Pulling Down the Moon

How to Improve Egg Quality

October 28, 2022
Tamara Quinn

Written By:

Tamara Quinn

Co-Founder of Pulling Down the Moon, Reg. Yoga Teacher,

Yoga Swami

When Pulling Down the Moon first opened our doors nearly 20 years ago, the word on the street was that there was nothing a woman could do to improve the quality of her eggs.  It's true that we're born with all the eggs we’ll ever have, unlike men who continually make sperm across their lifespan.  And while age remains the primary determinant of egg quality, it's not the numerical age that determines the egg quality, it's the age of the environment in which the egg matures that matters.  As we age, our body becomes more susceptible hormonal disruption, inflammation and poor circulation - all things that impact egg quality. 


So for years we've pushed against the message that you can't improve egg quality because time and again we saw improvement in clients’ egg quality when they used our methods - including acupuncture, massage, yoga and nutritional changes/supplements.  Flash forward to the present day and you will be hard pressed to find a Reproductive Endocrinologist who does not concur that egg quality can improve.  In fact, many refer their patients to us for that very reason. 

Strategies to Improve Egg Quality


So, here are our top 3 strategies for improving egg quality - and some ideas for ways to implement these strategies in your own life. 


  1. Increase blood flow to your pelvis.  If you read our recent blog about the promising data around electroacupuncture and fertility, you know that we advocate strongly for fertility acupuncture to increase blood flow.  There are other ways to increase pelvic blood flow including yoga poses that stretch and open the hips, abdominal wrapping, FEM massage and self-massage, and practices like breathing and meditation that help to stimulate our body’s relaxation response, which serves to indirectly move circulation away from the fight/flight skeletal muscles to the abdominal and reproductive organs. 
  2. Reduce oxidative stress.  Eggs are big honking cells that use a LOT of energy to develop and mature.  As such they are vulnerable (as are sperm which are smaller but reproduce very quickly) to oxidative stress.  Oxidative stress is a byproduct of the cellular processes that use oxygen, resulting in compounds that can actually damage cells and tissues.  While oxidative stress is a natural process that our bodies have many ways to cope with, our ability to manage oxidative stress declines with age.  In addition, our environment is increasingly filled with chemicals that increase the oxidative load in our body.  Ways to decrease oxidative stress include nutritional changes towards an anti-inflammatory diet and nutritional supplements like omega-3’s, antioxidant vitamins and CoQ-10 that have been proven to reduce oxidative stress.  Yoga, and other strategies that reduce stress can help, as stress can also contribute to the oxidative stress that can harm eggs.
  3. Make yourself more stress-resistant.  So, if you’re now stressed about being stressed, please know this - while you cannot remove the stress and anxiety of the fertility journey, you can definitely change the way your body responds to stress.  That’s one of the things that is so powerful about yoga.  We call it a “stress rehearsal,” where we do some (slightly) uncomfortable poses and practice remaining calm and relaxed.  That way, when stressors arise off the mat, we have tools to manage the stress response - which is great (remember what we said above about the body’s relaxation response and its power to increase blood flow and decrease oxidative stress). 


So, there you have it, our top tips for improving egg quality.  Please know we’re here for you if you have any questions or if you are interested in exploring our
yoga, nutrition, massage and acupuncture programs for fertility.  Click here to contact us or call 312-321-0004 to chat with us directly! 


Meet Tamara Quinn

Tami, the Co-Founder of Pulling Down the Moon, played a pivotal role in transforming the care provided to women facing infertility. After a corporate career, she sought balance and meaning through yoga and ancient healing practices, eventually leaving the corporate world. Tami became a registered yoga teacher (RYT), immersing herself in mystical yogic traditions such as Kriology and Ayurveda. She also attained the status of a reiki master, a disciple of Kriya yoga, and an ordained Swami. Utilizing her extensive training, Tami creates fertility rituals, meditations, and yoga classes tailored to women dealing with infertility, some of which are highlighted in her co-authored book, "Fully Fertile, A 12-Week Plan to Optimal Fertility." Her journey remains ongoing as she continues to learn from her Guru and her students, demonstrating a deep commitment to her path.

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Spring arrives next month, and with it, more cold days (perhaps even snow)! But March also brings the promise of new life. We love this time of year. The ground starts to smell fresh and ripe. Small green buds begin to swell from the earth reaching up, up, up. Birds chatter in the trees. The sun stays in the sky a little longer each day. After a long, cold winter of hibernation, spring restores nature’s beauty. Spring inspires us to restore ourselves, too and these self-care techniques will lead you to restoration of mind, body and spirit. Hydrate. Drink a glass or two of water first thing in the morning. Keeping yourself hydrated helps boost your mood, improves brain power and protects you against disease. Make a gratitude list. Spending just a few minutes a day writing down what you are grateful for can dramatically shift your day. The more gratitude you have, the more open to abundance you become. Breathe. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice breathing. There are so many benefits! Among them, diaphragmatic breathing alleviates stress, reduces pain, strengthens internal muscles and moves blood to organs and tissues. If you’re not sure how to get started, try our Breathe & Restore Workshop or schedule an Soothe the Senses: Calm the Nervous System Fertility Enhancing Massage™ to receive some hands-on breath work coaching. Stretch. Five to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning increases energy levels, enhances circulation, reduces injury and centers your mind. Even better is a regular yoga practice. Get started by downloading the Fully Fertile App today to give you a jump start! Our next Signature Yoga for Fertility Series begins on Monday, February 24th to reduce anxiety and stress by 20% or more in just six weeks. Eliminate something from your diet that isn’t serving you. I nstead of overhauling your entire diet, start by taking out one food that doesn’t nourish your body. Replace it with a different item that supports your desire for restoration. Learn even more by working with scheduling a nutrition consult ! We look forward to seeing you virtually or in-person at one of our centers to help you get started. Many wishes for a beautiful spring!
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