Egg Quality

If you are having difficulties becoming pregnant, you are probably wondering exactly why your are having these problems. While infertility issues can be the result of a number of factors, egg quality always plays an important role in the fertility process. In order for you to become pregnant, your eggs must be in good health and of a good quality. Many women discover that their fertility difficulties are due to the quality of their eggs.

Your Eggs
Every woman contains a certain number of eggs, called ova, which are available for fertilization. These eggs are stored in your ovaries, which are located on either side of your uterus. You are born with approximately 1 million eggs in your ovaries, but these eggs gradually decline in number as you age. In fact, by the time you begin menstruating, you will only have about 400 000 eggs left. Only a few hundred of these eggs will ever be released during ovulation.

About Egg Quality
You may have heard from various health care providers, friends, or family members that all that matters when you are trying to become pregnant is the number of eggs you have available. Unfortunately, the number of eggs that you have in your ovaries isn't the only defining factor when it comes to getting pregnant. Eqq quality is also important. Together, your the quantity and quality of your eggs are referred to as your ovarian reserve.

Egg quality refers to how ready your eggs are to become fertilized and develop into embyros. You may have thousands of eggs waiting around in your ovaries, but if none of them are prepared to be fertilized, than you will have difficulties becoming pregnant. Your eggs need to have certain characteristics to develop successfully into embryos. These include:

• the proper chromosomes
• the ability to combine with sperm
• energy to split after fertilization

Poor Egg Quality
After testing, some women find out that they have poor quality eggs. But what exactly does this mean? Well, some eggs just aren't made to reproduce. Some eggs simply do not have the right chromosomes to form into an embryo. Others can't combine with sperm in order to cause fertilization. Some eggs just don't have enough energy to split and continue growing once fertilization occurs. Such eggs are said to have poor egg quality.

Factors Influencing Egg Quality
Age plays a key role in determining both the quantity and quality of your eggs. Egg quality tends to decline as you grow older, as does the number of eggs available for use. This means that if you are older, it is likely that you eggs are declining in quality and may be contributing to your fertility problems.

Of course, just because you are older it does not necessarily mean that your eggs are of poor quality. Some older women have good quality eggs while some younger women have poor quality eggs. However, egg quality usually begins to decline when you are in your late 30s and will continue to decline throughout your 40s.

Testing Egg Quality
If you are having troubles becoming pregnant, you may be interested in getting your egg quality tested. Unfortunately, there are no tests that can predict your egg quality with 100% accuracy. However, there are a number of screening tests that can be performed to help predict the number of high quality eggs you have available for fertilization.

Day 3 FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) Test:
The Day 3 FSH test can help to determine the levels of follicle stimulating hormone that are being released in your body. Follicle stimulating hormone is necessary for ovulation to occur. If your levels are elevated, it may indicate that you are nearing menopause, and have fewer quality eggs left.

Clomiphene Challenge Test:
The clomiphene challenge test also measures levels of FSH, only in the form of estradiol. It is more sensitive than the Day 3 FSH test.

Injectable Gonadotropins (FSH):
Actually a treatment for infertility, injecting gonadotropins into your ovaries can also help to predict egg quality. The response that your ovaries make can help to provide information regarding the quality of eggs that you are producing.

In Vitro Fertilization
In vitro fertilization is also a treatment for infertility, but like the injectable gonadotropins, it can also help to indicate the quality of your eggs. By examining your eggs during in vitro fertilization, it is possible to determine the makeup, development, and quality of those eggs.

Treating Poor Egg Quality

• using fertility drugs, such as bromocriptine and clomiphene
• In vitro fertilization

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