Have you been told your eggs are “too old”? That IVF is your only hope — and even then, your chances are super slim?
You’re not alone.
I’ve worked with so many women who’ve been given this same bleak outlook — and yet, they’ve gone on to create healthy pregnancies and beautiful babies well into their 40s. You can too.
Because here’s the truth:
Your eggs are NOT old.
In fact, they’re not even eggs yet! At this stage, they’re tiny primordial follicles, and it takes around 90 days for these follicles to mature into the eggs that may be released at ovulation.
This is great news — because during that 90-day window, you have the power to shape the environment in which your eggs are developing. You can directly influence their quality and their potential to become your future baby.
IVF will NOT improve your fertility.
That’s right.
I work with some absolutely amazing IVF specialists and I’m grateful for the technology — but let’s be clear: IVF doesn’t make your eggs healthier. It simply helps retrieve more of them. Whether those eggs are capable of becoming a baby still comes down to you — and the health of the egg and sperm you’re working with.
Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or through IVF, the journey to a healthy pregnancy starts long before you even see that positive test. And that journey starts today.
The Critical 90 Days Before Conception
The 90 days before conception is your window of opportunity. During this time, the choices you make — around food, lifestyle, and supplementation — have the power to:
- Improve egg (and sperm!) quality
- Reduce your risk of miscarriage
- Increase your chances of a successful pregnancy
- Set the stage for your baby’s long-term health
And the best part?
There are evidence-based, practical, doable steps you can take starting today.
Let’s dive into 5 powerful things you can start doing right now to boost your fertility over 40.
- Boost Your Omega-3 Intake
Omega-3s are a game-changer for fertility over 40.
These essential fats help reduce inflammation, improve ovarian function, enhance egg quality and help reverse the impact of aging on egg health. Studies show that women with higher omega-3 levels have:
- Better blood flow to the ovaries
- Improved egg maturation
- Higher chances of conception
- Lower rates of miscarriage
And the improvements can happen quickly. Even short-term dietary changes can boost egg quality — yes, even if you’re already over 40
How to boost Omega-3s:
- Eat 2–3 servings of fatty fish (like wild salmon or sardines) per week
- Add flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and hemp seeds to your meals
- Consider a high-quality fish oil supplement with 300–500mg EPA and 200–300mg DHA per 1000mg capsule
- Daily dose: 1000–6000mg (check with your healthcare practitioner)
TIP: I cover this in detail in the Your Fertile Pantry Program — it’s one of the first steps I recommend for egg health over 40.
- Prioritise Quality Sleep
Sleep is your body’s time to repair, reset hormones, and protect your eggs.
Melatonin, your sleep hormone, also acts as a powerful antioxidant for egg cells — shielding them from the oxidative stress that accelerates with age. This is why Melatonin is also often prescribed as a supplement by Fertility Specialists to promote better outcomes.
Sleep deprivation disrupts reproductive hormones and can lower your chances of conception.
Your fertility sleep checklist:
- Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep
- Create a calming bedtime routine
- Reduce screen time in the evenings
- Consider melatonin supplements if advised (especially during IVF)
A well-rested body is a fertile body. Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep.
- Quit Smoking (and Support Him to Quit Too!)
If you smoke, I say this with all the love in the world: please stop.
Smoking accelerates the decline of egg quality and quantity, increases DNA damage, and raises your miscarriage risk (even if you stop if you fall pregnant!). For men, it damages sperm DNA, lowers count and motility, and increases abnormalities. In fact smoking has been shown to have as much impact on egg quality as 10 extra years!
But there’s good news:
Your body begins to repair the moment you quit. And sperm regenerates every 72–90 days, so your partner’s sperm quality can improve significantly in just a few months.
Need support to quit? Look into nicotine-free tools, behavioural therapy, and support groups — it’s worth it for you and your future baby.
- Support His Sperm Health
Let’s talk about your partner for a moment.
Did you know that the egg can actually “fix” issues within the sperm to help create a healthy embryo? But after 40, our eggs have less energy to do that. That’s why healthy sperm matters more than ever.
Yet you’ll be told sperm is “normal” even when 90–96% of those swimmers are abnormal!
