Research

Can anybody with some info (and spare time!) give me a bit of a breakdown on which of the various TTC 'helping' type activities are advisable more for egg quality pre-conception and which are for implantation, development etc post-conception? Eg. Giving up caffeine, is this to improve egg quality before, or raise chances of successful implantation/development after etc. And I know folate is recommended as well but does it impact the eggs directly prior to conception or just contribute to a healthy environment for a growing embie?
What other advice is out there and for what aspect of conception are these things most important?

Sent from my Galaxy so please excuse any spelling mistakes :-)

Folate is to help the spine form correctly in the fetus.

Most supplements or avoidance of "toxic" chemicals such as caffeine are related to building up the nutritional status of the mother. This aids both conception and the development of the fetus, as the baby draws on the nutritional stores to grow. In addition, pregnancy and birth take a lot out of the mother, as a baby and placenta grows, so she needs extra for herself as well.

I dont know that taking or avoiding various things is specific to implantation etc. Rather, the healthier a woman is, the better her fertility, the better the environment for baby, the healthier they both are. Obviously, there are other influences that can impact on all this. An autoimmune issue is an example.

Health is holistic and includes food, exercise, sleep, mental and emotional wellbeing. Naturopaths etc would have more detailed information.

You may be interested in reading Francesca Naish's books on natural fertility.

Thanks for that. I should have mentioned I'm researching on behalf of an egg donor hence trying to separate what impacts the egg quality prior to conception vs what is beneficial for the rest of the phases of the process.

Sent from my Galaxy so please excuse any spelling mistakes :)

There is some good evidence that DHEA and COG10 help with egg quality.

Thanks Maruschke - the donor is quite young so they're not looking so much at drugs just yet, more lifestyle changes, supplements, quitting vices etc type stuff.

Best to stay right away from DHEA. There are recent studies linking it to deformities and abnormalities in children.

My FS - and all but one of the other FS at my clinic - won't go near the stuff.