I've spent the last two months trying to improve my egg quality. With each IVF cycle, I've become more and more careful about what foods and beverages I put into my body. I'm a generally healthy person, but I've had to change my dietary eating habits to match those that are associated with fertility treatments.
I've also been taking OvaHealth (acai--three times per day) and a female vitamin cocktail during the last two months in hopes of improving my egg quality. The vitamin cocktail includes some antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and melatonin. I am also taking a prescription prenatal vitamin, which contains adequate folic acid in a form that is easy to absorb. DHA, Myo-Inositol, and CoQ10 are also on my daily list. If a 34 year old woman carrying a large pill box around doesn't scream sexy, I don't know what does...
This cycle, I've not only been concerned about what I put in my body, but also what I put on my body. I've been focusing on avoiding phthalates, parabens, and BPA, as all three have an association with infertility or poor egg quality (I've been doing my homework!). I've changed my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, deodorant, sunblock, and toothpaste. I now look for these items without phthalates and parabens, and I look for them in BPA-free containers. I've also changed our laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish soap, and dish washing detergent. Even if this doesn't help my egg quality, I still feel good about the changes (regardless of the increased cost) as I am using more organic, vegan, and cruelty-free products.
We will start the stims (those fun injections) for the last time in about three weeks. We are tentatively scheduled for our last egg retrieval on April 21st. We will soon find out if all of the changes I've made are improving my egg quality.
