UPDATED 12-22-17 Please note that many things that have once been rumored to boost egg quality have really not proven very helpful and actually have messed up people's cycles as well. It is not a good trade to take a supplement that is doing nothing for your egg health while it simultaneously makes your cycle really long and your luteal phase really short! Proceed with great caution, the best change you can make is switching over to the atomic fertility diet and you can find that here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...-sugar-issues=
This is just a general information question for ANYONE worried about declining egg quality due to age. Please note, most of these things sway blue in a fully fertile person, but if you're having trouble getting pregnant due to age or other fertility challenges, you may NEED to improve your egg quality just to get pregnant at all...if you can't get pregnant, you will have NO chance at your DG.
It takes about 90 days for an egg to develop to maturity and be released. That's three months during which you really can improve the health of your egg.
LIFESTYLE - Drink plenty of water.
Exercise 30 minutes a day 4 days a week minimum, 45 minutes a day 6 days a week maximum. More is not better for fertility, even if you're very fit. (please note it may sway pink to get more exercise than that.)
Get plenty of sleep.
Get 10-20 minutes of direct sun a day.
Do not smoke, drink, or take drugs.
Acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, yoga, and massage may help. Tell your care provider that you are interested in boosting your fertility.
DIET - Eat a wholesome, balanced diet with lots of organic fruits and vegetables (9 servings a day) of many different colors, whole grains, and organic lean meats, grass fed if possible. Meat should be eaten in moderation and do NOT barbeque, as it can create chemicals that are detrimental to health. Eat fish twice a week, ONLY wild fish and avoid fish that are known to contain high levels of mercury. Shellfish are often sources of high levels of agricultural runoff and should be avoided.
Full fat dairy has been proven to improve fertility - look for organic dairy without added hormones. NO SKIM DAIRY at all period. Skim dairy is one of the worst things for fertility!
Eat foods with good fats in them. In addition to fish, eggs, nuts, avocado, olive oil are all good sources of good fats. NO FLAXSEED OIL as it has been proven unsafe when pregnant and we don't know how long the effects last. Flaxseed and flax meal only in dietary amounts only no more than 2-3 days per week.
Eat whole grains and plenty of fiber.
Wheatgrass juice is a great fertility booster BUT please limit to 2-3 servings per week only. Wheatgrass supplements should be avoided by blue swayers in particular as they have seemed to sway pink for those who were using them and also seem to be associated with people who just didn't get pregnant for no good reason.
Soy products and alfalfa sprouts should be avoided as they can affect fertility in a negative way.
Avoid or limit sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Even natural sugar like fruit juice should be limited. Whole fruits are fine because they have fiber in them that slows down your body's insulin response. Artificial sugars should also be avoided.
Cut caffeine or better yet, avoid it entirely.
SUPPLEMENTS
Folic Acid - this should be number one on the list of EVERYONE TTC. 800 mcg minimum, I prefer 1200-2000, up to 4000 mcg if you have a history of neural tube defects. Larger doses may be utilized best by the body if it's broken up into 4 parts and taken 4 times a day. Should be taken throughout the first trimester and then weaned off slowly.
Folate - folate is a better used form of folic acid. If you have MTHFR mutation, history of unexplained losses, or autism in your family please use only folate.
More information about folic acid and folate is here http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...tml#post959026
Zinc - 8 mg is the RDA for women. Oysters are commonly suggested as sources of zinc, but they are laden with agricultural runoff and may impact fertility negatively. You can take this amount throughout pregnancy. 8-15 mg daily
B6 - this vitamin helps with your luteal phase. 100 mg is believed to be safe for those TTC and even throughout the first trimester, but some people find that 50 or even 25 mg works for lengthening their LP. Should be weaned off slowly, but you can take it throughout pregnancy. PLEASE NOTE I have found B6 to make tons of trouble by delaying ovulation and it really rarely even helps those with a short luteal phase anyway. The best cure for a short luteal phase is more dairy fat, eggs, and salmon. B6 hardly ever helps and generally creates more problems for people.
Vitamin A, C, D, E, and calcium, are all believed to help with fertility. A good prenatal multivitamin will meet your needs of these and other vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A can be dangerous in large doses and so you should def. stick to the amount in your multivitamin. Vit. C in high doses has been used to induce miscarriage! Of course, a prenatal vitamin should be taken throughout pregnancy. Do not take megadoses of these nutrients, no more than 100% DRV. The exception is Vitamin D which is now believed to be safe up to 1000 IU without a doctor's input. Some doctors will have you take even more but stick with 1000 IU only if you're taking this on your own.
L-Arginine - this is an amino acid that improves blood flow to the reproductive organs and may help with implantation. For now, it's best to take prior to TTC and only AF-O if you're actively trying. PLEASE NOTE we have seen terrible results with this. It raises testosterone, which can make your cycle go berserk, and worse, high testosterone in women delays ovulation, shortens luteal phase, and actually worsens egg quality. I can no longer ever recommend L-arginine for anyone (you can give it to your husband though if you are swaying blue!) L-arginine is in Fertile CM which is a product I also cannot ever recommend for anyone any more.
