How to Prepare Your Body for Egg Freezing: A 3-Month Roadmap

It’s no secret that egg freezing is a significant journey that demands time, money, and energy. Having gone through IVF twice — which involves the same egg retrieval process — I know first-hand the importance of being as prepared as possible leading up to your retrieval. From personal experience and extensive research, I’ve created a detailed three-month roadmap to help you optimize your preparation for egg freezing. I wish I had access to this kind of guide when I was starting my fertility treatments! 

In order to help you prioritize, this list is organized by “must-do’s” vs. “nice-to-haves”. While we can’t significantly affect our egg quality, at the very least, these simple tips could hopefully help enhance your egg quality and quantity in some capacity. And at most, they’ll also provide some peace of mind so you feel calm, ready, and empowered to take on this incredible thing you’re doing for your fertility future. 

Month 1: laying the foundation

If you’re still a few months out from your retrieval, you have the luxury of time to make real lifestyle shifts that might benefit your outcome. Let’s make the most of it! 

Must-dos

Nutrition adjustments 

Focus on a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, which can help protect eggs from oxidative stress. Integrating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats can improve overall reproductive health. Key nutrients to focus on include:

• Folate: Recent studies indicate the importance of folate intake when it comes to cycle regulation, ovarian function, and pregnancy preparation. Folate can be found in leafy greens, citrus fruits, and legumes. Note: folate is a naturally occurring nutrient, while folic acid is a synthetic version of folate added to fortified foods and supplements.
• Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA): Found in fish oil and flaxseeds, these nutrients support cellular health, and improve ovarian function, and some data suggests that improved omega-3 intake can enhance egg quality, though these studies are primarily limited to women undergoing treatment for infertility. 
• Hydration: Drinking enough water is important for everyone, but if you’re about to undergo an egg freezing cycle, consider upping your daily water intake to 2-3 liters per day in order to remain properly hydrated.

For a deeper dive into dietary tips prior to egg freezing, check out our guide here. 

Medication changes

In addition to adding new supplements into your routine, you should connect with your doctor about what supplements or medications to adjust leading up to your cycle. Your doctor may have you change a dosage or pause a certain medication altogether. For more on which medications you might need to adjust during an egg freezing cycle, click here.

Nice-to-haves

Upgrade your supplement regimen 

While you should not begin a supplement regimen without discussing it with your doctor first, here are a few supplements worth talking to your doctor about as you prepare for egg freezing:  

• CoQ10: Several studies indicate that CoQ10 supplementation can be associated with increased egg volume, improved fertilization rates, and improved embryo development rates. Click here for an extra 20% off your CoQ10 order with code COFERTILITY20. 
• Myo-inositol: This substance can improve insulin resistance and ovarian function, with studies supporting its role in enhancing egg quality. Click here for an extra 20% off your Myo-inositol order with code COFERTILITY20. 
• Vitamins B6, B12, E, and K2: All often found in prenatal vitamins like the one we linked, these are essential for cellular function and embryo development down the line. Click here for an extra 15% off your prenatal order with code COFERTILITY. 

For a full list of recommended supplements for gearing up for egg freezing, click here. 

Moderate exercise

Studies on the relationship between exercise and fertility are limited, but the endorphins you’ll feel as a result of regular movement won’t hurt. Be careful to avoid excessive, high-intensity workouts as you get closer to your retrieval as this can negatively affect your reproductive cycle. And, during the ovarian stimulation phase right before your retrieval, you’ll need to hold off on high-intensity workouts altogether to prevent ovarian torsion. 

Self-care essentials

Start stocking up on items like a good ice pack or heating pad for injections, comfy clothes for bloating, and cozy socks (those stirrups can get chilly!). 

Month 2: enhancing egg quality

As you get closer to your egg freezing cycle, continue managing the adjustments you’ve begun to make to your lifestyle. You’ll also start communicating more regularly with your clinic — beginning medications if prescribed, or starting to visit the office more for assessments and monitoring. 

Must-dos

Increased monitoring

While you won’t ramp up frequent office visits until closer to your cycle, expect to visit your fertility clinic a bit more frequently than before. You’ll usually need to do some bloodwork and/or ultrasound before finalizing a medication plan and timing. This may include starting birth control to bring your cycle back to baseline before kicking things off. 

Stress management

While stress might feel unavoidable, high stress levels can disrupt hormonal balance. Aim to integrate stress management activities or strategies into your daily routine in some capacity. This might include things like yoga or meditation, or even learning some quick deep breathing techniques to better navigate stressful moments throughout your day. 

Nice-to-haves

Acupuncture

If you’ve never tried acupuncture, now is a good time to start. Some studies suggest acupuncture can improve blood flow to the ovaries and enhance fertility outcomes, but honestly, the jury is still out. Our POV? There’s no downside, so if you can make it work and enjoy it, it could be worth a try. You can read more here for a deeper dive into acupuncture for egg freezing, and some insights based on my personal experience.  

Sleep quality

Studies suggest aiming for about 8 hours of quality sleep per night to help regulate hormone cycles, though it’s unclear if this directly affects egg quality or quantity. 

Reduce endocrine disruptor exposure

You may have heard about “endocrine disruptors,” which are chemicals that can interfere with your endocrine (hormonal) system and the reproductive and other biological processes it regulates. Unfortunately, endocrine disruptors are not fully regulated in the United States, and can be found in certain beauty products, plastics, and more. Consider switching to cleaner products and glass containers as you gear up for your egg freezing cycle. 

Month 3: final preparations

The final month is about adhering to prescribed medical treatments, minimizing exposure to harmful substances, and ensuring you are as relaxed and supported as possible as you approach your retrieval.

Must-dos

Adjust and organize your medications 

Spend some time leading up to your retrieval getting your medications organized, including syringes, alcohol pads, gauze, and the medication themselves. You could even use a special box or cute caddy. As your doctor provides final adjustments to your medication protocol, you’ll also want to write our your daily medication plan in a way that’s easy to follow. I personally had luck with a printed-out calendar view, with AM and PM medications listed out and color coded. This gave me a small sense of control over this time, which can feel a bit chaotic! 

Avoid harmful substances

While the link between caffeine and fertility is not clear, it’s probably a good idea to keep the jitters to a minimum as you gear up for your retrieval. Alcohol intake should also be reduced, and smoking should be ceased entirely as it can be detrimental to reproductive health. 

Nice-to-haves

Secure your support system 

Communicate your upcoming egg freezing journey on a need-to-know basis. That includes sharing with managers and/or coworkers any necessary scheduling shifts, but it also means connecting with trusted family members, friends, or even online communities (like ours!) about what’s about to happen. 

Freezing your eggs is a big deal, and besides needing someone to escort you home after the retrieval, you’ll want some shoulders to lean on — even virtually. 

Set your medication alarms

In addition to writing out your medication plan, setting alarms on your phone for medication times can help keep you sane during your egg freezing cycle. If you’ve got lots going on, setting alarms can be crucial as you’ll need to take medications at specific times throughout the day. 

How Cofertility can support your journey

At Cofertility, we understand that egg freezing is a significant emotional and financial decision. That's why we offer more affordable and even free egg freezing options for women who choose to donate half of their eggs retrieved to another family struggling with conception. 

Ready to begin your egg freezing journey? Take our quiz to discover how we can best support you, and learn about your eligibility for free egg freezing.

Embarking on your egg freezing journey can be an incredibly transformative period in your life. With the right preparation, informed choices, and supportive care, you can approach this phase with confidence and optimism. We're here to ensure that every step you take is grounded in knowledge and surrounded by support.