How Long Does It Take to Improve Egg Quality? (+How To Do It)
Improving egg quality is a concern for many women, especially those navigating fertility challenges. If you have ever received a diagnosis of “poor egg quality,” you know how absolutely gut-wrenching that can be.
But even if you are just starting out on your trying-to-conceive journey (TTC for short), you may have heard how important egg quality is not just for improving your chances of getting pregnant, but also for having a healthy pregnancy and ensuring the health of your child. I am of the opinion that everyone should care about improving their egg quality before trying to conceive because the benefits for you and your baby are numerous.
So, how long does it take to improve egg quality? In this article, we’ll explore the timeline for improvement, the intricate factors that influence ovarian health, as well as practical steps you can take, including the ideal diet for improving egg quality, lifestyle changes, and helpful supplements. Read on for expert insights to empower your reproductive health journey.
photo credit: RDNE
How Long Does It Take to Improve Egg Quality?
As soon as you start to implement egg quality-boosting practices, you'll begin to notice changes, with significant enhancements in fertility expected within the first 30 days. But true changes to egg quality will typically take about 90 days. Let's explore some of the changes that will start to happen as you embark on improving egg quality.
Short-term Improvements (0-3 Months)
Gut health improvements
You know I wasn’t not going to talk about gut health, right?! Our fertility and menstrual cycle are closely tied to gut health, which plays a significant role in regulating hormones—especially estrogen. When the gut microbiome is imbalanced, it can hinder the proper elimination of estrogen from the body. This can lead to a condition called estrogen dominance, which may result in symptoms such as bloating, heavy periods, and difficulties with fertility. While estrogen dominance may not have a significant impact on egg quality directly, it does play a role in your overall fertility picture and comfort in your body. Shifts in your microbiota from the dietary and lifestyle changes suggested in this article will improve your gut health and hormone balance, leading to proper hormone cycling.
Decreased inflammation:
Chronic inflammation is a key driver of infertility due to increased oxidative stress and potential DNA damage, especially when it comes to conditions like endometriosis. Healing the gut lining and eliminating key inflammatory foods from your diet, while adding in more anti-inflammatory foods, will help to reduce inflammation quickly, leading to conditions optimal for improving egg quality.
Blood sugar balance:
Living on a blood sugar rollercoaster is commonplace for so many people without them even realizing it. Unbalanced blood sugar and insulin resistance decrease fertility and lead to oxidative stress in the body, which can negatively impact egg quality and ovulation. Balancing meals with key diet changes leads to more stable blood sugar and decreases insulin spikes quite soon after implementation, creating an optimal environment to enhance fertility.
Medium-term Improvements (3-6 Months)
Improvement in egg quality:
The most profound changes in egg quality happen during this timeframe because the bulk of development of an egg follicle follows a 65-90 day cycle.
Hormone balance:
During this time, you may also see changes toward optimal hormone balance from continued improvements in gut health, blood sugar balance, and optimal nutrient intake. All of these inputs play a role in not just your reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone, but also other critical hormones for fertility like cortisol and insulin.
Long-term Improvements (6+ Months)
Because the egg that you ovulate each month actually started its journey from dormancy to a mature egg almost a year prior, you will still be able to see improvements the longer you implement egg quality-boosting habits. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t get pregnant after three months. There is still room for improvement just by continuing on this journey
Continuing to implement the strategies outlined below will benefit your egg quality, but they are also important as part of a very healthy lifestyle for your future. These improvements will significantly benefit your pregnancy and the health of your baby. So keep at it, and know that finding a way to include these changes in your lifestyle going forward will pay dividends for you and your future children’s health.
Photo credit: Nathan Cowley
Now that you know the timeline for improving egg quality, let’s go over what exactly it is and why it is so important.
Understanding Egg Quality
Egg quality refers to the overall health and viability of a woman’s eggs, which is crucial for fertility and successful conception. It encompasses factors such as the eggs' genetic integrity, the ability to be fertilized, and the potential to develop into a healthy baby.
