Why You’ll Need Three Months to Improve Egg Quality and Support Your Fertility Health

If you have been experiencing fertility challenges, chances are you have heard of the importance of egg quality on fertility health. The quality of a woman's eggs plays a major role in her fertility. The great news is, there are some steps you can take to improve the quality of your eggs and increase your chances of conceiving.

In this blog post, I'll go over some tips for improving egg quality and supporting fertility in three months. Why three months? That’s the amount of time it usually takes for eggs to mature. During this time, nutrients that a woman gets from their diet and supplements and benefits from an improved lifestyle can benefit the maturing eggs. By the time they fully mature, their quality will be improved from the changes implemented. 

So what things can you do to support egg quality? I'll cover diet and nutrition tips, supplement suggestions, and even some exercise and sleep tips. I'll also discuss the role of acupuncture in improving egg quality. Finally, I'll talk about some common mistakes to avoid when trying to improve egg quality.

Whether you're trying to get pregnant naturally or are preparing for IVF, you’ll want to keep reading.

It Can be Done, but it Takes Time…

With the right diet and lifestyle changes, you can make a big difference in the quality of your eggs. This, in turn, can give you a better chance of conceiving. Here are some tips to get you started.

First, it’s important to understand that improving egg quality is a process. It takes time and effort to make lasting changes. It may take several months before you start seeing results. 

Second, lifestyle changes may be necessary. This includes changes to your diet, exercise routine, and sleep habits. Third, you may need to take supplements to support egg quality. Finally, acupuncture may be beneficial for some women.

Now that you know the basics, let's talk about how to improve egg quality and support your fertility..

How to Support Fertility and Improve Egg Quality

The first step in improving egg quality and supporting fertility is to make some lifestyle changes. This includes changes to your diet, exercise routine, and sleep habits. All of these can play a role in improving egg quality.

First, let's talk about diet. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential for supporting fertility and improving egg quality. This means eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains. Avoid processed and refined foods, which can be detrimental to your fertility.

It's also important to get enough vitamins and minerals. Some of the most important vitamins and minerals for fertility include B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, and iron. You can get these from food sources such as leafy greens, nuts, and legumes. Alternatively, you can take a quality prenatal vitamin to ensure you're getting enough of these important nutrients.

Diet and Nutrition Tips to Improve Egg Quality

In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet, there are some specific foods that can help to improve egg quality.

One food group that can be beneficial for fertility are omega-3 fatty acids. These are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines. They can help to reduce inflammation, which can improve egg quality.

Antioxidants are also important for fertility. Foods high in antioxidants include blueberries, dark chocolate, and green tea. These can help to reduce oxidative stress, which can damage the quality of your eggs.

Finally, it's important to get enough protein. Good sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, nuts, and legumes. Protein is essential for the development of healthy eggs.

Supplements to Support Egg Quality

In addition to a healthy diet, there are some supplements that can help to support egg quality.

One supplement that can be beneficial for fertility is Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This is a powerful antioxidant that can help to reduce oxidative stress, which can damage the quality of your eggs. Make sure you find one that’s in the form of ubiquinol, which is a superior form of CoQ10. 

Another supplement to consider is DHEA. This is a hormone that can help to improve egg quality and support fertility. It's important to note, however, that it can have some side effects and is not for everyone. If you are considering taking DHEA, it is best to get tested first because for some it can cause adverse effects if their DHEA is already high. It's best to talk to your doctor before taking it. 

Finally, Vitamin D can be beneficial for fertility. Vitamin D is important for the development of healthy eggs. You can get Vitamin D from exposure to early morning sun or by taking a supplement. Keep in mind that if you are deficient in Magnesium, it may affect your absorption of Vitamin D.

Exercise to Improve Egg Quality

Exercise can have a positive impact on egg quality. Moderate exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, fertility yoga, and cycling can help to improve circulation, which can be beneficial for fertility.

It's important to find an exercise routine that works for you. Try to find something that you enjoy and that you can stick with over the long term. It's also important to remember that too much exercise can have an adverse effect on fertility. So make sure to find a balance that works for you.

Sleep Tips to Improve Egg Quality

Getting enough sleep is essential for improving egg quality. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can lead to a decrease in egg quality. Aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

It's also important to establish a good sleep routine. Make sure to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This will help to regulate your sleep cycle and will make it easier to get the rest you need.

Finally, make sure to create a sleep environment that is conducive to good sleep. This means keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Avoid using electronics in the bedroom and limit your caffeine intake in the afternoon and evening.

The Role of Acupuncture in Improving Egg Quality

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that can be beneficial for fertility. It involves stimulating specific points on the body with needles. This has been shown to help improve egg quality and increase the chances of conception.

Acupuncture works on balancing a person’s “pattern” so that their body can get into a natural, self-healing state. When patients come in, I first assess their pattern and tendency in order to create a treatment protocol. The points chosen are both distal and local. Meaning that distant points can be used to treat something they aren’t necessarily close to.

Local points are usually placed around the pelvis to encourage blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. This assists in helping the blood carry the nutrients that are absorbed from the diet and lifestyle protocols implemented for egg health, so that it can support the maturing eggs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Improving Egg Quality

When trying to improve egg quality, it's important to avoid some common mistakes.

First, don't rely solely on supplements to improve egg quality. Supplements can be beneficial, but they should be used in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle changes. It’s also important to keep inflammation down so that absorption of supplements can be optimized. This can be done with a balanced diet.

Second, if you are stressed trying to do everything perfect in regards to egg quality, it will impact your hormone balance as well as sleep. So make sure to find a balance that is realistic for you.

