How to improve your egg quality for pregnancy.
You may be wondering if there is anything you can do to improve your chances of falling pregnant and having a healthy baby. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. Here is a fun fact; when a woman becomes pregnant and she is carrying a female child, she will also be carrying her future grandchild, which is such a lovely and heart warming thought. While you can’t increase the number of eggs you are born with, you can most definitely improve the quality of your eggs and give yourself the best possible chance of falling pregnant and having a healthy baby.
Did you know the female egg (ovum) is the largest cell in the human body? In contrast, sperm is the smallest cell in the human body. The nutrients your body receives from food provides fuel for all your cells to function properly. The health of the egg begins three to four months ahead of ovulation, this is where almost all of the chromosomal processing occurs, so preconception care is critical. Here’s some tips on what you can do to improve your egg quality.
You’ll likely have heard this before, but eat the rainbow. Your plate should be full of colour to ensure you are getting an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Have a mixture of macronutrients - this is your carbohydrates, fats and protein, and eat organic food where possible to limit your exposure to toxins. Here’s just some of the essential nutrients which are important for egg quality.
Nutrition
Zinc - is an essential mineral needed in all of the various stages of egg maturation and is also needed for cell division after fertilisation. Excellent sources of zinc are pumpkin and sesame seeds, beef, legumes, eggs. The WHO estimates 17% of the global population are vulnerable to zinc deficiency. Those who are at risk include people with gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS, IBD and people with certain dietary restrictions such as vegans and vegetarians. If this applies to you, think about upping your zinc intake.
CoQ10 - Egg cells require different nutrients for different parts and the powerhouse of the egg (the mitochondria) needs energy for when the egg divides after fertilisation. Whilst our bodies do make CoQ10, natural production decreases with age, therefore an older woman’s eggs are less efficient at producing energy. CoQ10 can be found in chicken, fatty fish and whole grains. Good quality supplements can also provide the levels needed to promote fertility and healthy pregnancy.
Folate - is the vitamin B9. Folate is the natural form found in food and Folic Acid is the synthetic form found in dietary supplements and fortified foods. The difference between Folic Acid and Folate requires its own blog post, which I will touch on another time to give you a full understanding about the vitamin. In the meantime, when you think folate, think ‘foliage’ these are the types of foods which contain this crucial vitamin. Kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, whole grains are all excellent sources. You will likely have heard that folate decreases the risk of neural tube defects which is why it is recommended to take a supplement before conception and 12 weeks following. However, studies have shown folate can also lower the risk of miscarriage and infertility.
Omega 3 - found in fish such as tuna and salmon, is an essential fatty acid for brain development during pregnancy and also into early childhood. It helps to reduce inflammation in the body which can adversely affect ovarian function and also supports progesterone production which is the hormone that helps to maintain a pregnancy and reduce the risk of miscarriage. Omega 3 also increase blood flow to the reproductive organs allowing more nutrients to get through and boost the health of the eggs.
lifestyle
Weight - Being underweight or overweight does affect egg quality. Obesity is associated with anovulation (not ovulating) infertility, miscarriage and pregnancy complications. The reasons for this are multifactorial, however obesity increases chronic inflammation in the body resulting in poor egg quality and impaired ovulation. Being underweight results in not having enough nutrients for the body systems to work to its full potential. It’s important when losing or gaining weight, to do this gradually so not to put the body under significant stress.
Stress - Have you ever been in the state where you are so obsessive about when you ovulate that you don’t ovulate, you don’t get your period, or your period is late? Elevated levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) can affect ovulation because it alters signals to the part of the brain that regulates the hormones that trigger the ovaries to release an egg. Certain types of exercise also puts stress on the body so you may want to consider lower intensity workouts such as pilates or yoga which has numerous benefits for stress relief.
Sleep -When we sleep is when our body is busy restoring, repairing, regenerating, so its important to get a good solid 8 hours if you can. Practice good sleep hygiene such as not looking at your phone in bed and exposing yourself to blue light which affects melatonin, the hormone which helps you sleep. Have a relaxing epsom salt bath before bed, read a good book or write in your journal. It’s stressful trying for a baby and it can often feel that’s all you think about but its really important to remind yourself what you are grateful for each day. Remember stress, lack of sleep and exhaustion all affect hormonal balance and increased stress hormones can be detrimental to egg health.
I hope you’ve found this post useful. This is only the tip of the iceberg with what you can do to improve your egg quality and there are many other strategies you can implement to take control of your fertility and increase your chances of pregnancy.
Hi, I’m Raquel
I am a fertility nutritionist based in Manchester, covering the North West, Cheshire and further afield. I help couples and single women to optimise their fertility through diet and lifestyle to help them get pregnant.