Egg quality is essential for reproductive success, impacting the chances of conception, pregnancy health, and the risk of genetic abnormalities. High-quality eggs are more likely to result in viable pregnancies and healthy babies, making this a critical consideration for women trying to conceive.
Factors That Influence Egg Quality
Age:
As women age, the quantity and quality of their eggs decline. Women are born with a finite number of eggs, and both the quality and likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities increase as they approach their late 30s and 40s. One main reason age affects egg quality is that, as we age, mitochondria tend to decrease. Mitochondria are necessary for providing sufficient ATP, or energy, to the egg cells, and less functioning mitochondria can lead to reduced egg quality.
Lifestyle:
Factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption can significantly impact egg quality. A balanced diet rich in antioxidants, maintaining a healthy weight, and regular physical activity can help improve overall reproductive health. Stress levels and lifestyle habits also play a role in overall reproductive health. We'll get into the meat of this below.
Medical conditions:
Conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and thyroid disorders can negatively affect egg quality. Additionally, certain medications may also have an impact.
Environmental factors:
Exposure to environmental toxins, such as pesticides, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors, can impair egg quality.
What Are the Signs Your Egg Quality Could Use Improvement?
First off—I do not want you to attach yourself to the idea of having poor egg quality.
I was "diagnosed" with this myself, and it severely depreciated my sense of self and brought me into a negative space, which further wreaked havoc on my fertility and menstrual cycle. But (silver lining!) it did propel me to go back to school for nutrition and learn a ton about this topic. So hopefully, you can skip the part where you feel negatively about yourself and your chances of conceiving and jump right into productive action, which will lead you so much closer to your dream baby!
With that said, some signs that your egg quality could use some optimizing are:
Irregular menstrual cycles
Difficulty conceiving after a year of trying (or six months for women over 35)
Recurrent miscarriages
Abnormal hormone levels detected during fertility testing
Short luteal phase (the time between ovulation and your period)—less than 11 days
How to Improve Egg Quality Naturally—Even After 40!
1.Nutrition and Diet
Foods to Include
In terms of nutrition for fertility, the importance of a well-balanced and nutrient-dense diet cannot be overstated.
Fats and proteins are especially important for optimal fertility nutrition, as they help balance blood sugar and provide many critical micronutrients like fat-soluble vitamins and key amino acids. Grass-fed meat, eggs, and full-fat dairy (if well-tolerated) are excellent sources of high-quality protein, healthy fats, and some of the best sources of many critical nutrients to enhance egg quality.
Though some believe dairy should be avoided when trying to conceive, it is actually rich in nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and high-quality fats that have been scientifically linked to better fertility outcomes including reduced risk of endometrosis. Research suggests that full-fat dairy, in particular, may support better reproductive outcomes. That being said, if you know you don’t respond well to dairy either because of a lactose intolerance or sensitivity to milk protein, it’s best to avoid and focus on other dairy free sources of healthy saturated fats and calcium.
Non-starchy vegetables: Incorporating plenty of non-starchy vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, and spices helps provide essential vitamins and minerals and beneficial foods for your gut microbes. While whole grains and fruits are important, they should be consumed in limited amounts to support hormonal balance and avoid blood sugar spikes that can interfere with fertility.
One study showed that too much fiber from grains and fruit specifically—not vegetable fiber—has been linked to decreased fertility. My thought on this is that getting lots of fiber from these foods also comes with many carbs that can lead to blood sugar spikes, which is the real issue. Either way, limiting how much you eat will be beneficial.
Choose quality: Just like with your follicles and eggs—quality matters! Whenever possible, opt for grass-fed, pasture-raised, and organic or pesticide-free foods, especially animal products.
Photo Credit: Nathan Dumlao
Foods to Avoid
While I prefer to focus more on what you can add in to achieve optimal health, in the case of improving egg quality, there are clearly things to avoid for meaningful improvements.
