Women are born with a fixed number of eggs you have in your lifetime, but the egg quality is affected by various factors, so it is always good to improve your overall health as a way to improve your fertility potential.
This improvement in egg quality leads to an array of female fertility benefits, including improvement in embryo quality, increased IVF success rates, decreased miscarriage rates, and decreased chances for chromosomal abnormalities in embryos.
1) Avoid Smoking, Limit Caffeine and Alcohol
Smoking—Smoking affects the DNA in eggs, hormone production and the fertilised egg’s ability to reach the uterus.
Caffeine—Over consumption of caffeine can increase stress and anxiety levels for people trying to conceive.Coffee is acidic and can make the body’s and cervical mucus too acidic and affects conception.
Alcohol—While it is not known exactly how alcohol affects fertility in women, research shows that even drinking lightly can increase the time it takes to get pregnant, and reduce the chances of having a healthy baby. Binge drinking (more than six standard drinks on one occasion) can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, small birth weight, and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
2) Manage Stress
Stress can produce hormones such as cortisol and prolactin that can interfere egg quality and ovulation. As you cannot avoid stress, it is helpful to manage stress with some relaxation skills such as medication, yoga, walking.
3) Have Healthy Diet
The scientific data suggests that a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet may have a beneficial impact on fertility: high in healthy fats, colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans and lentils, lean protein, and whole grains.
4) Obtain A Normal BMI (Body Mass Index)
Obesity can reduce the egg quality and increase the risk of miscarriage. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a ‘healthy weight’.Women with BMI above 27 are three times more likely than women in the normal weight range to be unable to conceive.
5) Have Moderate Regular Exercise
Moderate regular exercise can improve fertility and the chance of having a baby with ART. Studies of the effects of exercise on fertility have found that moderate exercise reduces the risk of ovulation problems, decreases the risk of miscarriage and increases the chance of having a baby among women who undergo ART.
It is important to note that a large amount of very high intensity exercise may actually reduce fertility and the chance of having a baby with IVF. So, it’s a good idea to have moderate exercise such as yoga, walking and while trying for a baby.
6) Taking Supplements
CoQ10 —can boost mitochondrial function as well as antioxidants, improving the quality of eggs. CoQ10 is considered generally safe with few side effects. Reported side effects of CoQ10 include gastrointestinal issues like nausea, diarrhea and loss of appetite; headaches; insomnia; dizziness; rashes; fatigue and irritability.
Melatonin —is a hormone produced by our bodies, and increases in the dark. So we can increase our own secretion by sleeping in a dark, quiet room and having regular sleep.
Melatonin is an antioxidant, found in the follicular fluid which surrounds the ovarian follicle. By reducing the amount of damage to the egg cells, melatonin increases egg quality, leading to higher success rates during IVF.
Fish oil (Omega-3, DHA/EDA) —Some research suggested that omega-3 in fish oil may provide an effective strategy for delaying ovarian ageing and promoting egg quality. Other studies showed increasing one’s EPA and DHA intake through diet or supplementation has the potential to prolong certain reproductive functions into advanced maternal age.
7) Acupuncture and TCM
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) can increase egg quality by boosting blood flow to ovaries, balancing fertility hormones, inhibiting stress hormone levels. The goal of infertility treatments from Chinese Medicine perspective is not just to get pregnant, but also to optimise the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby. The sooner effective treatment can begin, and we will have a better chance of improving the quality of the patient’s eggs to be nourished and carried to term.