How Can I Improve My Egg Quality?

Women used to become mothers at a young age—around 25 in the 1980s. These days, we study longer or focus on our careers before becoming mothers. That's why the average age of first-time mothers is closer to 30. The number of women delaying childbearing until their mid-thirties or even early forties is increasing every year.

The chance of getting pregnant decreases as you get older. This is a biological fact, and unfortunately, you can't prevent this normal decline in egg counts.

But there are things you can do to support the quality of your eggs. In this blog post, we'll tell you all about egg quality, how age affects your eggs, what you need to know about egg freezing, and what you can do to improve your eggs.

What is egg quality?

When we talk about "egg quality," we're referring to the genetic makeup of your eggs. In other words, whether the chromosomal composition of your egg is as it should be.

The chance of a genetically abnormal egg increases with age. At age 30, approximately 31% of a woman's eggs are abnormal. By age 45, that number increases to 84% .

Why is your age important?

Did you know that female babies are born with all the eggs they will ever have? When a fetus is about five months old, she has the largest number of potential eggs in her entire life—around seven million. But when she is born, that number decreases to "only" two million. By the time she has her first period, that number has decreased again to 400,000.

Developing an egg to the stage where it's ready for ovulation and fertilization requires a lot of energy. This requires healthy ovaries. As we age, our ovaries are less able to meet the demands of a growing egg. This increases the risk of eggs in older women having genetic abnormalities.

As we age, our so-called ovarian reserve also decreases. Ovarian reserve refers to the total number of healthy, immature eggs in the ovaries—your supply. If a woman has a low ovarian reserve, it can make it difficult to conceive. Age reduces ovarian reserve, but so do other factors such as smoking and genetic conditions.

Unfortunately, there is no way to improve ovarian reserve.

Egg supply and AMH

Ovarian reserve naturally decreases with age, but some women are diagnosed with low ovarian reserve much earlier in life. This means that a woman's expected or normal number of eggs is much lower than what would be expected for her age. This can make it difficult to conceive, even with the use of reproductive technologies.

To test ovarian reserve, doctors often use anti-mullar hormone (AMH) to determine how many eggs a woman has left. This is done with a simple blood test. In healthy women, a higher AMH level means the ovaries have a larger supply of eggs. As women age, the number of eggs decreases, causing AMH levels to drop. At menopause, there are no more eggs, and AMH levels drop to zero. If a younger woman has low AMH, she may be diagnosed with low ovarian reserve.

It's important to know that an AMH test can tell you how high your supply is, but it can't tell you anything about the quality of your eggs or whether you can conceive. An AMH test can also be used to predict how well you'll respond to fertility drugs if you're considering IVF.

If you're having trouble conceiving, a doctor can refer you for testing, but there are also ways to test your AMH levels at home using a test kit from companies like Odyssey Fertility or Hertility .

These companies will send you everything you need to take a blood sample at home. You send the sample back, and within a few days you'll receive a report with more information about your AMH levels and overall fertility.

This can be a useful option to understand your body, gain more insight into your future or simply give you more information to make informed choices.

Improving the quality of your eggs

You can't increase the number of eggs you have at any given time, but you can do things to keep your existing eggs as healthy as possible. Several lifestyle adjustments can significantly impact the quality of your eggs.

Nutrition and additional supplements

Nutrition can play a significant role in improving egg quality. While there's no single, universal diet for improving egg quality, studies show that the best diet consists primarily of seafood, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Studies show that this so-called "fertility diet" is beneficial for both men and women.

Which nutrients are important in this?