Refined sugar and refined white flour can cause blood sugar fluctuations and inflammation, both of which can disrupt hormonal balance and egg development.
Industrial seed oils (ISOs) like soybean, canola, corn and sunflower oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation when consumed in excess.
Two controversial beverages when it comes to trying to conceive are caffeine and alcohol. Studies have shown mixed results regarding caffeine and alcohol effects on IVF outcomes, which can be used as a proxy for egg quality. The general scientific consensus is that if consuming, you should limit caffeine to <200 mg/day, ideally <150 mg/day, which is equivalent to approximately one 8-12 ounce coffee and no more than one alcoholic beverage per day.
Although I tend to be a bit more conservative, and if you can go without it, I would recommend avoiding both of these to give yourself the best chances. In short—start acting like you’re pregnant.
Steering clear of these foods and substances can create a more supportive environment for optimal egg quality.
While I recommend to avoid these foods as much as possible, try not to be so strict with yourself that you cause yourself undue stress. Following the 80/20 rule—where at least 80% of the time you are going without these things—is helpful. A good rule of thumb for me is to not have any of these foods in the house, and then allow them when it would cause you stress to be so stringent, such as when eating at a friend’s house or when on vacation.
Don’t Fear Fat!
You have probably come across advice to avoid saturated fat when trying to conceive—a claim I adamantly oppose! Cholesterol, one reason saturated fats have been wrongfully vilified, is the basis for making steroid hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, both critical for becoming pregnant and maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Saturated fatty acids are among the most prevalent fats in egg follicular fluid and in breast milk—why would that be if it wasn’t vital to conception and healthy baby development? One study with over 3,000 participants showed that higher saturated fat intake, specifically stearic acid found in high-quality meats, dairy, and coconut oil, was associated with a lower risk of PMS as well. So, if you come across a nutritionist or someone touting low saturated fats as optimal for health and fertility, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.
Now, as with anything, there are good and bad aspects, and not all fats are created equal. Avoid man-made trans fats found in fried foods, shortening/butter substitutes, and many ultra-processed food. Anything that lists “hydrogenated” on the ingredient list should be avoided. Go for the real stuff—it’s good for you. :)
Related: 5 Things to Eat Every Day to Boost Your Prenatal Nutrition
The Mediterranean Diet for Fertility
But I’ve heard the Mediterranean diet is the best for fertility—is that true? This is one I hear a lot—and for good reason! At first glance, the scientific literature seems to back this up. But when you actually dig into it, there may be more than meets the eye.
Participants following a Mediterranean diet tend to lead healthier lifestyles. They often take multivitamins containing folate, are more active, and avoid processed foods, and these factors can impact fertility. These variables are usually assessed using statistical tools, but it is impossible to fully control for all the additive effects that may come from a healthier lifestyle, such as enhanced mood, improved sleep, and more balanced blood sugar.
Whole grains are often talked about as some of the best foods for fertility, and these Mediterranean diet fertility studies seem to support that; however, when looking deeper, you can see that consuming more whole grains means fewer refined grains, which may be the true driver due to more balanced blood sugar and increased nutrient intake compared to the latter. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to consume many whole grains, just that you should always choose whole grains over refined white flours whenever possible for optimal fertility.
This review here is an excellent one on the topic, and I encourage you to read it. It’s not that the Mediterranean diet is bad—not at all! Of course, switching from the standard Western diet to the so-called Mediterranean diet based on whole foods will promote overall health. But we can do even better for our fertility by limiting the amount of grains eaten and including lots of high-quality fats (including saturated fats!) and sufficient high-quality animal proteins that have the optimal fatty acid ratio.
Now that we’ve discussed dietary impacts, let's explore how supplements can benefit your egg quality.
2. Supplements
Supplements can never replace a whole foods diet because of the myriad cofactors present in whole food that you just cannot replicate with supplements alone. But they definitely can have their place to enhance your nutrient and antioxidant status.
