How To Improve Egg Quality For Pregnancy Or IVF?
How To Improve Egg Quality For Pregnancy Or IVF?
January 29, 2024 by adminWomen who want to conceive naturally or via IVF need to improve their egg quality to increase their chances of pregnancy. The quality of the eggs has a key role to play in achieving a successful outcome. Furthermore, the quality of the eggs needs to be enhanced by following the right protocol. If you are a resident of Chennai and you are planning to become pregnant, it is important that you consult with the best gynecologist in Chrompet.
In men, sperm production happens every three months. In the case of women, they are born with 1-2 million eggs, and only 300 to 500 will mature. Besides, only the matured eggs are available for conception throughout their lifetime. As women age, the quality of their eggs deteriorates. Their ability to conceive also declines.
When Should You Take Action?
When it comes to pregnancy, timing is very important. Good quality eggs should be available at the right time. You might have heard a lot about the importance of improving the quality of eggs, but it will be used only if done at the most appropriate time. This is to say that medical intervention to improve the quality of your eggs must be sought while the eggs are going through the maturation process. It does not help in any way if the egg has already matured and is ready to be released.
It takes 12 to 13 months for the follicles that are dormant to become ready and release the egg. Furthermore, the maturation process speeds up only towards the last 120 days of its maturation cycle. It is during the final 3 months that the egg reaches the final stage of maturity with 23 chromosomes. This is the best time for intervention and improving egg quality.
Age has a major role to play when it comes to the quality of eggs, but it is definitely not the only factor. The quality of eggs and their natural or external response to hormonal stimulation is affected by stress, inflammation, environmental factors, poor diet, drug abuse, hormonal imbalance, and excessive smoking, among others.
How is the Quality of Eggs Determined?
An accurate method to assess eggs for pregnancy or before extracting them for IVF is unavailable. However, your hormone levels do provide some indications. If you consult with the best IVF specialist at the top maternity hospital in Chennai, they will guide you appropriately.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
If your ovaries are not responding to the normal FSH signal, then the quality of the eggs they produce is questionable. Higher FSH levels on the second or third day of your menstrual cycle indicate poorer quality of eggs and diminished reserve.
Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH)
The AMH levels in your body drop as you age. This means that it offers another way of gauging your ovarian reserve. Lower AMH levels indicate a poor ovarian reserve. This, in turn, indicates the poor quality of eggs.
However, it is important to note that it is possible for women who have a poor ovarian reserve to conceive if they have a few good-quality eggs. Eventually, all you need is just one healthy, fertilized egg in order to become pregnant. This is because what matters is not the numbers but the egg quality when it comes to conception. Having said that, let us look at a few ways of improving egg quality and boosting your fertility:
DHEA supplements
Dehydro-epiandrosterone (DHEA), a mild and well-tolerated male hormone, provides remarkable results for women who have a diminished ovarian reserve. This is because the presence of very low levels of male hormones in the ovaries leads to a reduction in ovarian reserve and the production of poor-quality eggs. You may be prescribed 75 mg to 100 mg of this supplement for a period of at least two months prior to picking up the eggs. The effect usually peaks in four to five months.
CoQ10 supplements
The antioxidant Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, also helps improve the egg quality. It is the nutrient for the powerhouse in cells, the mitochondria. As you age, the CoQ10 levels and the number of healthy mitochondria decline. CoQ10 supplements help in perking up your egg cells. A study in China wherein 169 women were involved found that a higher number of eggs were retrieved from the participants put on CoQ10 supplementation. They also achieved better fertilization rates, embryo quality, and successful pregnancy rates.
Glutathione
Glutathione is yet another powerful antioxidant, and it fights free radicals. This leads to a reduction in the oxidative stress of your egg cells and contributes to improving the health of eggs and embryos.
L-arginine
L-arginine supplements help to improve the blood supply to both your uterus and ovaries. It also creates a better environment for the production and fertilization of eggs.
Myo-Inositol
PCOS often causes fertility problems. This is because it causes immature eggs to be released. Immature eggs cannot be fertilized. Inositol supplements combined with folic acid improve your PCOS by reducing your blood triglyceride levels and enhancing your ovarian function. When insulin function becomes better, your PCOS improves and promotes ovulation.
Nutrition
Researchers in the UK have observed that the quality of the egg is impacted by the consumption of too many refined carbohydrates. Processed carbohydrates break down quickly, leading to a sudden increase in blood sugar levels. So, it is best to avoid excessive consumption of bread, pasta, sugar-rich foods, and processed foods.
Eating a balanced diet is, therefore, highly recommended. A balanced diet is one that consists of less than 40 per cent carbohydrates, at least 35 per cent protein, and a lot of leafy greens, fruits, and berries that provide antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoking
Nicotine is toxic to your body’s cells, which include egg cells as well. Consumption of excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol can also affect your pregnancy plan.
Exercise
Improving the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the ovaries helps in the production of better-quality eggs. Exercising and drinking sufficient amounts of water is helpful in this regard. Obesity affects mitochondrial function and increases oxidative stress. Therefore, maintaining a normal body weight helps increase your chances of a successful pregnancy.
Reduction of stress
Stress may not be directly responsible for infertility, but it can impact the quality of eggs. Prolonged stress increases the production of hormones like cortisol and prolactin. These hormones may impact normal ovulation.
Acupuncture and Yoga
Acupuncture and yoga are helpful in managing anxiety and stress within limits, improving blood circulation to the ovaries, and helping detoxify your body. All these factors contribute to improving egg quality and the functioning of the ovaries.
Sugam Hospital
Sugam Hospital is a multi-speciality healthcare facility in Chennai with an ultra-modern operation theatre complex capable of handling major surgeries. The hospital boasts of a clinical laboratory manned by a team consisting of a pathologist, microbiologist, biochemist, and lab technicians. The services of the pharmacy, clinical laboratory, and radiology departments are available around the clock. In addition, Sugam is one of the top hospitals to offer a blood bank in Chennai.