If you are planning to start IVF or another type of fertility treatment in the coming months, you might be wondering if there are any ways to improve your chances of success. Of course, this depends partly on the cause of the infertility in the first place, but there are things you should do to ensure you are healthy enough to conceive and carry a child. Positive lifestyle choices are crucial.
Firstly, you need to maintain a healthy weight. Having a too high or too low BMI can reduce the likelihood of successful IVF. Being overweight, for instance, can make egg retrieval more complicated and make it harder to monitor the ovaries; it can affect your hormone levels thus having an adverse effect on your chances of conceiving; it can increase complications during pregnancy and can affect the way the baby develops in the uterus; and the baby’s health. A sensible amount of exercise and a balanced, nutritional diet will help you maintain a healthy weight. You could even consider taking supplements to ensure you stay healthy during the treatment process. You will need adequate levels of vitamin D, amongst others, to ensure a successful pregnancy.
Smoking can limit your chances of conceiving a child through fertility treatment considerably, as it has a negative impact on the quality of both sperm and egg. If you’re an IVF patient and you smoke, it’s important that you make a conscious effort to quit. Of course this won’t be easy, but you could consider seeking professional support. Get your friends and family involved in trying to encourage you to stop.
You should also try and reduce your stress levels as much as you can, which might seem like an impossible task considering you are going through fertility treatment, but it may help improve your ability to conceive. You could consider enrolling in stress relieving sessions such as acupuncture and resilience training. Aim to focus on patience and persistence and simply take care of your physical and mental wellbeing as best you can.