But first, a disclaimer:
It is always recommended to check with your healthcare provider when starting a new supplement—especially when trying to conceive and during pregnancy. The recommendations and advice outlined here are solely for nutrition support and education and are not intended for the purpose of providing medical nutrition therapy, nor intended to diagnose, prescribe, treat, prevent, cure, or heal any condition or disease.
Vitamins & Minerals
First off, start taking your prenatal vitamin now. The best prenatal is one that includes the key nutrients for mother and baby in the most bioavailable forms. Important ingredients include Vitamin A, B vitamins (including B12 and Folate), Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Choline, Iodine, Iron, Selenium, and Zinc.
Look for a prenatal that includes methylated folate instead of folic acid because up to 60% of the population has some form of a gene mutation that doesn't allow for optimal conversion of folic acid to the usable form, methylfolate. Methylated folate is important because it is a form of folate that your body can use directly without requiring conversion. This ensures that your body receives the essential nutrients required for various cellular processes, which is crucial for supporting a healthy pregnancy. Similarly, B vitamins can also have a methylated form, which is more readily utilized by the body. You might see these forms labeled as L-methyltetrahydrofolate for folate and methylcobalamin for vitamin B12.
Magnesium, calcium, and DHA are also incredibly important nutrients but are often not found in sufficient quantities in prenatals, so getting these nutrients from your food or a separate supplement is key. I recommend supplementing with magnesium glycinate and omega-3 DHA and obtaining calcium from food sources such as 100% grass-fed organic dairy, chia seeds, and bone-in sardines.
Additional Supplements
The main benefit additional supplements have on egg quality is that they are potent antioxidants able to reduce oxidative damage to eggs and also increase mitochondrial function in egg cells. Human studies have shown that eggs with higher amounts of mitochondrial energy have a greater potential for normal embryonic development and successful implantation.
Some potentially beneficial supplements that may reduce oxidative stress and boost mitochondrial function are:
Myo-inositol, while not an antioxidant, helps to balance blood sugar and improve symptoms of PCOS, so if you have been diagnosed with PCOS, you may consider adding this to your supplement list.
A word of caution on supplements
Beware of overloading on supplements when trying to conceive. It can be easy to overdo it when everyone is touting their supplement as a miracle fertility fix. Focus first on a whole foods diet and a high-quality prenatal. To determine what additional supplements may benefit you personally, you can book an educational consult with me. Then, consult your healthcare provider to ensure their safety and relevance to your situation.
3. Lifestyle Habits
To improve egg quality, you’ll want to go beyond just diet and focus on incorporating or improving some healthy lifestyle habits as well.
Sleep
Getting adequate sleep—about 7-9 hours per night—is critical. Sleep regulates important hormones like melatonin, which helps protect eggs from oxidative stress, and cortisol, the stress hormone, which, when chronically elevated, can interfere with reproductive function. Prioritizing good sleep hygiene supports this hormonal balance.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Physical activity and movement play an essential role in improving egg quality, with light to moderate exercise intensity being the most beneficial. Activities like walking, yoga, and swimming can enhance circulation, balance hormones, and reduce stress—all without over-exerting the body and causing a calorie deficit, which can sometimes negatively affect fertility, especially in women with lower BMI.
Photo Credit: Prasanth Inturi
Manage Stress
If you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, this one is especially important. This can be such a challenging time, so taking time to help reduce stress and improve your mindset during the day will be key.
Doing something you love, practicing deep breathing, or focusing for five minutes on what you are grateful for that day are all cliché, but for good reason! They really help to lower stress and cultivate a positive mindset, which can help improve fertility. Chronic stress can disrupt ovulation and menstrual cycles by raising cortisol levels, so learning to manage stress effectively is key to creating an optimal environment for conception.
I also love to think about how it will feel when you accomplish your goal—in this case, getting pregnant! How will it feel to see those two lines on the pregnancy test or see your healthy baby moving at your 20-week anatomy scan? How will you celebrate? Really feel into the good emotions this evokes.
