3 Key Points (Quick Scan)

• Poor egg quality often reflects underlying imbalances like inflammation, thyroid dysfunction, blood sugar instability, mitochondrial stress, or chronic stress, not a permanent fertility limitation.

• Eggs develop over a 90 day window, meaning targeted nutrition, lifestyle shifts, and functional testing can influence egg maturation and embryo quality.

• Research shows improvements in oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, thyroid levels, blood sugar, and mind body regulation can meaningfully support ovarian function and IVF outcomes.

Introduction

If you’ve been told you have poor egg quality, you’re not alone. Many women with low AMH, high FSH, diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) receive alarming predictions that don’t reflect their true potential for pregnancy. Egg quality isn’t fixed. It is shaped by the internal environment supporting your follicles as they mature.

This environment is influenced by inflammation, mitochondrial energy, thyroid health, blood sugar regulation, gut integrity, toxin exposure, and nervous system patterns. The encouraging reality is that egg development takes about 90 days, which means the steps you take now can directly impact the eggs you ovulate three months from today.

Inside the Fab Fertile Method, I’ve seen women improve egg quality, IVF response, and natural conception outcomes by addressing the underlying imbalances that conventional care often overlooks. These functional strategies work because they support whole body physiology, not just hormone levels.

We'll break down five key functional fertility steps that help support healthier eggs and better pregnancy outcomes.

Real Life Success – From Low AMH & Recurrent Loss to Pregnancy

One of our clients we’ll call “Jessica” to protect her privacy, came to Fab Fertile after experiencing two early losses and being told her egg quality was poor based on low AMH and irregular cycles. She also struggled with digestive issues, food sensitivities, nutrient deficiencies, sleep disruption, and signs of inflammation.

Through a personalized plan in the Fab Fertile Method, we addressed gut health, stabilized blood sugar, supported thyroid and adrenal communication, improved detox pathways, and corrected key nutrient imbalances. As these underlying issues shifted, her cycle patterns improved, her energy returned, and her overall resilience increased.

In time and with the guidance of her fertility team, she conceived naturally. Her story is similar to many women we work with who discover that egg quality is not static, but influenced by the environment their eggs mature in.

Please note: Every body is different. Client results vary depending on individual health background, compliance and other factors. This story is shared for inspiration and not as a guarantee of similar outcomes.

Tip 1: Support Mitochondrial Energy for Better Egg Development

The egg is the most energy demanding cell in the body. Healthy mitochondria support cell division, chromosomal alignment, and early embryo development.

Why this matters

• Mitochondria fuel the earliest stages of embryo growth

• Oxidative stress drains mitochondrial capacity

• Better mitochondrial function supports fertilization and blastocyst development

What helps

• CoQ10 (ubiquinol)

• Omega 3 fatty acids

• Magnesium glycinate

• Methylated B vitamins

• Antioxidant rich foods like berries and leafy greens

Avoid

Fasting, long gaps between meals, or under eating because they suppress mitochondrial output.

Research: Ubiquinol supplementation improved mitochondrial energy and egg quality in reproductive aged women (Bentov et al., 2014).

Tip 2: Balance Blood Sugar for Hormone and Egg Quality

Blood sugar instability impacts ovulation, luteal phase strength, and follicular development.

Signs your blood sugar needs support

• Shaky or irritable between meals

• Waking around 1 to 3 am

• Afternoon crashes

• Cravings after eating

Strategies

• Eat 30 to 40 grams of protein per meal

• Include protein, fat, and fiber at every meal

• Walk after meals

• Test fasting insulin, glucose, and HbA1c

Research: Blood sugar dysregulation is linked to impaired ovulation and poor embryo development (Zhang et al., 2021).

Tip 3: Reduce Inflammation and Toxin Exposure

Inflammation disrupts follicle development and contributes to poor egg maturation.

Inflammatory triggers

• Gluten, dairy, soy

• Processed foods

• Plastics

• Synthetic fragrances

• Unfiltered tap water

• Gut infections (shown on GI MAP)

• Mold exposure

Support a low inflammation environment

• Cruciferous vegetables

• Omega 3s

• Turmeric

• Clean water filtration

• Anti inflammatory meals

• Non toxic household products

Research: Chronic inflammation is associated with reduced ovarian reserve and fertilization potential (Celik et al., 2020).

