72. How Can I Improve My Egg Quality? Start With This Question

Can you actually measure egg quality? And how do you know if poor egg quality is a problem for you? In this Dear Jess episode, Jess breaks down what fertility testing can and cannot tell you about egg quality, what may be learned during IVF, and what to consider before spending hundreds of dollars on supplements intended to improve it.    

In This Episode

00:59 How do you know if you have poor egg quality?

• Why “How can I improve my egg quality?” may be starting one question too late
• Why there isn't currently a simple test that gives you an “egg quality score”
• What AMH and antral follicle count actually tell us and what they don't  

03:12 What does “egg quality” actually mean?

• What practitioners generally mean when they talk about egg quality
• The role of chromosomal competence
• Why age gives us information about probability, rather than directly inspecting your individual eggs  

04:59 What can IVF tell us about egg quality?

• What your fertility clinic can observe after egg retrieval
• Maturity, fertilization, embryo development, and blastocyst development
• Why even IVF doesn't necessarily give us one simple answer for why an egg, embryo, or cycle did or didn't work  

07:18 Can you actually improve egg quality?

• Why there isn't a protocol that can guarantee you'll “fix” your eggs
• Supporting your overall health versus trying to perfect your fertility
• Why Jess is cautious about promises to improve egg quality in three months  

09:01 Before you buy another egg-quality supplement

• Why being pro-individualized supplementation isn't the same as believing every woman needs an “egg quality protocol”
• Five questions to ask before adding another supplement
• How “it might help your egg quality” can become an incredibly expensive idea  

10:20 What to ask instead of “How do I fix my eggs?”

• Separating what we know, what we estimate, and what we assume
• Asking what evidence-informed steps make sense for your circumstances
• Why there may not always be another thing you need to add
• Separating what you can support, what medicine can measure, what science can estimate, and what none of us can control  

Have a Question for Dear Jess?

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Submit your question anonymously through the Dear Jess question box below. Jess reads every submission, and your question may be answered in an upcoming episode of the Her Fertility Podcast.  

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Resources

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Disclaimer

The Her Fertility Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared in this episode should not replace individualized care from your physician, reproductive endocrinologist, or other qualified healthcare professional. Always speak with your healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing supplements, medications, or treatment.