DO count your eggs!

I just finished reading a book that recently came out called It Starts With The Egg by Rebecca Fett. It's all about egg quality and the various things, from environmental toxins to vitamins/supplements to diet, that can impact egg quality. The book draws from 500 scientific studies and gives the reader an understanding of the science of a developing egg, as well as an analysis of what the current research shows. The author has a background in molecular biology and biochemistry, and when she was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), she set out to research what she could do to increase her chances of success.  The end result was that after making changes to her diet and lifestyle and adding specific supplements, she went from having just a few follicles in her ovaries to having about 20. On the day of her retrieval, the doctor harvested 22 eggs, out of which 19 became good-quality blastocysts. This hardly sounds like the outcome of someone with DOR.

Reading this book both freaked me out and made me feel more informed. I was freaked out by how many toxins we are all exposed to, and how unregulated a lot of it seems. Yes. Keep away from BPA and plastic tupperware, but scented lotions and nail polish and receipts? AHHH! Though we can't avoid all things toxic, becoming more aware can help us make the better choices. We are all looking for more ways to feel like we have some control over our situation, right? Perhaps making specific changes and taking certain supplements (CoQ10 anyone?) can help. It certainly can't hurt.

Though I don't believe there is a prescription for getting pregnant or having a successful IVF cycle, I do believe being healthy and cautious about what we put in, on, and around our bodies is important. I also believe that different bodies require different levels of intensity when it comes to this stuff. I do my best to stay away from empty carbs, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol, and I eat lots of veggies and take herbs and vitamins. I've done a lot of this stuff (much of what is outlined in this book) for over two years now and haven't seen much improvement in my ovarian reserve. But other people, like the author of the book, do have significant improvement! And there is evidence that supports it. This book gives a lot of great information and specific action steps for anyone interested in improving egg quality. 

Every body is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. Sixteen-year-olds get pregnant on a steady diet of hot cheetos and diet Coke! We can't make ourselves too nuts about everything, but we can do whatever is within our power to give ourselves the best chance. Then we can at least know we did everything we could. 

Comments

[Natalie]

I'm 39 years old with diminished ovarian reserve. My last fertility test two years ago showed my AMH at 0.16 and FSH at 19. The doctor at the fertility clinic told me I had a 5 percent chance of getting pregnant even with IVF. Between my 1st (fail) and 2nd rounds of IVF (last month) I read this book. I didn't put all of her recommendations into action but I did much of what she suggested, including taking 200 mg of Coq10 ubiquinol and 50 mg of DHEA daily for three months straight. I eliminated all alcohol, cut back on caffeine and did regular acupuncture. They only got out two eggs at retrieval, but both were fertilized and both turned into embryos. A little over a week ago I got a BFP with a very high HCG score that could indcate both implanted. The sad news is that the embryo(s) has stopped developing and I'll be miscarrying, but the fact I managed to get pregnant is miraculous. I'll be shooting for a 3rd round in October and am hoping to implement even more of Rebecca's recommendations.

[Don't Count Your Eggs]

A Few Good Eggs--a spontaneous pregnancy with undetectable AMH! That's the kind of new I love to hear! Thanks for sharing your blog!

[A Few Good Eggs]

I thought Rebecca's book was so informative. She delved into a number of supplements and lifestyle changes that I had heard recommended as well (I even wrote a review of it on my blog: http://agoodeggplease.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-it-starts-with-egg.html). I've been taking DHEA and COQ10 and had one spontaneous pregnancy (with an undetectable AMH) so perhaps it really does help?

Separately, very glad I found your blog.

[Amy]

No I am in Massachusetts but just did a whole bunch of online research about what the different places do and CCRM had really good rates of success so I followed their supplement list. Docs here weren't particularly against supplements but didn't seem to think they would play a decisive role either way (which might be true). Good luck with the rest of cycle, glad to hear it's going well!!

[Heather]

Amy--are you in Colorado? I went to CCRM for a consult, but ended up choosing Rocky Mountain Fertility. I did still use the cocktail of supplements you described below--in the middle of my 2nd cycle now (1st was cancelled prior to retrieval) Looking good so far, 10 follies yesterday...
Maya--I read all of your posts and I'm sure I speak for a lot of women when I say--Thank you for understanding and making this journey feel less lonely.

[Amy]

As you said, I know plenty of people who just eat pizza and drink soda and get pregnant right away (which always makes me wonder how much any of this micromanagement matters). However, I had success so far on second IVF cycle after the first one resulted in no blastocysts. I read they prescribe some of these at CCRM and I took CoQ10, myo-inositol, L-arginine, royal jelly and DHEA to improve egg quality. I also increased protein intake. Not sure if this is what made a difference or not but wanted to share since in reasonable doses I don't think any of these supplements can hurt (although there are some exceptions with DHEA depending on individual). Thanks for making this blog and being so involved, it means a lot!