Tip 4: Improve Hormone Communication From Brain to Ovary

Hormone signaling depends on optimal thyroid, adrenal, and liver function.

Functional optimal ranges

• TSH under 2.0 mIU/L

• Free T3 3.4 - 4.4 pg/mL

• Free T4 1.4 - 1.8 ng/dL

• Reverse T3 < 15 ng/dL

• Ferritin 80 to 100 for IVF outcomes

• Vitamin D 60 to 80 ng/mL

• Homocysteine 6 to 7

Strategies

• Minerals like selenium, zinc, and iodine (when appropriate)

• Consistent, balanced meals

• Gentle strength training

• Support liver detoxification with cruciferous veggies, fiber, magnesium, choline

Research: Suboptimal thyroid levels reduce implantation and increase miscarriage risk (Stagnaro Green et al., 2011).

Tip 5: Strengthen the Mind Body Connection

Your stress response directly influences hormone output, ovulation timing, and progesterone production.

Effects of chronic stress

• Suppressed GnRH, FSH, LH

• Luteal phase issues

• Reduced cervical mucus

• Lower quality eggs

• Altered cortisol patterns

Evidence based tools

• Breathwork

• Guided relaxation

• Nature time

• Heart rate variability training

• Fertility focused mindset support

Research:

• Domar et al., 2011: Mind body groups had a 52 percent pregnancy rate in IVF vs 20 percent in controls.

• Maleki Saghooni et al., 2017: Mind body programs improved pregnancy odds nearly fourfold.

Next Steps in Your Fertility Journey

Subscribe to Get Pregnant Naturally for evidence-based guidance on functional fertility, and share this episode with anyone on their fertility journey.

Not sure where to start? Download our most popular guide:  Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant This Year If You Have Low AMH/High FSH it breaks everything down step by step to help you understand your options and take action

For personalized support to improve pregnancy success, book a call here.

Timestamps

00:00 – What Poor Egg Quality Really Means
Understanding how oxidative stress, thyroid imbalance, inflammation, mitochondrial issues, and chronic stress affect egg development.

01:42 – Why Functional Fertility Testing Changes Outcomes
How deeper testing like GI MAP, DUTCH, and nutrient panels uncovers what IVF and basic labs often miss.

03:20 – Success Story: Improving Egg Quality with Hashimoto’s and Low AMH
A real case of transforming egg health after being told IVF was the only option.

04:08 – Mitochondrial Support for Better Egg Development
Key nutrients like CoQ10, omega 3s, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidant rich foods that influence egg energy and embryo potential.

05:04 – Why Fasting, Keto, and Undereating Lower Fertility
How shaky blood sugar, cortisol spikes, long fasting windows, and restrictive diets impact ovulation and hormone balance.

07:00 – Blood Sugar, Protein Targets, and Egg Free Breakfast Ideas
Optimal A1C ranges, how to stabilize blood sugar, and how protein supports hormone communication and egg maturation.

08:40 – Reducing Inflammation and Daily Toxin Exposure
Plastics, fragrances, water filtration, and anti inflammatory eating patterns that support healthy follicles.

09:50 – Functional Lab Testing to Personalize Your Fertility Plan
Why combining GI MAP, food sensitivities, mineral testing, and mycotoxin screening gives a clearer picture of egg quality barriers.

13:10 – Thyroid, Adrenals, Liver, and Key Nutrients for Fertility
How TSH, ferritin, vitamin D, homocysteine, cortisol patterns, and estrogen detox impact egg and embryo quality.

19:00 – The Mind Body Connection and Research Behind IVF Success
What the Domar studies and HRV research show about stress, cortisol, and improving ovarian function.

