Treatment Options for Women with Poor Egg Quality In cases where fertility drugs do not work, a more aggressive approach may be required. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the best option in such cases. If the quality of eggs is extremely poor, IVF may be performed in conjugation with egg donation.
Poor Quality Eggs & Poor Quality Embryos
An IVF cycle can be unsuccessful even with good numbers of eggs (and embryos) if egg quality is poor. Egg quality reflects about 95% of the final quality of an embryo. Poor egg quality, therefore, always leads to poor embryo quality.
Why does egg quality plays such a key role in IVF success? The answer comes down to the simple fact that high-quality eggs produce high-quality embryos, which must then be strong enough to survive the early stages of development in order to result in a successful pregnancy.
The main cause of poor egg quality is age, but it is not the only one; there can be other reasons too, including but not limited to pelvic radiation, ovarian surgery, any reproductive illness, genetic abnormalities, chemotherapy, excess consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and some unknown factors.
A: It's still possible to conceive naturally with poor egg quality, but it may be more challenging. In some cases, fertility treatments such as IVF may be recommended to improve the chances of conception.
How long does it take to improve egg quality? Eggs take 3 – 4 months to mature, but even a month of supplements, acupuncture, diet, and lifestyle can improve egg quality, especially when you are preparing for an IVF cycle. Of course, the more time you have, the more your eggs will benefit.
Incorporate whole grains, lean meats, leafy greens, fresh vegetables, fruit and nuts in your diet to give your body what it needs to support your eggs. Avoid processed foods and meats when possible and limit your salt and sugar intake. -Maintain a healthy weight: You should strive for a healthy BMI (body mass index).
The only way to preserve your egg quality and fertility is through cryopreservation (freezing). Cryopreservation, such as egg freezing, is the only technique that currently exists to extend your fertility.
Improving oxygen-rich blood flow to the ovaries through exercise, yoga and movement can help improve egg quality and rid the body of toxins. Drinking more water and staying hydrated can also assist this process.
As a rule of thumb, however, having about ten to 12 mature eggs after egg retrieval (not all eggs retrieved will be developed or mature enough to fertilize) is a good number of eggs and will give a woman a good chance of having at least one normal embryo, which gives a woman a 65 percent chance of pregnancy.
Taking fertility supplements, eating a healthy diet, incorporating yoga into your daily routine, and managing your stress levels will improve all of the bodily processes that support fertility and quality egg development.
The increased level of stress hormone such as cortisol reduces estradiol production possibly by affecting the granulosa cell functions within the follicle, which results deterioration in oocyte quality.
There are many possible causes including an inappropriate stimulation protocol and its execution, adverse conditions in the embryology laboratory, a cycle-specific suboptimal response, a genetic abnormality in the gametes of either the male or female partner, or a genetic abnormality in the embryo.
Improving Egg Quality and Quantity Takes Time
Remember that an egg takes 90 days to mature before ovulation, which means that it can take three months for you to increase egg quality. It also takes time to balance hormones to improve symptoms of PCOS, irregular periods, and endometriosis.
However, it's important to understand that results can take some time: the window for improving egg quality is two to four months before ovulation. This is the time when the follicle cells are developing and the cell is getting ready to divide to form the egg cell that will end up being ovulated.
CoQ10 supplementation has been shown to improve egg quality, sperm quality, and pregnancy rates. Sperm and eggs both take about 90 days to develop. For best results, fertility specialists recommend taking CoQ10 and other fertility supplements for 90+ days if possible.
“For most couples – and certainly those where the woman is younger than 40 and those of any age using donor eggs – two-thirds will achieve a live birth after five or six treatment cycles. This will take, on average, two years and is similar to rates that couples conceiving naturally take in one year.”
A doctor performs an embryo transfer in a fertility clinic. Although many women abandon IVF treatment after three or four unsuccessful attempts, a study shows the odds of success continue to rise through as many as nine cycles. Too many women give up on in vitro fertilization too soon, a new study suggests.
Studies show that women in their 20s and 30s have the most success when getting pregnant through IVF and other reproductive technologies. According to the CDC, the average percentages of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles that lead to a live birth are: 31% in women younger than 35 years of age.
As mentioned above, surgery to the ovaries—to remove a cyst or treat endometriosis—could damage the ovaries or reduce ovarian reserve. And chemotherapy and radiation, while obviously life-saving treatments for cancer and other illnesses, can destroy or damage a woman's eggs or cause premature menopause.
Egg quality starts to decline at age 32 and decreases rapidly after 37. Advanced maternal age also heightens the risk of birth defects. Only 28 percent of women, and 35 percent of men, believe age is the number one contributor to female infertility, the AOA survey found.
This is why IVF centers stimulate women in order to get sufficient eggs. Women under 38 in our IVF program have acceptable live birth rates even with only 3 – 6 eggs, do better with more than 6 eggs, and do best with more than 10 eggs. Women 38-40 and 41-42 years old have low live birth rates with low egg numbers.