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Egg quality plays a critical role in achieving a successful pregnancy — whether naturally or through IVF. Numerous studies have shown that poor egg quality is closely linked to chromosomal abnormalities, which is t=strongly assocaited with age and can compromise embryo development. This is a major reason for embryo arrest, implantation failure in IVF, and the increased risk of miscarriage in older women. However, it's important to understand that chromosomal issues are just one aspect of egg quality. As we explain further below, egg quality is also deeply influenced by hormonal balance.
With more women now considering egg freezing, the focus often turns to quantity — typically assessed using AMH levels (we can help you arrange this test). But quantity is only part of the picture. When freezing eggs, what ultimately matters most is freezing the best quality eggs possible.
Many gynaecologists and IVF clinics view egg quality decline as an inevitable, irreversible part of aging. But our clinical experience — supported by hormone testing and patient outcomes — suggests that egg quality can, in fact, be improved.
The full story of how an egg matures is rarely told — yet it holds the key to understanding fertility. An egg’s journey from a dormant follicle to ovulation-ready takes nearly a year. Follicles are selected from the resting pool months before they are ever released. About five months before ovulation, a follicle is recruited to become a primary follicle. One month later, it progresses to the secondary stage, and by around 65 days before ovulation, it enters the pre-antral and antral phases — growing rapidly and undergoing complex cellular changes.
Throughout this early development, even before the follicle is influenced by FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) from the pituitary gland, it is already being shaped by key reproductive hormones that prepare it for success. The final stage of selection happens in the last 2–3 weeks before ovulation. At this point, the follicle activates mechanisms to make itself more responsive to FSH, rises to the ovarian surface, grows further, and begins producing oestradiol (oestrogen).
Once fully mature, the follicle releases the egg during ovulation. After releasing the egg, the follicle transforms into the corpus luteum, a temporary endocrine gland that secretes progesterone — essential for maintaining a pregnancy if fertilisation occurs.
This highly orchestrated hormonal process shows just how vulnerable egg quality is to hormonal imbalance. If any part of this intricate system is disrupted, the development of a healthy, fertilisable egg is likely to be compromised.
Age is often cited as the most important factor influencing egg quality — and it’s true that egg quality tends to decline with age. However, age itself is not the cause. Just as ageing is associated with conditions like dementia — but not the direct cause — it's the underlying biological changes that matter.
In fertility, age is associated with chromosomes errors. That part cannot be changed that much. The other key change is hormonal decline and imbalance. As women get older, their hormonal system undergoes shifts that affect how follicles develop and how eggs mature. An egg grows inside an antral follicle, and under the right hormonal signals, it develops into a dominant follicle ready for ovulation. When the hormonal environment is healthy, this development is smooth — regardless of age.
In other words, it is not only the number of candles on the birthday cake that affects egg quality, but the condition of the hormonal system that supports egg development.
Put simply, hormones are the body’s orchestral conductors when it comes to reproduction:
When this carefully timed process is disrupted, egg quality can suffer.
Irregular or missing periods are clear signs that the system is out of sync — and are often indicators of poor egg quality. These menstrual issues are nearly always linked to hormonal imbalance.
If you're unsure about your egg quality, we can help arrange a comprehensive hormone test panel — including five key hormones — carried out between day 2 to 5 of your cycle. These hormones provide measurable insights into egg quality and ovarian function.
At TCM Healthcare, we specialise in improving egg quality by restoring hormonal balance. Our targeted herbal treatments support healthy follicle development and hormonal regulation. Many of our patients have come to us after multiple IVF cycles, only to discover that their underlying hormonal imbalances had never been addressed. Once treated, many went on to conceive naturally.
Read more on our blog page.
Our approach focusses on using natural herbal remedies and acupuncture to strengthen the reproductive system and general health, bringing the hormones into balance and ensure a regular period. We do not prescribe any synthetic hormones. Once hormonal balance is achieved and the period regulated, ovulation is likely to occur and egg quality will improve, where natural pregnancy results. We primarily use bespoke herbal remedies, but will use acupuncture if the situation warrants it.
Patients bring us their test results and medical record. We do a first consultation lasting 30 to 40 minutes, in which we do non-invasive and pain-free Chinese medical diagnostic procedures, in order to understand your particular condition and circumstances thoroughly.