22:10 – The 90 Day Egg Development Window and IVF Readiness
Why creating a low inflammation, nutrient rich environment improves egg quality and IVF response.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] If you've been told you have poor egg quality, you might feel like your options are limited or that your body is not capable of what you want most in this episode, five tips to get pregnant even with poor egg quality. We're talking about, what egg quality actually means, what affects it, and how to support your fertility from a functional fertility perspective, you'll learn practical researched steps that go beyond supplements, things that can

influence the environment where your eggs develop. Excited for you to listen. Let's go.

Welcome back. I'm Sarah Clark, founder of Fab Fertile. For over a decade, my team and I have helped hundreds of couples improve their chances of pregnancy success, whether naturally or through IVF. We specialize in supporting those with low AMH, high FSH, diminished ovarian reserve, premature ovarian sufficiency, recurrent pregnancy loss through functional lab testing and personalized fertility strategies.

This episode is for you is if you've been told you have poor egg quality, low AMH, high FSH, you want to understand what's really behind those numbers. You've been through [00:01:00] failed IVF cycles or early losses, and you want to know what else you can do to improve the outcomes You're looking for a whole body functional fertility approach that supports egg and mitochondrial health, not just hormone levels.

Thanks so much for listening. I'm so thankful that you're here. Make sure you hit subscribe or follow, and if you know someone else who's on the fertility journey, please share this podcast with them.

We're talking all about poor egg quality and 5 tips to help you get pregnant. So egg quality refers to how well an egg matures, fertilizes develops into a healthy embryo. It's about the function, not the quantity. And common contributors include oxidative stress, inflammation, which I've talked a lot about inflammation on this podcast.

Looking at your high sensitivity, C-reactive protein, making sure it's below one. Mitochondrial dysfunctions the mitochondria or the power powerhouse of the cells. Thyroid imbalance. Big theme we see with low AMH and high FSH, poor, egg quality thyroid imbalance and being told it's normal. We don't want normal, we want [00:02:00] optimal. Blood sugar dysregulation.

You see so many of our clients with blood sugar dysregulation. So we're going to talk about that toxin exposure and chronic stress. Which is the elephant in the room. Chronic stress, right? Even if you're like, I don't feel stressed, maybe your body is so poor egg quality doesn't necessarily mean that your eggs are bad.

It just means the environment supporting them needs a needs attention. In our Fab Fertile Method when you take a functional fertility lens, we work with couples worldwide. We ship tests worldwide. We have a whole team here with an OB/GYN, with a functional medicine background, functional nutrition practitioners.

Fertility mindset coaches, putting it all together so you don't waste time. We're not anti IVF we're ProHealth being able to look at your health, either get pregnant naturally or improve the chances of a successful IVF or IUI or medicated cycle. So from a functional fertility standpoint, you want to have a calm, nutrient rich, low inflammation environment is good for a [00:03:00] development.

So it takes 90 days for the egg to renew itself, the life cycle of the sperms, 70 to 80 days. So not just about you with the egg. We're talking today about egg health. Equally as important for him to work on his sperm health, even if the doctors told him, Hey, your sperm count is amazing.

We need to look at the full semen analysis, including DNA fragmentation, especially if you've had pregnancy loss. And so I'm just thinking of a client here. She had multiple, egg retrievals told that her egg quality was terrible. And she was in her 40s and she also had Hashimoto's, she had endometriosis, she had low AMH.

She followed our Fab Fertile Method. And after about seven or eight months, she went in to do an egg retrieval. She had a beautiful egg retrieval. Went in to do a transfer. She went on to have her son. This is after she was told, that terrible air quotes egg quality. She did the work and made the changes.

So we're going to talk about some of the changes today so you can start making those changes as well. So we want to optimize the cellular energy. So the egg is the largest and most energy [00:04:00] demanding cell in the body. We got to support the mitochondria. I think a lot of us know taking CoQ10 or ubiquinol, omega 3s, magnesium glycinate, making sure you're doing your B vitamins. Don't take folic acid because you may have the M-T-H-F-R gene variant. 60 to 8% of us have that, and so you want to take a methyl folate Prenatal. Eating some nice antioxidant rich foods like pomegranates or blueberries, lots of leafy greens.

We say eat the rainbow. I remember for years, I'm like, why does my plate look like a bunch of brown food? We got brown chicken, brown potatoes, like fried stuff. I was craving vegetables. I interviewed someone years ago and she's we need to have 13 vegetables per day.