4. Avoiding Toxins
To improve egg quality, it’s important to consider not only nutrition and lifestyle but also environmental factors that can affect hormonal balance and reproductive health. Food and personal care products often contain chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and parabens, which are endocrine disruptors. These substances can interfere with the body’s natural hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone, potentially leading to fertility issues.
BPA is commonly found in plastic containers and canned foods, while phthalates and parabens are often present in personal care products like shampoos, lotions, and cosmetics. Reducing exposure to these chemicals by choosing BPA-free packaging and opting for natural, paraben-free personal care products can support better hormonal health. I like to use EWG’s Skin Deep® database to check out products I’m interested in and how they rate.
In addition to personal care, environmental factors such as the quality of water and household cleaning products also play a role in fertility. Using a water filter can help remove contaminants like heavy metals, chlorine, and other pollutants that may impact reproductive health. Limiting exposure to pesticides in food by choosing organic produce when possible and avoiding toxic chemicals in household cleaners by using natural alternatives can also help reduce the toxic load on the body. By minimizing exposure to these environmental disruptors, you can help create a healthier environment for your fertility and future baby.
5. Professional Support
Depending on how long you have been trying to conceive, you may want to invest in some professional support to help make your dreams a reality.
Some professional support to consider include:
Consulting with a fertility specialist if you have been trying to conceive for over a year without success.
Acupuncture
A certified fertility massage or Maya abdominal massage therapist.
A fertility nutrition coach (like me! You can book a free 20-minute fertility audit where we will identify your #1 most impactful change you can make to super-charge your fertility).
Regardless, everyone should be getting their regular check-ups with their healthcare providers, including:
annual physicals—ask to test for vitamin D, thyroid, and blood glucose
twice annual dental check-ups
annual gynecologist visits
Related: Learn Why Your Gut, Oral, and Vaginal Microbiomes Matter So Much for Pregnancy!
Now you know the best ways for how to improve your egg quality (and sperm quality, too!), and can start implementing for improved chance of pregnancy and your healthy baby!
FAQ
Is it really possible to improve egg quality?
The answer to whether egg quality can be corrected?—Absolutely, yes! I hope this article and case studies showed you how. I’ve seen it many times where people implement egg quality-boosting strategies and either get pregnant naturally or achieve greater results with IVF.
Does it really take 3 months to improve egg quality? I want to be pregnant now! Can egg quality be improved in 30 days or less?
Many impactful changes can happen for your fertility in 30 days, but for true improvements to your egg quality, patience is key, and a full commitment to 90+ days is needed.
Bringing It All Together
Improving egg quality is a journey, one that asks for patience and dedication, but the rewards can be truly beautiful. As we’ve explored in this guide, taking a holistic approach—looking at nutrition, supplements, lifestyle choices, and even your environment—can significantly boost your chances of conception. By focusing on nourishing your body with wholesome, nutrient-rich foods, key vitamins and minerals, and adopting healthier habits, while also minimizing your exposure to toxins, you’re creating a more supportive environment for your reproductive health.
I want to encourage you to be proactive in your fertility journey. Start by assessing your diet, adding in those fertility-friendly foods, and cutting back on ones that aren’t as helpful. Manage stress in ways that feel good to you, and don’t hesitate to reach out for professional support when needed. Remember, each positive step you take brings you closer to your goals and enhances your overall well-being, and that can make all the difference on your path to growing your family.
With these strategies and a bit of luck you’ll be asking “How do I support a healthy pregnancy” instead of “How Long Does it Take to Improve Egg Quality,” and I’ll be there to support you then, too!
Photo Credit: Nataliya Vaitkevich
I invite you to share your experiences or questions in the comments below. If you like what you’ve read, but are thinking “how do I implement all of this?”— I’m here for you! Book your free 20 minute fertility audit or consider joining my 12 -week Fertility Transformations Program to jump right into your personalized guidance and implementation strategies.
