An important egg donor requirement is to be fertile and have high-quality eggs. For women, age has a significant impact on fertility, but while you cannot stop the natural ageing process, there are things you can do to try to improve your fertility and thereby increase your chances of being approved as an egg donor. Learn more about female fertility below.
What is good egg quality?
The quality of an egg is determined by various factors, including internal and external quality.
How age influences egg quality, quantity, and fertility
Women are born with millions of follicles that hold premature eggs. Unlike sperm cells, no new eggs are produced after birth. Studies show that women in puberty have around 300.000 – 400.000 eggs left. During every menstrual cycle, about 700 – 1.000 eggs start developing, but usually only one will be the mature egg released during ovulation. As only one egg is matured every month (or sometimes a few), many eggs are lost during a lifetime, and by the age of 35, the number of eggs you have left is reduced significantly.
However, it is not just about the number of eggs left; it is also about the quality of each egg released during ovulation. As women become older, the quality of their eggs has decreased, possibly resulting in eggs with an abnormal number of chromosomes.
How to know if you have high-quality eggs
During the egg donor process, we will do a blood test and an ultrasound scan to evaluate your ovarian reserve. Your age and menstrual cycle are also important aspects to consider when determining your fertility.
5 tips to improving your fertility and egg quality
There are some things you can do to try to improve your egg quality and fertility as a woman.
1 - No smoking
Smoking has a very damaging impact on your fertility, as smoking directly affects the quality of the eggs. A study conducted in the UK showed that nearly 13 % of female infertility is caused by cigarette smoking. Therefore, if you are considering becoming an egg donor, you should quit smoking before egg donation. Quitting smoking will have a beneficial impact on your egg quality and your own ability to have children.
2 - Practice safe sex
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea may affect your fertility and are considered leading causes of infertility. This is why you will have to be tested for these diseases before being allowed to donate eggs.
In general, both men and women should practice safe sex since STDs can lead to blockage of fallopian tubes, prostatitis and other problems that reduce fertility. Using a condom during sexual intercourse is therefore extremely important to prevent STDs and to help to prevent infertility problems later in life.
3 – Limit your caffeine intake
Caffeine affects your hormonal levels, and too much coffee may affect your fertility. Therefore, you are recommended to limit your coffee intake when preparing for egg donation - or pregnancy. Up to 3-4 cups of coffee per day should not affect your fertility. The recommendation for pregnant women is to not consume more than two cups of coffee per day.
4 – Reduce your alcohol consumption
You probably already know that alcohol and pregnancy is a bad combination – but consuming alcohol can also decrease your fertility. We therefore recommend limiting your alcohol consumption and especially to avoid ‘binge drinking episodes’ as this has been proven to reduce female fertility.
5 - Maintain a healthy weight and diet
To be accepted as an egg donor at Cryos, you must have a BMI between 18 and 30. One way to ensure menstrual regularity and overall health is to focus on a balanced diet while participating in moderate exercise.
Women who have suffered from anorexia, bulimia, or severe obesity may have hormonal imbalances which can lead to irregular menstruation and affect their fertility. Competitive athletes practising intense training may suffer from similar difficulties with irregular menses. Therefore, a balanced diet and balanced exercise is recommended when preparing for egg donation.
What type of food can improve female fertility?
Diet is important for your fertility. We have gathered a list of types of foods that are believed to have a positive impact on female fertility:
- Whole grains
- Poultry
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Fish
Egg donation can make the dream of a child come true
As described above, there are some things you can do to try to improve your fertility as a woman. However, some women have a decreased egg quality due to medical reasons such as endometriosis or early menopause or because of cancer or radiation therapy. In such cases, receiving eggs from an egg donor may be necessary to achieve pregnancy.
Therefore, if your eggs are of high quality, you can help others who are unable to conceive on their own. By donating your eggs, you can profoundly impact other’s lives and help them make their dream of a child come true. Learn more reasons for donating eggs here.