And a bowl of salad is not like we count each leaf. No, that's one. So when we think about it, we just maybe have two or three. We might have a cucumber or a carrot or a broccoli. 13 we need to bring in more leafy greens and more antioxidant rich foods.

We want to avoid fasting. [00:05:00] So I know the intermittent fasting, the long windows of not eating is popular right now. That's not what we recommend for fertility. We don't recommend the keto. Paleo, vegan carnivore. Many fertility clinics are promoting the carnivore.

Basically it's an anti-inflammatory diet, which may be better for men, but long term it can deplete nutrients. So we need the diet that's right for you. So send a message to hello@fabfertile.ca, subject line 10 DAY and we'll give you the elimination diet, takes out the top allergens over 10 days.

You can do anything for 10 days. Systematically reintroduce them. So we are not having you doing green juice. You're not any kind of starvation diet. You're having wild caught fish, grass fed meat, organic poultry, half the plate veg. Add in some rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes tolerated by blood sugar.

Add in some healthy fats. So it's eating things that are naturally free of the top allergens. We don't want you going on these like 12, 16, 18 window fast. That can just be too much [00:06:00] for your body. It can deplete the mitochondrial function, reduce egg quality, and so going too long without food, it can cause blood sugar drops, leaving you shaky, dizzy, fatigued.

That's not what we recommend for fertility. And then the low blood sugar is going to increase stress hormones like cortisol, which can then suppress your reproductive hormones. Signals the body conserve resources. Reducing ovulation and hormone production.

So fasting is not where we go. Some of these things where we're doing cold plunging. We don't want to be doing that either, because especially for women, if you've got issues with your adrenals, it's just too harsh. So we need to do things in a nourishing building gentle way.

Not these. Parasite, cleanses, harsh detoxes, none of that. That's not what we do for fertility. So we want to be able to nourish the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells. And this can help improve egg quality, balancing the blood sugar. So if your blood sugar's on this little roller coaster, that can interfere with ovulation.

So you got to have more [00:07:00] protein. Send a message at hello@fabfertile.ca, subject line PROTEIN, and I'll give you our protein guide. It's way more than you think. Typically at least 30 to 40 grams per meal. So eggs are one of the top allergens.

People are like, but I need to have lots of eggs for choline. It's great for fertility. Yes, it is but maybe you're intolerant to the eggs. And if you're like, I can't give up eggs, I'm going to tell you right now, the thing that you're like, I can never give up. because we, we shouldn't be addicted to a food.

Shouldn't say, I can never give it up. I can't give up my cheese. It's too much. No. If you can't give it up, you could be intolerant to it. Take out the top allergens, systematically reintroduce them. We do see a lot of people with eggs. It's not the egg yolk, it's the egg white.

It's not about taking those foods out forever. We heal the gut. You can bring most of the foods back in, but I got another guide for you. Send me a message at hello@fabfertile.ca subject line BREAKFAST. I have egg free breakfast ideas for you because people are like, I'm taking out the eggs.

What do I eat for breakfast? There's lots of ideas. Got a whole seven day guide. So you want more protein, fat, and fiber. Avoid processed carbs, refined sugars. You want to [00:08:00] look at your A1C. So that's the blood sugar in the last three months. We like between 4.5 to 5.5. That can impact your egg and embryo quality.

Even when the labs look normal. We don't want normal, we want optimal. And so we want to have consistent meals. If you're feeling shaky or nauseous or hangry, your blood sugar could be dipping. If you're in the middle of the night waking up around one or three. Your blood sugar can be dipping.

And so after you have a meal, a good thing to do is to go for a walk that can really help regulate your blood sugar and help your hormones. We talked about at the beginning there reducing inflammation and toxic and toxin exposure. So inflammation will disrupt your follicle development and egg maturation.