• Omega 3 (fish oil): Omega 3 can reduce inflammation, a factor that contributes to poor egg quality.
• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) : CoQ10 is another one to consider if you're trying to improve your egg quality. CoQ10 is an antioxidant naturally produced by the body and used for cell growth and maintenance. Several studies show that CoQ10 helps protect your ovarian reserve and can support egg quality, especially in older women.
• Zinc : Zinc is another substance that can help support egg quality. Research shows that eggs need plenty of zinc to develop to maturity and be ready for fertilization.
• Folic acid : If you're trying to conceive, you may have heard about folate, or folic acid. Folic acid has been shown to improve the environment for a developing egg and is linked to a higher chance of pregnancy. To learn more about why folic acid is important, check out our article " Everything You Need to Know About Folic Acid . "

Avoid alcohol and caffeine

Too much alcohol or caffeine has been shown to significantly impact women's fertility. So, if you want to improve your egg count, it's a good idea to swap these beverages for their alcohol-free and caffeine-free counterparts. This doesn't mean you should never drink coffee, but be mindful of how much you drink and try to limit your intake.

Sleep

Sleep affects everything, so it's no wonder the quality of your sleep can affect the quality of your eggs. While you sleep, your body repairs cells, restores energy, and releases hormones necessary for reproduction and other processes. If you're not getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, consider what you can change in your daily life to ensure you get that all-important sleep.

Read our blog Sleep and Your Cycle for more tips on getting a good night's sleep.

Reduce stress where possible

Virtually everyone can benefit from reducing stress in their life, but if you're trying to improve your egg quality, this is especially important. We understand that some sources of stress—such as financial, family, or work—can't always be easily reduced or eliminated, but we encourage you to find ways to manage stress in your life.

Chronic stress can negatively impact your egg quality and your ability to conceive over time. Try mindfulness practices like meditation and make sure you take time for yourself—whether it's a walk alone, reading a book, or taking a bath. These small moments of self-care can do wonders for your stress levels.

Interesting to read: How stress affects your cycle .

Don't smoke

Smoking is generally bad for your health. But it's especially bad if you want to improve the quality of your eggs or if you want to get pregnant. Why? Chemicals like nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke accelerate the loss of your eggs. And once an egg dies, it can't be replaced. Women who smoke reach menopause one to four years earlier than women who don't smoke.

Move

Exercise is important for everyone, but it can also have a positive effect on your egg quality. We don't necessarily mean hitting the gym six times a week or signing up for a marathon, but we do recommend finding ways to be physically active every day. When you exercise, blood flow to the uterus and ovaries increases, leading to better egg quality and a greater chance of pregnancy.

How long does it take to improve egg quality?

Eggs take about 90 days to develop from the time they're removed from the waiting pool until they're ready for ovulation. That's why it's often recommended that you start improving your egg quality at least three to four months before trying to conceive. Don't worry if you're currently trying to conceive and haven't done anything yet. Start now. Even a few weeks of changes can make a difference.

Is egg freezing a good option?

Egg freezing is often seen as a good way to 'freeze' the so-called biological clock.

During egg freezing, the ovaries are stimulated with hormones to produce multiple eggs. A doctor then retrieves the eggs from the ovaries and takes them to a laboratory where they are frozen. Once frozen, they are stored for later use. The egg retrieval process is identical to the first phase of IVF.

For women who want to extend their reproductive years, egg freezing is increasingly seen as a very attractive option. Sometimes women do this for medical reasons. But more often, it's used by women who don't have a partner and want to preserve the possibility of having children if they meet someone later in life. Another reason women freeze their eggs is because they want to pursue other things before having children, such as pursuing a career or furthering their education.

While egg freezing can reassure some women, it's not a guarantee. The chance that a single frozen egg will lead to a baby is only about 2 to 12% . Therefore, doctors recommend freezing around twenty eggs to maximize the chance of success. Some companies cover egg freezing in full or in part as part of their benefits package, but the procedure, medications, and egg storage costs can be too expensive for some people.

While it can be empowering and reassuring for some women, egg freezing is a personal choice and doesn't work for everyone.

Conclusion

The best way to improve egg quality is to focus on your overall health. Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of vitamins and minerals (supplementing with supplements if necessary), exercising, and reducing stress all help support your fertility and egg quality.

Do you have any questions about your menstrual health? Or would you like to know more? Contact us via our live chat support or find the right products for you using our product finder . We're happy to help, so you can feel great every day of the month.