In this episode, I’m going to be talking about the signs to look out for that may suggest that you have poor egg quality.
As I mentioned in episode 5 of the podcast, there is no egg quality test as such.
This is really unhelpful because wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a super simple test that could be done that could tell you if you have poor egg quality or not.
There are however, some signs that you can be on the lookout for that may be suggestive of poor egg quality.
Let’s discuss them…
The first sign is age
Because you were born with all of your eggs, over time, they too age.
Ageing does unfortunately result in decreased egg quality and increases the risk of chromosomal abnormalities, as your eggs are susceptible to reactive oxidative stress and byproducts of cellular metabolism over time.
Oxidative stress decreases energy production and interferes with chromosome processing.
There is also research to show that eggs from older women and women with fertility issues, have reduced antioxidant defence systems and are more sensitive to oxidative damage.
Oxidative damage negatively impacts the mitochondria within egg cells which interferes with energy production and egg quality.
Therefore, as you age, it is inevitable that your egg quality will decline.
If you are trying to have a baby in your mid to late 30’s or 40’s please remember that even a woman in her early 20’s may have egg quality issues and that it is still possible to have a positive influence over your egg quality and get pregnant.
However, as much as I don’t want it to be true, age is a big factor when it comes to egg quality.
It’s important that this is taken into consideration.
The second sign is recurrent miscarriage
If you have experienced recurrent loss, first and foremost, I am sending you lots of love and a big virtual hug.
There are multiple factors that may result in a miscarriage however, multiple miscarriages may be highly suggestive of egg quality issues.
If you’re going down the IVF path, you may want to consider pre-implantation genetic testing which can give some insight into your egg quality.
Pre-implantation genetic testing, involves testing embryos for either a specific or known single gene condition or chromosome variation.
This ultimately means that only chromosomally healthy embryos will be selected for transfer, enhancing the chances of bringing a healthy baby home.
If you’re not going down the IVF path, definitely have a chat with your healthcare provider who can do some further investigation.
The third sign is low progesterone levels
Progesterone is secreted after an egg has been released at ovulation in the luteal phase of your cycle.
A corpus luteum is formed once the ovarian follicle has released a mature egg (or ovum) during ovulation.
It is the corpus luteum that releases progesterone and adequate levels are needed to sustain and maintain a viable pregnancy.
Your egg quality influences the corpus luteum which influences progesterone levels.
Poor egg quality can negatively impact the corpus luteum’s ability to release optimal levels of progesterone and ultimately support a viable pregnancy.
Progesterone is tested 7 days post ovulation and optimal levels for fertility are greater than 30 nmol/L.
The fourth sign is a luteal phase of 10 or less days
The luteal phase is the time between when ovulation occurs and the first day of the menstrual cycle.
This is the time when progesterone peaks in the cycle, if ovulation has occurred.
If the corpus luteum does not secrete enough progesterone this can cause the luteal phase to be short.
A luteal phase of 10 days or less days is suggestive of low levels of progesterone and possible egg quality issues.
A luteal phase shorter than 10 or less days doesn’t allow enough time to support fertilisation with sperm and implantation.
Having a luteal phase consisting of 10 or less days is referred to as a luteal phase defect and it has been associated with infertility, implantation failure and early pregnancy loss.
The fifth sign is irregular cycles/infrequent ovulation
Irregular cycles, anovulatory cycles (where ovulation is not occurring) and abnormally long cycles can be suggestive of poor egg quality.
This may be a sign that your eggs are not maturing correctly because they are of poor quality.
If you’re not already, start tracking your cycle (my favourite way of doing this is by following the fertility awareness method) and assessing what your cycle is doing.
It can give you so much insight.
The sixth sign is low and/or inconsistent BBT in the luteal phase
Your basal body temperature is your temperature when you’re completely at rest.
It is a biomarker that is tracked when following the fertility awareness method.
Low BBT are often due to low levels of progesterone in the luteal phase and can be suggestive of poor egg quality.
This is because follicle health and development influences progesterone levels as previously mentioned.
The final sign that I am going to be talking about in this episode is failed IVF transfers and/or no or very few embryos making it to the blastocyst stage
If you’re going down the assisted reproductive path and are doing IVF and if you’ve had no or very few embryos make it to the blastocyst stage or if your embryos have failed to transfer, this may be suggestive of poor egg quality.
Like I mentioned when talking about the second sign, recurrent miscarriage, if this is you, you may want to consider pre-implantation genetic testing which can give some insight into your egg quality.
I want to wrap this episode up by saying that not all of these signs point directly to egg quality.
For some of these, such as recurrent miscarriage, failed embryo transfers etc. they may be due to male factors and that it’s important not to overlook sperm quality.
I am not suggesting that egg quality is the only factor when it comes to these potential fertility barriers and that if any of these sound true for you, it’s important to find a healthcare provider who can help you to understand your individual circumstances so that they can best support you on your path to becoming a mama.