A lot of us know this. We've read the books and the podcasts. Swap out the plastics. Yeah. We don't want to be microwaving in a plastic bowl. We don't want to be drinking out of a plastic water bottle. We don't want to have synthetic fragrances. Don't be having those plugins in your house that are waving off all these, toxins, washing your clothes

these different fragrances on your clothes [00:09:00] all of that can impact your delicate endocrine system. Many of us know this, but we don't go into the house, throw it all in the garbage as all those products expire, replace it with a non-toxic option. You want to filter your water.

Don't drink tap water. There's 300 chemicals that can impact. The water can be filled with birth control pills. You're impacting your hormones. Get a filter. Start with a Brita and then make your way up. You can become a complete water snob.

If you're doing tap water right now, just don't. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods. So focus on things that are not processed. So you don't want ultra processed foods. You don't want to have fast food, anti-inflammatory foods, things that are naturally gluten-free, things that are naturally dairy-free, like having the meat and the fish and the

veggies and some nice healthy fats. Cooking your veggies in tallow or duck fat is good too. Some testing to undercover, some hidden stressors. So as part of our Fab Fertile Method, we always do functional lab testing. Like I said, we ship it worldwide, so we do food sensitivity testing using blood.[00:10:00]

We do have you do an elimination diet and then take out the top allergens, and then we have you do food sensitivity testing so we can see exactly what you're intolerant to. And I got people intolerant to lettuce or blueberries or some of your favorite foods. And we don't take it out forever, but we then reduce the inflammation and bring most of the foods back in.

In conjunction with the food sensitivity testing, doing stool testing. Talked about it before, but don't do, just do one. I did one food sensitivity test or I did one stool test. It's multifactorial. We need to bring it all together to develop a targeted protocol.

Otherwise, you're missing part of the equation. I see so many people doing a stool test, but then not getting a proper protocol, and then no one's really even fine tuned the diet and reduce inflammation or they haven't done a genetic side of things, so it's not personalized to them.

You just do these very generalized protocols and especially if you're DIYing this and just listening to all the blogs and the podcasts, you can just have expensive pee you're taking too many supplements. It is investing to figure this thing out. Using [00:11:00] testing, we ship it worldwide.

Send me a message at hello@fabfertile.ca subject line FERTILE. And I'll send you information about our Fab Fertile program, probably ask you a few questions, see where you are on the journey and see what's going to be right for you. We do the stool testing, looking at the DNA of the stool.

This is not the same as the conventional test you're going to do with your conventional doctor. This is a functional lab testing looking deeper and looking at those different infections that conventional testing has missed. Stool testing, food sensitivity testing.

If you do have a leaky basement or if exposed to mold, we can do some mycotoxin testing. But a lot of times if we just use some binders and things to be able to help you take the mold out of your body. If you've been exposed to it. It's more complex than that.

I've done some podcasts on mold and the importance of that. But if you're living in a moldy house and exposed to this, that can be impacting all your biomarkers. But we go after all these mold protocols, just need to be careful for fertility of not doing things too harshly. And so we work on the [00:12:00] foundational pieces.

The diet and sleep and movement and stress management. We reduce inflammation from food sensitivities, from infections in your gut. And then looking at this from a genetic standpoint. And then if we want to bring in mold testing we can. You want to have cruciferous vegetables, the turmeric Omega-3 to support the body's natural detox pathways.

We're recording this mid-November. And one of our clients just announced that she's just given birth to her son and she was with us for a year or so following our Fab Fertile Method. And then she decided to go to do IVF.

Just before she started a simulation protocol with IVF, she was all excited and she's done a lot of work with us. She had thyroid imbalance, adrenal imbalance, her detox pathways, nervous system dysregulation, so a lot of stress and the fight or flight mineral imbalance, immune system regulation.

We have an IVF readiness checklist too, to see if your body and mind and spirit is really ready for IVF, because we want to improve [00:13:00] the chances of that working. She decided that it was right for her. We support you wherever you are

because it is a very personalized decision. And we can still look at our checklist there to see, what's been missed. And so she went on to conceive her son and she just shared a picture with us the other day. She had low AMH and high FSH. Her AMH is at 0.4 ng/mL and she'd been trying for two years.

She followed our method and was able to conceive her son. For egg quality support or hormone communication. So the hormones depend on clear communication between the brain, the thyroid, the adrenals, and the ovaries.

