turn, the health of embryos grown from those eggs. This is why effective stress management can play a big role in the success of a pregnancy. 

Couples or pregnant women dealing with stress should consider counseling and other stress reduction techniques. Stress reduction is even more important for women going through assisted reproductive technologies like IUI and IVF. 

Reduce Your Alcohol and Caffeine Intake

Alcohol can disrupt hormone levels and affect egg development, while caffeine can interfere with egg maturation and implantation. Reducing your consumption of these substances gives you a higher success rate of producing healthy eggs and increases the likelihood of a successful pregnancy. 

Signs Of Bad Egg Quality

In most cases, tests are done to check the quantity and quality of eggs, particularly in women with fertility challenges. Still, there are certain signs you can look out for when looking at whether your eggs are of great quality. 

• Irregular periods or menstrual cycles that are shorter than usual
• Hormonal imbalances, including low levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or estradiol
• Trouble conceiving or sustaining a pregnancy
• Failed IVF cycles as poor egg quality hinders successful fertilization and implantation.
• An abnormal number of chromosomes in an embryo
• A low antral follicle count (AFC), which measures the number of follicles in your ovaries, each containing a potential egg. 

Your doctor should be able to order further tests to further prove whether or not your eggs are of low quality. 

Finally

No matter if you're trying to conceive naturally or are using fertility treatments, egg quality plays an important role in how quickly or easily you conceive. For this reason, many experts recommend ensuring your eggs are of optimal quality to increase the chances of a pregnancy. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the many factors that positively affect your egg quality.