It’s totally normal to be concerned about the quality of female egg produced in your body, especially if you are at the age of 35 or above. There is quite a lot that you can do to improve the quality of female eggs – from vitamin supplements and herbal concoctions to lifestyle changes. There are several prescribed ways to improve reproductive health! Simple tweaks to your lifestyle could have a tremendous impact on your ability to get pregnant.
Here are some ways in which you can improve female egg quality in order to get pregnant:
1. Stay away from caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes to improve female egg
Cigarettes have never been great for health, but in the particular case of reproductive health, they accelerate the loss of female eggs in ovaries, and chemicals in cigarettes mutate the DNA in the egg, making it non-viable for conception. Additionally, alcohol lowers your sex drive, and affects your menstrual cycle and the quality of your female eggs. If you consume caffeine in large amounts every day, you may take longer than usual to conceive, and you may even face a risk of miscarriage.
2. Manage your stress
Stress induces the production of hormones like cortisol and prolactin, which can hamper ovulation and female egg production. Try your best to manage the stresses in your life (home, work, other kids, etc.), and focus your energy on positive thoughts and activities like swimming, walking, dancing, yoga, meditation, etc. Make changes as needed to your lifestyle to reduce any stress that you might have!
3. Maintain a healthy diet.
A natural remedy for good female egg health is a diet loaded with leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts and healthy fish and meat to help them stay healthy and boost fertility. However, stay away from fried food, processed food or meat, and added salt and sugars.
4. Reach a healthy and normal Body Mass Index (BMI) to improve female egg health
Being overweight has been found to hinder reproductive processes and increase oxidative stress. It can lead to fertility issues, as it alters hormonal balance and disrupts ovulation. A woman should ideally have a Body Mass Index between 18.5- 24.9. For example, a woman who is 5 feet 6 inches tall must weigh somewhere between 52 kg – 70 kg. Try to maintain a healthy weight by eating the right foods and engaging in exercise regularly.
5. Maintain healthy blood circulation.
A healthy circulation of blood to the reproductive organs is needed for the ovaries to function well, as oxygen-rich blood aids in the healthy production of eggs. Dehydration could decrease blood flow, so drink sufficient amounts of water. Yoga is a very good exercise to increase blood circulation. The lotus pose, child pose, reclining hero and seated forward bend are some positions in yoga that boost fertility.
6. Take supplements.
It is advisable to take vitamin supplements to boost fertility. Women who are trying to get pregnant are advised to take folic acid supplements before they get pregnant. This is recommended even after. Apart from this, there are several other supplements that are recommended. It is highly recommended that you visit your gynaecologist to get an idea of the supplements that are best suited for you. For example, coenzyme Q10 is an oft-recommended supplement that acts as an antioxidant, but please take your doctor’s opinion first!
7. Freeze female eggs.
Some women may choose to have children later than usual. However, conceiving at a later date can be a bit difficult. Hence, if you have plans to delay conception, the best way to ensure that your fertility is intact is to freeze your female eggs. There is no doubt that age does catch up on fertility. Age might have adverse effects to one’s ability to conceive. But frozen eggs defy the biological clock, and cryo-preserved eggs boost your chances of getting pregnant in the future!
8. Try acupuncture.
This is an ancient technique that has benefitted the Chinese for thousands of years, and it has begun to gain acceptance in Western medicine. Its benefits in helping to improve egg quality are well-known, and patients who are undergoing IVF often go for acupuncture sessions. It is known to reduce stress, and can thereby stimulate the production of healthy female eggs.
9. Eat a bigger breakfast.
This one in particular is for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). A study suggests that eating a chunk of your daily calorie intake during breakfast can help reduce testosterone and insulin levels. This can keep the condition and symptoms in check. High levels of insulin and testosterone are known to be a hindrance for women with PCOS, especially in the case of fertility. So, make sure you include a whole bunch of nutrients in your breakfast meal! Eat complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, ragi, oats, etc., and add in a lot of good fats and protein to your meal. This will help control your insulin levels, keep you full for longer, and boost fertility and reproductive health.
Women need to have a healthy and stable reproductive system to ensure that they can get pregnant without any problems. Fertility treatments in the recent past have given hope to several women who didn’t think they could get pregnant. Nevertheless, it is important that a woman looks after the health of her eggs and her ovaries during her reproductive years. It is recommended that women follow the tips given to improve the quality of eggs and increase fertility if they want to adopt motherhood, and to also consult their doctors about medicines, supplements and treatments.