And when the signaling breaks down that egg development and ovulation can falter. So you want to look at the thyroid health. So even a mild thyroid imbalance can disrupt ovulation and an embryo implantation. This is the theme I see over and over again where you're told your thyroid is normal and it's not optimal.

We need to have the TSH under 2 mIU/L. We need to get the full panel, including the FREET3, the FREET4, the reverse, T3, the thyroid antibodies. We want all of those to be optimal. This episode's all [00:14:00] about getting guides for you, but send me a message at hello@fabfertile.ca THYROID and I will send you our thyroid guide.

I've got a bunch of podcast episodes on thyroid, so I'll link that for you below as well. And so we want to add in some selenium, some zinc. Iron is essential for thyroid conversion and hormone balance. So if your thyroid is out of balance. This could be why the embryo's not making it. This is why your egg quality is not good.

This could be why you're having pregnancy losses.

Adrenal function, so chronic stress is going to raise cortisol, which steals resources from your reproductive hormones. If your body's in fight or flight and we, it doesn't feel safe to procreate, it's going to prioritize keeping you alive rather than bringing on another little human.

So we want to make sure we have balanced meals, gentle movement. This is not the time for you to do ultra marathons or do HIIT or bootcamp. Do not do hot yoga. All of that piece can really stress the adrenals. It's not about you sitting on your butt on the couch, [00:15:00] though. We need to move.

We can do resistance training, we can do some weight training. Not like you're so out of breath, you can't even talk to the person beside you. We can bring in some adaptogens, so cortisol manager, ashwagandha or Rhodiola that can help with sleep and regulate cortisol. We can see in black and white by doing our DUTCH tests, so dried urine tests again.

If you're on the fertility journey, you've done low AMH high FSH, you're like, oh, I'm going to do a DUTCH test. This is the solution. One DUTCH test is not going to be the savior to this. It's part of the equation. Testing is part of it, but sometimes we get so caught up on the testing and the supplements that we forgot the fact that we're in a toxic job, that our relationship is splintering because we're so stressed about trying to have a child that we're just in some

high stress, maybe we're going to do a graduate studies. All of this piece can impact our stress. Maybe we need to see in black and white what's happening with your adrenals and maybe your cortisol line. Your levels are flat line because you've had chronic stress for [00:16:00] years. The cortisol should go up in the morning, come down at night.

Maybe yours is eh, I don't think so. And so then we can just see it in black and white and then we can start to make the changes. And that's why we have mindset coaches. To be able to help you make these changes because it can be simple, but not easy. Especially if you are like a hyper achiever or you're like, hypervigilant, I got to check everything.

Or you're a controller, you're like, I got to control this and I got to do that. And or maybe you're avoiding, you're like I ain't want to look at any stuff. Typically, if you're here, you're typically not an avoider. because you're ready to take action. So we work with a lot of hyper achievers, the hypervigilant people.

because they're like, let's get the testing, I want to check everything. If you are listening to this, you're like, wow, these tests sound awesome. I am ready to do the test. And you're like, ah, the mindset piece. I got that. I'm fine. I just want all the testing. You are the one that needs the mindset the most.

If you're like, I don't need it, I'm going to tell you that's the elephant in the room that's been missed. We see it over and over again. Oh, I'm totally fine. I don't need the mindset. And then we do our mindset checklist. [00:17:00] I look down there and go, okay, you got a whole bunch of food sensitivities, gut infections your methylation pathways, all your genetic SNPs are lit up because you're not detoxing properly, you're not absorbing your B vitamins your iron is low.

All this piece can be from nervous system dysregulation. So even if mentally, emotionally, you feel fine. Your body doesn't, sometimes we just need to see it in black and white and go, oh, okay. All of that stuff I have been doing is negatively impacting my health. It's got the biomarkers going the wrong way.

As we nourish and we're gentle and we're kind to ourself, give ourselves some grace, we can start to balance the adrenals, the liver and detox pathways. So the liver metabolizes estrogen. A sluggish detox can create estrogen dominance, so your cycle should come. It should not be any PMS. Any heavy periods.