PABA - this is a chemical related to B vitamins. It's not normally included in multivitamins. Some research shows that it may help boost egg quality but this is rather tentative. Do not take more than 400 mg a day, and it may be best utilized by the body if you take it in 4 doses, 100 mg 4 times a day. Wean off slowly during the first trimester.
Grapeseed extract, cranberry extract, pomegranate extract, lycopene, reservatrol, green tea, and other similar supplements - these are a source of phytochemicals and antioxidants that your body may use to help nourish healthy eggs. In dietary amounts, these are safe to take (not massive swaying amounts, just take the recommended amount on the bottle). Green tea may reduce the levels of folic acid your body can absorb, so if you want to try green tea, up your folic acid intake. Green tea in particular has also really messed up people's menstrual cycles and has delayed ovulation, use with caution.
ALA - Alpha Lipoic Acid - an antioxidant that may help protect DNA from damage during cell division. Believed to be safe throughout pregnancy and may help your baby's brain development.
CoQ10 - another antioxidant to help protect that precious DNA. Believed safe during pregnancy, but there is little information known. It is a rare supplement in that it seems to help with both pink and blue sways. The ubiquinol form is best (although more expensive.) Take anywhere from 100 to 600 mg and then wean off gradually at positive pregnancy test.
Pycogenol - antioxidant. It is recommended that women NOT take it during the first trimester, so only take prior to TTC, and AF-O when you're TTC.
Royal Jelly, bee pollen, bee propolis - antioxidants and contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These are allegedly great for fertility, but if you or anyone in your household is prone to insect allergies (even if you have never had an allergic reaction to bees before), it is probably best to skip these. EVERYTHING beneficial in them is present in other sources such as proteins, fats, and nutrients already in your prenatal or multivitamin. Have also really messed up people's cycles badly. I cannot recommend the bee products for anyone.
DIM - take 100-200 mg per day. This is a chemical found in cruciferous vegetables that can help lower estrogen and maybe testosterone as well. May sway pink. This is another unknown, so it is best to take only prior to TTC/AF-O in months you are trying..
Essential Fatty Acids - include Evening Primrose Oil, fish oil, DHA supplements. Your body uses these oils as building blocks for the hormones that trigger ovulation and maintain pregnancy. In reasonable amounts (as suggested on the bottle), they are safe to take throughout pregnancy, with the exception of Evening Primrose Oil because it contains prostaglandins that may cause contractions and your cervix to soften. PLEASE NOTE - Evening Primrose Oil has seemed to make tons of opposites for us with blue sways - people who wanted boys, but got girls. I can no longer recommend EPO for anyone swaying blue. Also, no flaxseed oil for anyone at all ever as it's been proven unsafe during pregnancy and we do not know how long the effects last. (even if your midwife recommends it, please please please do not take flaxseed oil during pregnancy and do not ingest flaxseeds or flax meal more than 2-3 times per week)
IMPORTANT NOTE - taking more than 500 mg of any essential fatty acid supplements have acted as strong blood thinners for us, causing bleeding, bruising, and possibly causing or contributing to miscarriage. More is not better. 500 mg max on these.
Maca Root Powder - This root seems to help restore normal hormonal function. Different manufacturers suggest different dosages, but despite this, Maca seems very promising as a fertility booster. It IS really considered a food, and you can put it into smoothies rather than swallowing it in capsules, but for safety's sake, once you get a BFP, you should phase it out of your diet. Please note - we have experienced some very bizarre side effects such as hallucinations and really weird dreams while people were on Maca. It also messed up people's cycles. Cannot recommend this one.
Vitex - If you take only one herb to aid fertility, make it this one. Increases LH while decreasing FSH, and helps to lengthen luteal phase and restore ovulation while breastfeeding. This is great for us older ladies who have high FSH. Some people find it works for them on only 400 mg, some 800. Best if taken only AF-O even in the months prior to TTC. Taking it every day throughout your cycle has actually caused infertility, so just take it AF-O. If your cycle is regular, it may make it longer and harder to pinpoint ovulation. May sway pink. PLEASE NOTE - vitex has caused tons of trouble for us and I really can't recommend it for that reason alone.
Melatonin - I cannot recommend melatonin for anyone except those doing IVF/PGD who will have their egg retrieval done and then their eggs frozen for future FET. Even though melatonin has been shown to be helpful to egg quality, it may cause developmental delays when taken during pregnancy. And since it's a natural hormone, you can't just quit taking it at ovulation or at BFP because your body needs it when you become pregnant. You have to wean off it gradually and it's unsafe to do so when pregnant, yet continuing with it may harm your baby! So please, unless you will have several months between when your eggs are retrieved for IVF and when you'll be pregnant, no melatonin! I cannot recommend it for natural conceptions or for IVF rounds with fresh transfers the same month you've taken it.
DHEA - While DHEA may help egg quality for some, it is only those who have lower than normal DHEA levels. Other people's egg quality will be actively harmed by DHEA because it will raise your testosterone levels, delaying ovulation, shortening LP, and worsening egg quality. Only people who have had their DHEA levels tested by a doctor or who are over 40 (and even this is at your own risk, ladies) should take DHEA. And be sure you wean off it at BFP. This also may sway blue so be aware this is a risk if you're a pink swayer.
There are various other proprietary herbal fertility blends that may help improve egg quality, but they all seem to contain some combination of the above ingredients and usually cost WAY more.
