Egg Quality and How We Can Help
If you are trying to conceive, you probably already know this, but it’s so fascinating that it bears repeating. You’ve had all of your eggs since before you were born. In fact, they’ve been in your ovaries since you were an embryo. This fact alone is interesting enough, but it gets better. Since your mother’s eggs were in her ovaries when she was an embryo, that means the egg which eventually became you was, at one time, in your grandmother’s uterus.
Like all cells in your body, Oocytes are subject to the natural wear and tear when exposed to the many stresses of life: acidity, inflammation, lack of oxygen and nutrients, dehydration, oxidation, ageing and decay. Cells in your body have varying life cycles depending on what tissues they are from. Some live longer than others, but in general they are replenished throughout your life. You are constantly making new cells. However, this is not the case with oocytes: you currently have, in your ovaries, all the eggs you will ever have, and that does not change.
Recruitment Window
Over the course of a woman’s reproductive life, the oocytes are subject to damage and ageing in a way other cells are not: they age with the rest of the body, but are never replaced. Many factors contribute to this decline, for example, decreased mitochondrial activity with resultant decrease in ATP production; increase in reactive oxygen species (oxidative stress/inflammation); damage to cell proteins and DNA.
The good news is that the quality of those eggs can change if we improve all of these factors. The eggs are all there, but they’re not “done” yet, so the influence you can have on their quality should not be underestimated. We can improve the quality of the eggs by optimizing the environment in which they do all of their maturation and development.
In fact, the last 100 days before an egg is ovulated is the window in which we can optimize most effectively. This is the recruitment window, during which time your body recruits a cohort of follicles and slowly puts them through a process of protein synthesis, maturation and development for several months before they are ready for ovulation and subsequent fertilisation. It is for this reason that I always recommend 3-4 months of supplementation and acupuncture when trying to conceive. This is also the perfect window of care if you are waiting for you appointment with the fertility clinic.
During this 3-4 month window, we can use several modalities to improve egg quality. First a foremost, I use acupuncture to dilate the blood vessels that provide blood to the pelvis. It can improve blood perfusion into the pelvic basin, thus irrigating your ovaries with fresh, oxygenated arterial blood. Based on individual case, I also recommend Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal formulas. These formulas are built specifically for the individual, and can have powerful effects on your fertility. And, finally, there are dietary recommendations and supplements I suggest to give you the best chances.
If you have been told by a doctor that egg quality is an issue, or if you worry it may be due to age, illness, or stress, email me at Welcome@bronwynmelville.com to book a 15 minute free phone consultation.