And maybe you also have poor follicle quality. Egg's not making it. The liver is key to be able to [00:18:00] work on that. And so this is something we work with regularly in our Fab Fertile program. So we want to support the liver with cruciferous vegetables getting hydrated.

A lot of fiber. Bring in the magnesium glycinate, some choline, B vitamins that can aid in the estrogen metabolism, inflammation. We've talked about this before. Deficiencies in your ferritin. We like a ferritin for IVF to be between 80 to 100. We regularly see ferritin 20 and thirties.

We might vitamin D between 60 to 80. Low AMH and poor egg quality. We see a lot of times people's vitamin D is very low, but okay, I'm glad you found out it's low and you started to supplement, that's amazing. But why is it low? Do you have gut infections? And we see that a lot. Or autoimmune issues, elevated homocysteine.

So we like that between six to seven, sometimes we can see that high. I've got a whole podcast episode on homocysteine that can impair your hormone communication ovulation. And so when we address these. That can restore smoother cycles, improve the response to IVF, [00:19:00] so we can improve the chances of that working.

Like we just talked about, the mind body connection. So the nervous system a lot of times we underestimate how the nervous system affects reproductive hormones. And so if the body perceives chronic stress it shifts into protection mode. Suppresses the reproductive signaling. And so the hypothalamus is the brain's hormone command center and it regulates the FSH, the LH and the GnRH.

The stress is going to alter communication leading to delayed ovulation. Shorter luteal phases, lower quality eggs. So it's not just about, Hey, relax, you'll get pregnant. I know you want to slap the person that says. Just go on a beach vacation. It'll be fine. But it's about curating the biochemical conditions for conception and being seeing, where's it coming from?

A food sensitivity, a gut infection, the chronic stress you've been under, the environmental toxins. There's all this inflammation so as we lower and address that, the body can come back online. So a lot of research around the mind body connection. So Alice Domar, the pioneer of this.

[00:20:00] There's a study in fertility and Sterility. Women who joined a 10 session mindbody group had a 52% pregnancy rate versus 20% in controls doing IVF. There's another meta-analysis where counseling and mindbody support increased pregnancy odds fourfold in people going through assisted reproductive technology.

And other studies show mindfulness and relaxation lower cortisol and improve the heart rate variability. Both associated with improved ovarian function and implantation success. As part of our Fab Fertile Method, have fertility mindset coaches. We use HeartMath. I've got a podcast episode on that, talking about your heart rate variability.

Sometimes we're meditating and it's spiking all over the place. We want more of a smoother variability and you're constantly stressed. And so we're, instead of, building the DHEA, we're burning cortisol. And so being able to slowly add these things in to have the body know it's safe.

So guided relaxations, we have that as part of our program as well. Breath [00:21:00] work, meditations journaling. We have energy healing, getting out in nature, like all this peace to be able to give voice to what it is you're going through. Because if someone has not been through the fertility journey, they just don't get it.

And trying to explain it to them is, it can be frustrating when they say these things and they're very triggering. And so it is to educate people around you of how you want them to, to handle. Baby showers and announcements and how you want that handled.

Sometimes people don't include you or they do include you. You don't need to be the one planning the baby shower. First of all, seeing what we need. Sometimes we haven't even thought about it. And so when we look at the nervous system regulation, it's going to reduce inflammation, improve your sleep, and optimize your hormones.

And we see this all the time where the cycles improve, you get a better response to IVF. People get pregnant they feel calmer. When you work on your health, they come in very constricted. We can see them in our chat, blowing up the chat with all these questions. And then as they go through the protocol and they [00:22:00] bring in the nutrients and they can really work on their nervous system, the body starts to calm down and that panic and the impatience, even though it's not completely gone, it's not ruling our whole world.

And being able to get the data get the testing, looking at the stool, looking at the adrenals, looking at your thyroid nutrient panels. We also look at the vaginal and the seminal microbiome. So if you've got an infections in there, that could be why it's not working. And so egg development happens roughly over 90 days.

So in a very short period of time, sometimes people are like they've told me my fertility's falling off a cliff. I've got to rush to IVF. No, you don't have a medication deficiency. We need to deploy IVF medicated cycles, IUI, PRP at the right time after we've made targeted changes to our health.