Finally, don't try to rush the process. Improving egg quality takes time and patience.

Conclusion

Improving egg quality and supporting fertility may seem overwhelming at first. But with the right diet, lifestyle changes, and supplements, you can make a big difference in your fertility health and egg quality. 

In this blog post, I discussed why three months is a necessary time to improve egg quality and support fertility. Diet and nutrition tips, supplement suggestions, and even some exercise and sleep tips were discussed. I also shared the benefits of acupuncture on improving egg quality. Finally, I talked about some common mistakes to avoid when trying to improve egg quality.

If you're trying to get pregnant or just want to make sure you have the best quality eggs possible, then following these tips can help. Keep in mind that improving egg quality takes time and patience, so be sure to be consistent and stick with it. If you would like more customized help in order to improve your egg quality with acupuncture or online consultations, be sure to schedule your free fertility discovery call. 

Body Awareness: A Vehicle to Reproductive Wellness?

Chinese medicine is rooted in Taoist philosophy.  Taoism literally translates as “The Way”.  “The Way” refers to the way of nature and balance which is symbolized beautifully in the yin and yang.  The idea is that if everything is balanced, optimal life force is able to thrive.  This can be seen in all of nature and is reflected in all living things on earth.

The symbolism of yin and yang shows two opposing forces which turn into one another and are interdependent.  If there was too much sunlight, plants would dry up – too much rain, they would get over saturated - too much darkness, they would be deprived of the sun’s energy.  Nature is designed to reflect this perfect harmony in order to sustain life.  

Our bodies reflect this nature.  They are microcosms of the earth’s ecosystem and have their own elements.  When those elements get out of control, disharmony arises and can lead to disease or imbalance.  This imbalance can show up as hormone disruption, sleep disruption, or menstrual irregularities – to name a few.

Fertility health reflects our overall health.  It is a branch that depends on the trunk of our vitality.  Fertility can be compared to sprouting, and sprouting can’t occur unless the existing plant has sufficient vitality to sustain the sprout.  In order for this to occur, we need to look at what is sustaining the body so that it is optimally primed to support new life.

Not everyone is able to go to an acupuncturist or holistic practitioner, but we are all designed to connect with our body’s needs.  Our bodies are programmed to point out imbalances so that we can attend to our own health.  This design happened way before anyone made a living as a healthcare provider.  While seeing a qualified provider is essential in many cases, I want to point out that we still have power to tune into what our bodies are telling us.   

In order to address the imbalance, we need to first observe.  One of the easiest ways to do that is through body awareness or interoception.  This is our body’s way of signaling us to cool down when it’s hot, to eat when we’re hungry, or to avoid certain foods if they cause a reaction.  

This body awareness can increase with time and may need consistent practice, especially if we’ve conditioned ourselves to ignore its cues for many years. Once we begin to sharpen this innate ability, it will open a window into our wellness.  It will show us which foods give us vitality, and which foods drains us.  It will show us when we’re tired and how to surrender to rest.  It will show us when we are over-exercising or under-exercising.  It will also show us if what our doctor is telling us is in line with our body’s truth – i.e. it may be time to get a second opinion!

3 Steps to connecting with your body’s intelligence:

1. Meditation

1.    Meditation:  Meditation is one of the best ways to train your mind to ‘listen’ and tune into your body.  It is actually how some people theorize that acupuncture meridians were discovered.  Getting quiet helps us tune in to our subtle sensations and get guided by our innate intelligence.  Meditation has a very balancing effect – it creates a state of flow which is an optimal state for the body to ease back into balance.  There are many types of meditations, one of which focuses on body awareness.  Doing so not only reveals what is happening in the body, but it also helps the body to harmonize and reset.

2. Become Mindful

2.    Mindfulness: I know, this is often associated with meditation because there is a type of meditation called “Mindfulness meditation”, but mindfulness refers to a deep present awareness that can be carried through into every activity and non-activity throughout the day – including eating.  Mindfulness helps us tune into how our bodies respond to conversations and can help us connect with our intuition, which is our inner compass.  This intuition has come in handy to many of my patients who have shared that they were guided to get a second opinion when what they heard from their doctor didn’t feel like the right advice to them.  And they were proven right as their journey progressed! 

3. Yoga

3.    Yoga:  Yoga brings an immense state of body awareness by moving consciously.  It is referred to as ‘yoke’ which unites body and spirit.  If spirit is referred to as consciousness, the practice of yoga threads this consciousness into every movement and breath of the body.  I often refer to yoga as an ancient ‘intelligent exercise’.  It not only strengthens the body, but it also awakens its vitality and consciousness. 

Awareness not only helps us tune into what requires balance in our bodies, but it also acts as a lifegiving force.  As Tony Robbins says, “energy flows where attention goes”.  If you think back, you may notice moments when just your mere attention breathed life into things.  Our awareness is more than simply observation, it is charged with life force energy.  Just the simple act of noticing can regulate and rebalance.

The key to remember is that our bodies are designed to revert to balance naturally, and one of the ways it does that is to cue us like it does when we are hungry, hot, cold, or tired – we automatically know what to do!  Once we tune in to these cues (eating right, resting when we need) and the body is able to align like a lock opening up, reproductive health follows suit and is able to thrive.  I have worked with many women both virtually and in my practice.  When I am working virtually and am unable to implement acupuncture, we work on awareness and implementing balance through a variety of protocols.  I have seen amazing transformation in menstrual cycles and fertility health all due to simply tuning in and working with the body’s amazing intelligence!