Supplements that CAN help boost egg quality
*Please consult with your doctor & do your own research before consuming ANY supplements for fertility.
I'm NOT in the medical field but, I am a woman who has had 3 Miscarriages & this is what I've learned through working with an Acupuncturist, Reproductive Endocrinologist, OBGYN, & doing tons of research.
Before adding any supplements to your diet I recommend reading the books:
It Starts With The Egg by Rebecca Fett and Not Broken by Lora Shahine
It Starts With The Egg can be helpful in figuring out what supplements to take for you & your partners’ specific needs. Additionally, it is a great resource for understanding environmental toxins and how to reduce them.
Not Broken is an easy read with tons of information to help you understand testing, what those tests do, who should get them, and why.
Prior to entering this journey it was always my understanding that women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. This made me feel like not much could be done to improve my egg quality. However, once I dived into research I found many cases where women improved their diets, removed environmental toxins and eventually saw better results in the form of successful pregnancies after loss/infertility or successful retrievals through IVF.
If you are preparing to TTC after loss or preparing for a retrieval for IVF the following tips could help improve your results. However, it is important that you do your own research on how much of each supplement to take for YOUR needs. You can find this information in “It Starts With The Egg” and of course consult with your doctor as well.
Start taking Prenatals 3 months before even TTC. Your body needs time to prep for pregnancy in general and what you start doing today will impact the egg or eggs you will ovulate in 3-4 months (that’s how long it takes). I like Ritual and Nature Made.
Note: Unless you struggle w/severe nausea try not to take chewable vitamins. They DON'T have the same potency. However, keep in mind that either way, the purpose of supplements is to support an already balanced diet where you are getting the majority of nutrients that you need.
I prefer a prenatal that has Folate (not Folic Acid) do your homework on the differences. In general it can be hard to find a prenatal that has enough Folate. The recommended amount is about 600mcg. I supplement with this Folate, depending on which prenatal I am taking (if it is necessary).
Add a Vitamin D3 supplement.
It's recommended to take 4000 IU for pregnancy support. (I've yet to find a prenatal that has enough on it's own.)
Fish Oil can prevent preterm labor & lower risk of preclampsia.
Black Maca Powder has been known to boost fertility & balance hormones in both men & women. I add a tsp to our coffee.
Probiotics (Vaginal Care - Minimum 50 Billion. I use 90 Billion).
It is normal for your PH to change while pregnant. This will help keep things stable, but in general women should ALWAYS take Probiotics (especially those that suffer from common UTIs, BV, and/or yeast infections.
If you have trouble sleeping this will help and it can also help with constipation that can occur during pregnancy. Magnesium also helps with fetal development.
I personally know how frustrating it can be if doctors tell you there isn’t much you can do about your egg quality, and there hasn’t been enough research done to show if these supplements make a difference, but they gave me peace of mind and helped me feel like I was doing everything within my control to raise my chances.
I decided to give myself a break to give my body time to adjust to the changes I made. We weren’t sure if my egg quality was even an issue and it’s really impossible to know (as of now) without doing IVF. We did test my husband’s sperm and everything on his end looked good.
It was not an easy decision to take time off of trying, but it was what I needed after recurrent losses.
Taking time off is a very personal decision, if you do decide to take a break consider using that time to make changes that could put both your body and mind in a better place for trying to conceive.
Sending hugs and loads of babydust!