Not in a panicked way, in a nourishing, and in a gentle way that's going to reduce inflammation, restore nutrient balance. Support, stress, resilience, and support your [00:23:00] embryo quality either naturally getting or going through IVF. So a poor egg quality doesn't define your fertility.

It simply highlights where your body needs support. And so there's lots of things we can do to improve this. If you're ready to take targeted action with this and stop doing the DIY. Stop following generalized recommendations. Stop doing these partial protocols. Or maybe you're, following your REI saying let's just tweak the medication.

No, if the majority of us can get pregnant naturally to see what's happening with your body. So if you wanted to have my eyes on your specific situation, send me a message at hello@fabfertile.ca. Subject line FERTILE, and we'll give you options to help. Take care.

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How to Get Started With Functional Fertility Support

Book your call here to get your personalized plan and options to help improve pregnancy success either naturally or with IVF treatment. 

Check out our Fab Fertile functional fertility program here and learn how to improve AMH levels naturally.  We work with couples that have low AMH, high FSH, diminished ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency, and recurrent pregnancy loss.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you really improve egg quality after 40?

Yes. Research shows that mitochondrial and metabolic improvements can support better egg development. Many Fab Fertile clients conceive naturally or with IVF after supporting their internal environment.

How long does it take to improve egg quality?

The egg maturation cycle is about 90 days. This is why consistent changes matter.

Do supplements alone improve egg quality?

Not usually. Supplements help, but without addressing blood sugar, inflammation, thyroid, adrenals, gut health, and stress, results are limited.

Is IVF still needed if egg quality improves?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The goal is to prepare the healthiest environment so IVF or natural conception has the best possible chance.

Does diet affect egg quality even if AMH is low?

Absolutely. AMH reflects ovarian reserve, not egg quality. Diet impacts inflammation, blood sugar, hormones, and mitochondrial function.

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Key Takeaways

• Poor egg quality is not fixed; it reflects the environment your eggs are maturing in.

• Targeted functional strategies can influence egg development within 90 days.

• Mitochondria, thyroid function, adrenal health, gut inflammation, toxins, and nervous system regulation all directly impact egg and embryo quality.

• Personalized testing helps identify the hidden blocks so you can take the right steps instead of guessing.

Resources

📩 Get your free 10-day elimination diet plan! Email hello@fabfertile.ca with the subject line 10 DAY to receive your guide and take the first step toward reconnecting with your fertility.

📩 Get your free Protein for Fertility Guide! Email hello@fabfertile.ca with the subject line PROTEIN to receive your guide and learn how to fuel your body for stronger cycles and better fertility outcomes.

📩 Get your free Thyroid for Fertility Guide! Email hello@fabfertile.ca with the subject line THYROID to receive your guide and learn the optimal thyroid lab ranges for conception, plus often missed nutrition, lifestyle, and testing strategies to improve thyroid function so pregnancy is more likely to succeed.

📩 Get your free 7 Day Egg Free Breakfast Guide! Email hello@fabfertile.ca with the subject line BREAKFAST to receive seven days of egg free, fertility focused breakfast ideas designed to support hormone balance, stabilize blood sugar, and nourish women with low AMH or high FSH.

Why Addressing Homocysteine Levels Can Boost Egg and Sperm Health:  https://fabfertile.com/blogs/podcasts/why-addressing-homocysteine-levels-can-boost-egg-and-sperm-health?_pos=1&_sid=d928e28d3&_ss=r

Is Ureaplasma Affecting Your Fertility? How It Impacts Low AMH, Poor Egg Quality & IVF Success:  https://fabfertile.com/blogs/podcasts/the-hidden-threat-ureaplasma-s-impact-on-ivf-success?_pos=4&_sid=660678fc8&_ss=r

Our favorite fertility tracker (use code FABFERTILE15 to save 15) - https://www.inito.com/en-us/?srsltid=AfmBOoo85sXu_esmFN5Kz6iysaTkBKgYl35Jubv-BaLkkxXVggdk6nes