08/06/2021
THE TOP 5 WAYS TO PREPARE FOR AN EGG FREEZING CYCLE
By Dr. Ryan Funk, Dr.TCM, FABORM on Fri, Apr 30 2021
You've made the decision to move forward with freezing your eggs but are now wondering what you can do to help improve the chances of getting the best eggs possible. Your fertility clinic has likely already discussed the cost, drugs and timeline that they suggest for the procedure but what can you do to get the best outcome possible?
THE TOP 5 WAYS TO PREPARE FOR AN EGG FREEZING CYCLE
Diet
I am a big fan of using diet to help improve my patient’s overall health and fertility. It can be extremely difficult to see good results in those patients who are not eating a fertility friendly diet. A Harvard study showed how diet affects fertility hormones, both egg and s***m quality along with conception rates. To me, diet can be the backbone to the preparation of an egg freezing cycle. The good news is that it doesn't have to be complex or difficult. To promote good egg quality a diet that minimizes processed foods, chemicals (preservatives, alcohol, food coloring) and excess calories is best. Try to optimize whole foods, vegetable based (not necessarily vegetarian) and high in good fats can be a great start.
Sleep
We know that sleep deprivation or sleep dysregulation can greatly change the hormones in our body that regulate fertility. One of these hormones is melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in our body that follows our sleep schedule. It is not only related to sleep but has a few other key roles in optimizing fertility.
Melatonin is a strong antioxidant that is needed for good egg quality and supporting the implantation of a healthy embryo into the uterine lining.
Melatonin also helps to control reproductive hormones in the body.
In my practice, I generally suggest women be in bed before 11pm most nights and achieve 8 hours of sleep. For those women who work irregular hours I suggest they try to stay on some sort of a sleep schedule as best as realistically possible.
Supplements & IV Therapy
This is one area that can easily become overwhelming. If you do a quick internet search on the essential supplements for fertility you can easily find dozens of study backed supplements to take. But which ones really are the most effective to prepare for an egg freezing cycle to optimize your egg quality? It's not the easiest answer as it can depend on many different factors. Age, diet, geographic location, and prior health condition all play a big role in what would be best for you. The following supplements are some of the most suggested for fertility patients:
Prenatal Vitamin
Omega 3 Oil with EPA and DHA
Vitamin D3
CoQ10
For some patients who show many vitamin deficiencies, micronutrient IV drips can be a fantastic option to quickly bring their levels up. Taking supplements orally like most of us do can take a while as we only can absorb so much per day. The Micronutrient IV drips help to get those much-needed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants directly to a cellular level where they are needed. Here is a link to learn more about Micronutrient Intravenous Therapy
Exercise
This is another big area that is one of the foundational aspects during an egg freezing cycle. Both too much or too little exercise will not support good quality egg development. Regular moderate activity helps to improve blood flow, regulate both stress hormones and blood sugar levels. This will lead to better egg quality. So, we need to prioritize movement every day but not too much. Excess vigorous exercise can also negatively impact cycle regularity, ovulation, and fertility.
Acupuncture/Laser
Acupuncture has shown to be very useful in the reduction of stress hormones, decreasing stress hormones and improving blood flow to the ovaries, uterus, and endometrial lining. At Acubalance we often combine this treatment with Cold Laser (also known as Low Level Light Therapy or Photobiomodulation). Laser also helps to improve blood circulation but in a different way called Angiogenesis which supports the way Acupuncture works. Laser also enhances cellular energy production in the mitochondria which is extremely important in egg development before an egg freezing or IVF cycle.
There are Chinese herbal studies in Rat models for:
Promote Endometrial receptivity in the uterus
To improve endometrial blood flow in the uterus