Our specialist prescribes a unique herbal formula, usually consisting of around 20 kinds of herbs, from which you will make drinks and consume twice a day for 18 days in a month.
A month after the first consultation, you will be done with the first round of herbal remedy. We do a second consultation, lasting 30 minutes, doing another diagnostic procedure to see how well you’ve responded to the treatment. Another prescription will be written.
This monthly cycle will repeat 3 or 4 times before you are asked to have another AMH test carried out. Most patients see significant improvements. They also report their periods are now much more regular, which increases the chance of a successful IVF cycle (for instance, a higher dosage of stimulating hormone can be used). They then pursue a number of options, including working with us for longer to achieve natural pregnancy, or combining our treatment with IVF — we work some of the best IVF clinicians, who can offer the best of both worlds to our patients.
The fees come to about £480 to £530 a month on average. Given our success rate, the fees of our treatment programme compares very favourably with IVF — all 3 courses (9 months) of our treatment comes out to be around £4,500 whereas the minimum all-inclusive fee for one IVF cycle stands at £6,000.
Once a month. Most patients come from 3 to 9 months. Some combine our treatment with further IVF cycles.
A traditional Chinese medical consultation involves the following steps.
The practitioner may scrutinise your complexion, eyes, tongue, and movements to gain insight into how your organs are functioning. The tongue is a particularly important source of information, and its colour, body, coating, and moisture will all be taken into account.
The practitioner assesses the patient’s energy and general condition by taking into account your body heat, odour, skin sensitivity, and uses other senses to gain an insight into the your condition.
To gain a full picture, the practitioner will ask detailed questions about your complaint and your medical history. They will want to find out whether your problems vary at all according to the time of year and your diet, feelings or emotions.
This can provide a highly sensitive and detailed picture of your general health. The practitioner will take a number of different ‘pulses’ using three fingers put on the wrist of each hand of the patient. This enables him to gain further information about the quality and functioning of the five major organs. The practitioner will take account of your general health and strength, as well as all of your symptoms, whether they seem to you to be connected or not. This will be the basis for deciding on the best treatment.
Monthly consultations are required to gauge your progress. The prescriptions will be devised accordingly — for treating a changing condition, a fixed single herb or formula is unlikely to be effective over time.
Patients want to know how long they need to see us for. We say after 3 months of treatment, we will review progress, retesting hormones and check subjective experience, such as period cycle regularity and sexual interest. If they are at normal levels, we discharge the patients.
If they are better but still need further improvement, patients may need second course of treatment at the same or less intensity.
Typically, women see us for 3 courses of treatment, ie 9 months total.
The point is that the way we treat patients means they should not rely on our treatment for too long. Their improved health and function should stay with them if they look after their health.
We have just launched a second opinion service where you can send us your hormone test results, sperm test results and other results. Consultations will be done on the phone and it will not be a face-to-face medical consultation.
Since we work with IUI, IVF, ICSI, egg and sperm freezing specialists, we can explore a full range of options with you prior to your committing to a course of actions that may be best for you. There is no charge for this service.
We offer this service in good faith based on our clinical experience and our work with partner agencies such as IVF specialists. We do not accept any liability and we will urge you to triangulate opinions given with your own doctors before you decide what may be best for your circumstance.
Call us any time on 0207 096 0283 or fill out our enquiry form.
We would like to see the following test results (less than 2 months old):
If you have not done them yet, we can arrange them for you. Results come out in 1–3 days.
A booking fee of £100 (refunded when you attend) will be processed at booking.
Late cancellation fee £50
We appreciate that you might not be well or have urgent matters to attend. As a result you may have to postpone the appointment. We would like to have at least 24 hours' advance notice. A late cancellation fee of £50 is payable if advance notice is not given.
Yes. No medical system is foolproof and medical practitioners, however good, are not omnipotent. As great as our success rates are, they are not 100%. There are times patients do not respond to our treatments despite our best efforts.
Delayed improvements are possible when patients rest a little. However, even with rest, patients may still not respond well. Fortunately, these cases are in the minority. We minimise the number of these cases by trying to understand our patients’ conditions as much as possible before taking them on. We minimise time and financial commitments from patients by insisting they have hormone or sperm test results prior to treatment, and to get retested after 3 months — following our evidence-based approach.
At TCM Healthcare, we will always have your best interests in mind and we will do our best.
