What is Egg Quality?

The quality of your egg can affect or harm your fertility. Both the number and quality of your eggs
affect your chances of getting pregnant and having a successful pregnancy.

A female is born with fixed number of eggs, estimated to be around 1-2 million eggs. When a girl
reaches puberty, this number has decreased to about 400,000 eggs, which are stored in the ovaries.
Of these, only 300- 400 eggs ovulate during a woman’s reproductive years.

Healthy eggs are imperative for regular periods, fertility and the ability to conceive. Egg quality
depends on several factors such as age, genetics, environmental exposure and stress.

In addition, the quality of the egg is important to increase the probability of having good embryos for embryo transfer. Embryos must be strong enough to survive the early stages of development for a successful pregnancy. Thus, the quality of the eggs is essential for the success of conception.

How do I know if my egg quality is poor?

Egg quality affects a woman’s fertility and ability to conceive. Egg is a microscopic structure, unlike
male gamete sperm which can be checked without any surgical intervention, the female gamete egg
can be taken out from the body only by surgery, that is called Egg Pickup Surgery. Then only we can
check the quality of egg in microscope.

That’s the reason IVF is considered as a therapeutic as well as diagnostic procedure, which can unravel many hidden problems in egg & sperm, hence clearing the path of success.

Still few blood parameters can reflect the egg quality as mentioned below. The following indicators will signify if your eggs are of poor quality:

1. Age
2. Low levels of Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH).
3. High Baseline FSH
4. Low Follicle Count
5. Miscarriages

How to Improve the Quality of Eggs?

Research has shown that age is not the only factor that affects the quantity and quality of eggs.
Usually fertility treatment options will work best to cope up with poor quality of eggs.

But still, let’s explore the certain ways to improve the egg quality.

1. Eat a balanced diet: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats provides essential nutrients for egg health. Diet rich in antioxidants has positive impact on egg
   quality.
2. Maintain a healthy weight: Being underweight or overweight can affect egg quality, so aim for a healthy body mass index.
3. Manage stress: Chronic stress can affect hormonal balance, which can affect egg quality. Try stress
   reduction techniques such as meditation or yoga.
4. Exercise regularly: Moderate and regular physical activity can help regulate hormones and improve circulation.
5. Avoid smoking and limit alcohol: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can negatively affect egg quality, so it is best to avoid them.
6. Limit caffeine: High caffeine intake can affect fertility, so consider reducing your caffeine intake.
7. Take prenatal vitamins: These supplements provide essential nutrients like folic acid and antioxidants that support egg health.
8. Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night to promote overall health and hormone regulation.
9. Consider fertility supplements: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and DHEA are sometimes recommended to improve egg quality, but check with your healthcare provider before taking supplements.
10. Avoid Exposure to Environmental Toxins: Minimize exposure to chemicals, pollutants and toxins that can harm egg quality.

Check out our recent blog on IUI Treatment

Treatment options for poor egg quality

As we all know to taking out egg from the female body needs a invasive procedure that is possible
only in IVF, where we can take eggs and check quality under the microscope.

1. IUI- IUI treatment can be one treatment option for such a situation. The processed (washed)
   sperm sample from the husband is placed in the woman’s uterus during ovulation. If the
   woman doesn’t have serious problem with egg quality, they can get conceived in maximum
   3 cycles of IUI. If few cases were IUI doesn’t work, they should opt for high treatment
   options.
2. IVF– Usually if the egg quality is poor, patient might need IVF treatment, after few attempt
   of failed IUI. In this treatment, a healthy egg is selected, which is fertilized in a modern
   laboratory and develops into an embryo, which is successfully implanted in the uterus.

See a Fertility Specialist:

If you have fertility issues or are concerned about egg quality, seek help from a health care provider
or fertility specialist who can perform tests and provide personalized recommendations.

White Rose Fertility Clinic and Research Centre provide the up-to-the-minute techniques that are well-
fabricated to make fruitful end results. We hold back fully furnished laboratories to execute
analytical testing of sperm and egg.

Conclusion

In conclusion, poor egg quality does not necessarily mean that you cannot conceive. In most cases,
the eggs do not have what is needed for a normal pregnancy, which makes it difficult to conceive.
Therefore, it is important to contact a fertility specialist in time to check and take proper measures.