You have much riding on your in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle, including time, money and hope. It’s only natural that you want to do everything you can to make it work and get pregnant.
There are a few things you can do to prepare. Most of them are little to no cost, and all of them are guaranteed to give your fertility health its strongest possible foundation, hopefully helping you get to a big fat positive. Fair warning though, they are hardly revolutionary. In fact, they are likely things you heard from your parents growing up.
Five things you can do today to prepare for your IVF cycle:
- Start early. Building a foundation is important, and it takes some time. Ninety days, in fact. Eggs and sperm that are formed today will reach full maturity in 90 days. So start now making important health and lifestyle changes for the best possible genetic material for your future cycle.
- Get regular sleep, for a minimum of seven hours a night. If seven is the minimum, eight is even better. Regular sleep gives your body the rest it needs to cleanse itself of the daily unavoidable toxins you take in and prepare your body for reproduction. Sleeping at regular intervals plays a significant role in balancing your hormones, a critical factor in both men and women’s fertility health.
- Eat lots of fresh, whole foods that are dense in nutrients. Nourishing your body with lots of fresh, whole foods gives it all the nutrients it needs to build quality eggs and sperm. Avoid processed foods or those containing lots of sugar and starch.
- Exercise regularly, at least four times a week. Consistent exercise is critical to relieving stress and tension. It also helps shed unwanted pounds that get you to a healthier body mass index (BMI) that is ready to get pregnant. This is not, however, the time to pick up an intense workout, but instead a steady and low-impact program that focuses on the fundamentals.
- Nurture your mind and relationship. It’s important to focus on activities that help you clear your mind of stress and worries. Whether that translates to meditation, making something with your hands or writing about your feelings in a journal, find something that helps you cope with the stress and emotions that affect all of us, and those in fertility treatment even more. Be sure to talk regularly with your partner about how you are doing and encourage him or her to do the same.
When you want to get pregnant and are in fertility treatment, you can’t control everything. What you can do, however, is make the best possible choices to facilitate success. Preparing for IVF requires you to embrace a healthy lifestyle, as soon as you can, to get your body in its best possible health to reach your family-building goals.
Sources:
McCulloh, ND, Dr. Fiona. “10 Ways for Women to Prepare for IVF.” www.ivf.ca. Web 3 November 2014. http://www.ivf.ca/article/acupuncture/10-ways-women-prepare-ivf
“What is Melatonin?” www.medicalnewstoday.com. 2 August 2011. Web.3 November 2014. < http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232138.php>
Rodriguez, Hethir. “How to Increase Your IVF Success Rate Naturally.” Natural-fertility-info.com. Web. 3 November 2013. < http://natural-fertility-info.com/increase-ivf-success>