10/08/2026
Fertility ageing is about more than your eggs.
We talk a lot about declining egg quality as women move through their 30s and 40s -but fascinating new research presented at ESHRE 2026 is a reminder that the egg is only part of the fertility picture.
Researchers examined 2,760 single blastocyst transfers using donor eggs. Because donor eggs can largely overcome the issue of age-related decline in the recipient's own egg quality, the researchers wanted to know: does the age of the woman carrying the pregnancy still matter?
It appears that it does.
Pregnancy rates progressively decreased as recipient age increased. The researchers also found changes in the endometrium with age, suggesting that the uterine environment and other aspects of reproductive ageing may also influence implantation, pregnancy and ultimately the chance of a live birth.
This is something we find particularly interesting from a Chinese medicine perspective.
When we're supporting fertility, we don't just think about producing a "good egg". We look at the health of the whole person and the environment that egg will eventually need to grow in.
We think about menstrual health, circulation and blood flow, the endometrium, inflammation, stress, sleep, nutrition and overall vitality and resilience.
Of course, preserving and supporting egg quality as we age is enormously important, particularly for women hoping to conceive with their own eggs. But it's only one part of the picture.
We can't make someone chronologically younger. What we can do is work towards supporting healthy reproductive ageing and helping the body function as well as it possibly can at the age it is.
That's why our fertility treatments at Three Lanterns may incorporate acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, naturopathy, nutrition and lifestyle advice - with treatment tailored to the individual woman and where she is in her fertility journey.
Whether you're thinking about your future fertility, trying naturally, preparing for IVF or using donor eggs, the goal is bigger than simply focusing on the ovaries.
Healthy eggs matter. But so does the body they're growing in.🌿
