It Starts with the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant and Prevent Miscarriage

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This is the second in a three-part series reviewing the book “It Starts with the Egg: How the science of egg quality can help you get pregnant naturally, prevent miscarriage, and improve your odds in IVF.” One CRAZY MIND BLOWING thing I read, was that men think they're off the hook if they pass a sperm test--but she points out the tests only look at how many sperm and how they are swimming. The test doesn't look at their DNA! So what's the point of having a lot of sperm if they're defective? Fortunately, men can improve their sperm quality and she has a chapter dedicated to that as well. If I have listened to them, my cancer wouldnt be discovered in the early stage…I think they are really oriented with the western medicine where everything is timed…they totally excluded alternative and eastern medicine. The choice is yours!! Trust yourself and your own research and you will succeed in making your dreams come true..

advice and cannot replace the advice of a medical professional. The reader should consult his or her doctor Folate plays a key role in recycling a compound called homocysteine. In It Starts With The Egg, Fett explains that high homocysteine levels can increase DNA damage and may be associated with miscarriage. Having low levels of 5-MTHF, which is more common if you have that gene mutation, can increase homocysteine level and hurt your fertility. Folate vs Folic Acid vs 5-MTHF: What You Need in Your Prenatal Vitamins → OBGYN doctors recommend prenatal vitamins to every woman who is planning to get pregnant or actively trying (in addition to women who are already pregnant or nursing, that is). “It Starts with the Egg” highlights a few prenatal nutrients that are important: Five essential takeaways from "It Starts With the Egg" 1) Avoid phthalates and other toxins when trying to conceiveSome research shows that for those with diminished ovarian reserve, more normal eggs are formed when supplementing with DHEA. In addition to no scientific basis for taking any of these supplements, these supplements may even worsen egg quality or cause life threatening allergic reactions. #4 Choose a pro-fertility diet I went through the egg freezing process a while later, and although my ovarian reserve wasn’t where I wanted it to be, I was able to freeze enough eggs to give me a good chance of having my own kids down the road. strongly limit starchy vegetables (sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, winter squash) and potatoes, cereals, white rice, and corn should be avoided There isn’t sufficient research support to recommend taking Pycnogenol, royal jelly, or L-arginine for fertility.

I really feel like the book helped me lay the groundwork for my lifelong health, going beyond reproductive health. I’m grateful for that.” The book only has one chapter for male issues so if you are looking for more context, this book doesn’t give it. But that should be expected, the purpose of the book is to concentrate on the egg not sperm. Although the science behind DHEA and ovarian health still remains controversial, based on a review of scientific literature, Rebecca concludes that DHEA is “one of the most powerful tools we have” to support reproductive health for women after 40. Since DHEA is a hormone and have a potential for side effects in some women, Rebecca’s first recommendation is to have your DHEA-S and testosterone levels tested, then discuss adding DHEA to your preconception routine with your doctor if you are below the lower half of the normal range. (Here’s our explanation on why doctors test DHEA-S, not DHEA, when women take DHEA for reproductive health.) Ubiquinol is the preferred form of CoQ10 as it’s more readily absorbed and you don’t need as high a dose.

2. CoQ10 to support egg health

The BPA chapter in the 2019 edition is pretty good. I’m sure it was a lot crunchier and cringier in the first edition, but the edition I read gives practical tips for how to reduce your BPA exposure while also assuring you that BPA isn’t in every plastic, and that it’s impossible, and unnecessary, to stay away from BPA entirely. To me, even if BPA wasn’t bad for your fertility, replacing your plastic cups and Tupperware with glass is better for the environment anyway. It’s a win-win situation. So if you’re struggling to conceive, timing sex right is only part of the picture. Taking steps to optimize egg quality is equally, if not more, crucial.

Choline is an essential prenatal nutrient that supports the baby’s brain development. In that sense, Choline is similar to Folate. Furthermore, Choline is a part of a neurotransmitter that supports the functions of brain cells. The adequate intake for choline for women who are pregnant is 450 mg per day and 550 mg per day if breastfeeding. There are some studies that suggest an even higher amount of Choline may be beneficial. Fortunately, there are many mineral sunscreens available, which use titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as the active ingredients. For fertility purposes, we can also go a little further and choose products without parabens or fragrance.I was 35 when I read Rebecca Fett’s 'It Starts with the Egg.' I was preparing to freeze my eggs. Being a type-A optimizer, I wanted to understand everything about egg quality so I could do everything possible to maximize my chance of success. If I lived in the U.K I would also consider Green People Scent Free Sun Lotion (available here: UK) Detailed Sunscreen Buying Guide In Part 1 of this book review, I shared what I found most impactful to me in terms of its larger ramifications on prospects for improving fertility, particularly in a woman’s later reproductive years. I was thrilled about how the book was research-based and well-referenced. Much to my delight, it cited research that indicated it is possible to influence egg quality though supplements, diet, and avoiding environmental toxins. And even more significant to me, I was able to draw some conclusions about ways to influence egg quality beyond what was presented in the book. CoQ10 is both an antioxidant and an energy booster for our cells. It’s most known for its role in the function of mitochondria, the batteries in our eggs. With aging, mitochondria can become damaged and CoQ10 levels decline. We tend to lose that “battery power,” which affects egg quality. Anyone who is trying to conceive could benefit from taking a CoQ10 supplement, but it’s especially helpful if you’re over the age of 30, have subfertility or a diminished egg reserve. What is CoQ10—and Why Do I Need It? →

Unrecognized deficiency of Vitamin D is one of the four unexpected obstacles to pregnancy that “It Starts with the Egg” points out. It’s a very common condition, especially in the northern climate during winter – in the US, nearly 1 in 5 have inadequate level of Vitamin D in the blood, while about 1 in 10 are outright deficient. Rebecca’s recommendation is to ask your doctor to have your Vitamin D levels tested, and supplement with 4,000 -5,000IU/day if you fall below the 40 ng/mL level or don’t know your status. Beyond the prenatal vitamins, “if you are going to add just one other supplement, make it Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)” to support egg health, advises Rebecca. Studies have suggested that CoQ10 levels decline with age, after peaking at around age 20. For women over 40, Rebecca’s recommendation is CoQ10 in the ubiquinol form at 200 to 400 mg per day. We love the book It Starts with the Egg by Rebecca Fett. In this article, we provide a summary of the book and some key takeaways.

Rebecca Fett is a science writer, former attorney, and mom. At 26, she was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserves and told she had an incredibly low chance of conceiving with her own eggs. She put her molecular biotechnology and biochemistry degree to work to understand the science of egg quality and fertility, reading every clinical study that could possibly be relevant. That research laid the groundwork for her book, It Starts with the Egg, which provides an evidence-based approach to how to get pregnant with diminished ovarian reserve, improve and preserve fertility, and prevent miscarriage. Five important takeaways from It Starts with the Egg insulin resistance is associated with significant damage to mitochondria and disrupted egg development All too often, the focus in fertility and pregnancy is on the woman. But I love that the author included a chapter dedicated to sperm quality. After all, sperm is half the equation. However, if your ovarian reserve is moderately or severely diminished (which was my case at age 32), then sadly there's very little that will actually make a difference. We're born with all the eggs we'll ever have, so once the quantity/quality is low, I'm afraid that's more or less it.