How to Improve Egg Quality for IVF

Egg Quality for IVF

Did you know the odds of a woman getting pregnant drop with age? From 25% at 25 years to just 5% at 40, the chances you will conceive naturally within a month drops significantly with your age. As a woman ages, her egg count and quality decline. 

It’s not just the egg count, but your age also increases the risk of carrying eggs with abnormal DNA. Fortunately, IVF is a popular assisted reproductive technology that can help women with low or poor egg count conceive. In this post, we’ve discussed a few effective tips that can improve your egg quality and your chances of enjoying a healthy pregnancy through IVF.

Factors Affecting Egg Quality

Poor egg quality makes conception difficult. Older women have fewer eggs and carry a greater risk of complicated pregnancies than women in their 20s and 30s. Age is one of the biggest factors affecting your egg quality, but it isn’t the only one. Here’s what contributes to poor egg quality:

Age: Older women (above 40 years) are less likely to conceive within the first year of trying than younger ones. As mentioned earlier, the quality of your egg declines with age, thus making conception difficult. 

Hormones: When it comes to fertility, several hormones, including gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), progesterone, and estrogen, are at play. Any imbalance in these hormones can impact your egg reserve. Progesterone, for instance, can be the cause of your infertility, as it affects ovulation and implantation.

Lifestyle: Obese women, those who smoke and drink, and those living a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to poor egg quality than women living an active and healthy lifestyle.

Medication: Women undergoing medical treatment might have poor egg quality. Chemotherapy, especially, can damage the DNA in your eggs and decrease your reserve count. Certain NSAIDs, antidepressants, hormonal contraceptives, and immunosuppressive medication are linked to reduced fertility.

Improving Egg Quality Naturally

Poor egg quality and low egg count do not mean you can’t go on to have a healthy pregnancy. You can conceive and sustain your pregnancy, whether it’s through IVF or natural conception. These tips can help.

Follow a Healthy Diet

A balanced diet won’t only keep you healthy, but it significantly affects your fertility. A diet rich in healthy fats, lean proteins, folic acid, vitamins, and antioxidants works wonders for your reproductive health. 

Add green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, fortified cereals, dairy products, meat, and fish to your diet. You should also have adequate fluid intake to promote a healthy pregnancy. 

Exercise Daily

Your ovaries need oxygen-rich blood flow to promote the development of healthy eggs. Exercise is also the best way to promote proper blood circulation throughout your body. Besides, staying active helps in stress and weight management, which eventually leads to improved fertility. You can start with simple exercises, like walking, swimming, and yoga. 

Weight Management

Being overweight and obese can affect your fertility. You should aim for a BMI of less than 25 if you are planning pregnancy. 

Excessive fat can increase the estrogen level and disrupt the other hormones associated with ovulation and your menstrual cycle. Overweight women can also develop PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), a common cause of infertility in women. 

Stress Management

Oxidative stress reduces blood circulation through the reproductive system. If your egg cells are deprived of the essential nutrients needed for healthy egg development, they can become impaired. 

Additionally, your stress levels are directly associated with your hormonal balance. An increased cortisol in your body results in an imbalance in your reproductive hormones. This can disturb your ovulation cycle.

Try meditation to control stress levels. Dietary changes can also lower your cortisol. Seek social support if you have chronic stress or a more severe condition, like depression or bipolar disorder.

Get Adequate Sleep

A good night’s sleep plays a massive role in boosting your immunity, maintaining hormonal balance, maintaining weight, and reducing stress. You should get 8-9 hours of sleep daily to improve your egg quality.

Try Supplements

Many fertility supplements claim to boost your fertility. However, not every product you come across on the internet is reliable. Always discuss the supplements with a fertility specialist before starting. Gynecologists usually recommend Coenzyme Q10, Folic Acid, Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, L-arginine, Inositol, and Zinc (to name a few) to improve your egg quality. 

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

A few changes to your lifestyle go a long way in improving your egg quality and overall reproductive health. If you smoke cigarettes, stop it right away. Smoking lowers your egg reserve and causes genetic mutations, which make eggs unsuitable for fertilization. Likewise, excess alcohol consumption can negatively affect your fertility. 

Meet a Fertility Specialist

A fertility specialist can help diagnose the root cause of your infertility. They will recommend the best practices to improve your odds of conceiving. They will also assist you throughout your IVF journey. 

FAQ’s

What are the factors that affect egg quality?

Your age, weight, medical history, and lifestyle are crucial factors affecting your egg quality.

How can I improve my diet for better egg quality?

Add green vegetables, protein-rich food, omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid supplements, iron-rich food, and other essential nutrients to improve your egg quality.

What lifestyle changes can I make to improve egg quality?

Stop smoking, avoid alcohol, and stay active. Getting adequate sleep and keeping your stress levels in check is also crucial for a healthy pregnancy.

Are there any supplements that can improve egg quality?

Yes, CoQ10, folic acid, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids supplements are advised for women with poor egg quality.

When should I talk to a doctor about improving egg quality for IVF?

If you have been trying to conceive for more than a year but couldn’t get pregnant naturally, see a fertility specialist. The difficulty in conception may be because of your egg quality. 

Conclusion

Sometimes, the cause of infertility is linked to genetic issues and medical conditions, like PCOS in women or azoospermia in men. While it’s possible to test your egg count, there’s currently no medical test that can show the egg quality. Only a fertility specialist or a gynecologist can help you determine the cause of infertility and offer the proper guidance. So far, IVF has proven an effective technology for women facing difficulty conceiving naturally due to poor egg quality.


2 Comments
  1. Reply
    Muhammed Ahmed

    Assalam o Allikum

    MA SHA ALLAH we have 4 kids, 3 Daughter and 1 Son.
    Physically both are fit.
    we wish a baby boy for completing our family.
    I am not a rich man. I am simple account assistant in a real estate farm and dose not afforded so much fees recently i have receive a comety PKRs 80,000/-
    If these rupees the process are possible then Please contact me

    We both are at the age of 40
    Regards
    Muhammed Ahmed

    • Reply
      ACIMC Webmaster

      Dear,
      We have experienced Consultants at ACIMC. Please come for a first free consultation with coordinator doctors.
      For an appointment please call on our UAN: 0304-111-2229, WhatsApp: 0309-333-2229

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Ramadan-Package-2025_2 (1)