Strategies To Improve Egg Quality For Pregnancy
Understanding Egg Quality
Egg quality is a vital factor in conception and a healthy pregnancy. High-quality eggs are more likely to fertilize, implant, and develop into a healthy embryo. Several factors influence egg quality, including age, lifestyle, and underlying health conditions. However, the good news is that there are many evidence-based strategies to enhance egg quality naturally.
Measuring Egg Quality
AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone) can predict the number of eggs you have. However, there are no tests that can determine the quality of your eggs. At Fertility Harmony, we use tests that evaluate your cellular health, like cellular mineral testing, to determine egg quality.
Research-Backed Protocols to Improve Egg Quality
Optimize Your Nutrition
Proper nutrition is foundational to improving egg quality. A diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals can protect your eggs from cellular damage and support their development.
Optimizing your nutrition is not possible without a gut microbiome that works well. The most important thing is not the macros or the quantity of food, but the quality of food you are eating. Consider buying organic and avoiding all processed food in your diet.
Key nutrients to supplement with include:
Folate: Essential for DNA synthesis and repair. Leafy greens and legumes contain these. Avoid taking folic acid supplements because they are not easily absorbed, despite being commonly recommended by health professionals. Instead opt for methyl folate or folinic acid.
Vitamin D: Supports ovarian function. You can get it from sun exposure and fatty fish, but it may be helpful to supplement especially in the winter months. Consider 2000IU per day at minimum.
CoQ10: A powerful antioxidant that boosts mitochondrial function. Available in supplements and found in fish, meat, and nuts. This is the most well researched nutrient that significantly impacts egg quality.
Manage Stress Effectively
Chronic stress is the most common factor that negatively impacts hormonal balance and egg quality. Therefore it is essential to incorporate stress-reducing practices such as:
Mindfulness and Meditation: Regular practices can lower cortisol levels and improve overall well-being.
Regular Exercise: can improve mood and lower stress levels. However, excessive exercise can harm egg quality due to free-radical damage. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily, sticking to Zone 1 and 2 heart rates. Activities like walking, strength training, and gentle exercise are beneficial, but avoid high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strenuous workouts.
Optimize Sleep
Quality sleep is crucial for hormonal regulation, enhancing circadian rhythm and overall health.
Use health wearables to monitor your sleep patterns and make changes to consistently reach a sleep score of 80% or higher.
The following advice comes from the Andrew Huberman Sleep Protocols developed from the latest cutting edge research:
Wake up at the same time each day and try to go to sleep when you first feel sleepy.
Avoid caffeine within 8-10 hours of bedtime.
View sunlight by going outside within 30-60 minutes of waking. This stimulates morning cortisol which in turn promotes melatonin production for sleep.
Avoid viewing bright lights—especially bright overhead lights between 10 pm and 4 am.
Consuming alcohol disrupts your sleep patterns, much like most sleep drugs do. Consider taking 400mg of magnesium citrate to support your nervous system to unwind.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Both underweight and overweight conditions can affect egg quality.
If you're overweight, this is likely to wreak havoc with your hormones, impacting egg development. Unstable blood sugar can affect estrogen and progesterone production, so it's important to stabilize it before becoming pregnant.
Using a continuous glucose monitor can help you see how your diet impacts your blood sugar levels.
Dr. Mindy Pelz recommends fasting at certain times during your menstrual cycle to boost hormone levels. This proven method can help with weight loss for people with insulin resistance and balance hormones for better fertility. Consider reading Dr Mindy’s book “Fast Like a Girl”.
If you're underweight you're likely to be deficient in key nutrients, impacting cellular health and egg quality.
Adopt a nutrient rich diet, prioritising health fats and good quality protein.
Consider a Complete Microbiome Map, to support the gut to uptake nutrients.
Avoid Toxins
Minimize exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides, plastics, and smoking, which can damage egg quality.
Key toxins to avoid:
Recreational drugs
Excessive alcohol (no more than 3 drinks per week)
Cigarettes or vaping
Key products to include:
Organic foods
Natural Cleaning Products
Natural Body Products such as oils rather than synthetic creams
A Journey To Parenthood
On turning 35, Nikki decided it was time to take control of her reproductive future by freezing her eggs. She wanted to ensure the best possible egg quality, and so sought the expertise of Fertility Harmony.
From the start, the holistic approach resonated with Nikki. She was guided to revamp her diet, focusing on organic, nutrient-rich foods and essential supplements like CoQ10 and methyl folate.
Stress management became a pivotal part of her daily routine. Incorporating meditation practices and moderate exercise, Nikki was able to maintain a balanced and calm state. Her Whoop provided real-time insights into her stress levels and sleep patterns, allowing her to make necessary adjustments following Dr. Huberman's sleep protocols.
After six months of following the personalized plan from Fertility Harmony, Nikki felt empowered and confident as she went through the egg freezing process. The results were outstanding – the doctors were impressed with both the quality and quantity of her eggs.