Ovulation Issues

Ovulation occurs when the ovaries release a mature egg each month in hopes to be fertilized. If there are issues with ovulation, pregnancy cannot occur. There are several reasons for ovulation issues, such as:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Ovarian cysts
Metabolism or thyroid issues

These common problems can be fixed with simple treatment, such as ovulation inducing medicine (Clomid) or medication to regulate any issues. However, if these reasons become ruled out, there are several more, larger issues that can affect ovulation.

Egg Quality

Egg quality is an important part of trying to conceive. If egg quality is not good, conception becomes extremely difficult.

As you age, your eggs also egg. Fertility has been shown to decline at age 35 and beyond. According to a 2013 study, as a woman ages, a DNA mechanism to repair and restore egg vitality also begins to age and breakdown.[1]

Lifestyle also plays a part in egg quality. By not smoking and staying a normal weight, eggs can stay healthier.[2] Obesity has been shown to have a negative impact on egg maturity and metabolism, as well as elevating insulin and glucose which impact egg development.[3]

Another reason for diminished egg quality is due to the egg’s mitochondrial energy. While eggs can look normal during ovulation and fertilization, the energy can soon deplete and the embryo will stop dividing. Unfortunately, the reason for this energy depletion is unknown and the only way to full know about any egg quality issues will be through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Supplements for Egg Quality

Melatonin

Melatonin during IVF has been shown to improve egg quality in small doses by reversing the effects of oxidation stress and effectively mitigating mitochondrial DNA damage.[4][5]

Vitamin D

Research has shown that Vitamin D affects cell function by controlling growth or death of cells. For fertility, women with high Vitamin D levels have been shown to have more success getting pregnant than those with low levels.[6] However, there have been no studies that evaluated if Vitamin D can improve IVF success rates.[7]

Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

CoQ10 is popular in fertility circles as a way to support egg growth and quality. CoQ10 is part of the chain responsible for generating cell energy. Studies in mice have suggested that CoQ10 can help the decline in egg fertility. However, there have been on studies on humans to determine the effect on women’s health.[8]

For severe cases of diminished egg quality, egg donation is an available choice that can bypass this issue. For more information on egg donation, please consult the “Donor Egg” page under the Donor page in the menu.

[1] Titus, Shiny, Fang Li, Robert Stobezki, Komala Akula, Evrim Unsal, Kyungah Jeong, Maura Dickler, et al. 2013. “Impairment of BRCA1-Related DNA Double-Strand Break Repair Leads to Ovarian Aging in Mice and Humans.” Science Translational Medicine 5 (172). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 172ra21. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.3004925.

[2] CFA. 2017. “Why Does Egg Quality Decrease With Age?” Columbia Fertility Associates. 2017. http://www.columbiafertility.com/egg-quality/.

[3] Purcell, Scott H., and Kelle H. Moley. 2011. “The Impact of Obesity on Egg Quality.” Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 28 (6). Springer US: 517–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9592-y.

[4] Tamura, Hiroshi. 2010. “Hormone Melatonin Improves Egg Quality in IVF.” Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine. September 2010. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20100915/Hormone-melatonin-improves-egg-quality-in-IVF.aspx.

[5] Fernando, Shavi, and Luk Rombauts. 2014. “Melatonin: Shedding Light on Infertility?--A Review of the Recent Literature.” Journal of Ovarian Research 7 (October). BioMed Central: 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-014-0098-y.

[6] Paffoni, Alessio, Stefania Ferrari, Paola Viganò, Luca Pagliardini, Enrico Papaleo, Massimo Candiani, Amedea Tirelli, Luigi Fedele, and Edgardo Somigliana. 2014. “Vitamin D Deficiency and Infertility: Insights From in Vitro Fertilization Cycles.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 99 (11): E2372–76. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-1802.

[7] USC Fertility. n.d. “Vitamin D in Fertility.” Accessed April 26, 2018. http://uscfertility.org/fertility-treatments/vitamin-d-fertility/.

[8] Bromer, Jason G., Beall, Stephanie. 2018. “Vitamins for Fertility and Healthy Pregnancy.” Shady Grove Fertility. 2018. https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/blog/fertility-health/vitamins-for-fertility-and-healthy-pregnancy/.