What to do:
- Request a copy of his semen analysis (and don’t just accept “it’s fine”)
- Add antioxidants like zinc, selenium and CoQ10
- Reduce heat exposure (no hot tubs or lycra cycling!)
- Eat a clean, nutrient-dense diet
- Minimise alcohol and stress
My Your Fertile Pantry Program goes deeper into ideal sperm ranges and what to look for.
Remember, it takes two to make a baby — and you both deserve to feel empowered.
- Fuel Your Fertility Through Food
Food is fuel for your fertility. It’s information for your cells.
The nutrients you put on your plate directly impact the DNA of your eggs and sperm. In fact, one study found that gene expression began to change within just 6 days of dietary changes.
Here are some fertility-friendly favourites to start with:
- Leafy greens (folate, antioxidants)
- Avocados (healthy fats, hormone balance)
- Berries (reduce oxidative stress)
- Eggs (choline and protein)
- Wild-caught salmon (omega-3)
- Seeds (minerals, fibre, omega-3s)
- Plenty of filtered or spring water (cellular hydration)
And of course — avoid the fertility-zappers:
- Trans fats
- Alcohol
- Highly processed foods
- Artificial sweeteners
- Soft drinks
For more fertility foods (and what to avoid), grab my FREE Fertility Grocery List here.
Want a Step-by-Step Fertility Plan?
If you’re over 40 and trying to conceive, you don’t have time to waste on guesswork.
That’s exactly why I created Your Fertile Pantry. A 6-week online program packed with the specific foods, supplements, and lifestyle tools you need to boost your fertility naturally — whether you’re trying naturally or through IVF.
Final Thoughts
Your fertility story is not over at 40.
It’s just beginning a new chapter — one you can help write.
Take these next steps with intention, support, and the knowledge that you’re doing everything you can to create your healthy pregnancy… and your healthy baby.
With love and belief in your journey,
Tasha Jennings
Fertility Naturopath | Author | Educator
References
Al-Safi ZA, Liu H, Carlson NE, Chosich J, Harris M, Bradford AP, Robledo C, Eckel RH, Polotsky AJ. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Lowers Serum FSH in Normal Weight But Not Obese Women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Jan;101(1):324-33. doi: 10.1210/jc.2015-2913. Epub 2015 Nov 2. PMID: 26523525; PMCID: PMC4701838.
Stanhiser J, Jukic AMZ, McConnaughey DR, Steiner AZ. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and fecundability. Hum Reprod. 2022 May 3;37(5):1037-1046. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deac027. PMID: 35147198; PMCID: PMC9308390.
Van Heertum K, Rossi B. Alcohol and fertility: how much is too much? Fertil Res Pract. 2017 Jul 10;3:10. doi: 10.1186/s40738-017-0037-x. PMID: 28702207; PMCID: PMC5504800.
Anwar MY, Marcus M, Taylor KC. The association between alcohol intake and fecundability during menstrual cycle phases. Hum Reprod. 2021 Aug 18;36(9):2538-2548. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deab121. PMID: 34102671; PMCID: PMC8561243.
J Lyngsø, C H Ramlau-Hansen, B Bay, H J Ingerslev, K Strandberg-Larsen, U S Kesmodel, Low-to-moderate alcohol consumption and success in fertility treatment: a Danish cohort study, Human Reproduction, Volume 34, Issue 7, July 2019, Pages 1334–1344,
Hart, Roger J. Nutritional supplements and IVF: an evidence-based approach Reproductive BioMedicine Online, Volume 48, Issue 3, 103770
Ghasemi-Tehrani, H., Askari, G., Allameh, F.Z. et al. Healthy eating index and risk of diminished ovarian reserve: a case–control study. Sci Rep 14, 16861 (2024).
Eskew, A.M., Bedrick, B.S., Chavarro, J.E. et al. Dietary patterns are associated with improved ovarian reserve in overweight and obese women: a cross-sectional study of the Lifestyle and Ovarian Reserve (LORe) cohort. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 20, 33 (2022).
Bauer JL, Kuhn K, Bradford AP, et al. Reduction in FSH Throughout the Menstrual Cycle After Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Young Normal Weight but not Obese Women. Reproductive Sciences. 2019;26(8):1025-1033
