Tips for IVF Success: Things to Do for a Healthy Conception

In Vitro Fertilization, IVF has been one of the greatest inventions made in fertility technology. The treatment has benefitted numerous couples around the world. IVF increased the chances of conception. And therefore, it is often referred to as a blessing for thousands of infertile couples.

Currently, you are either going to start your IVF treatment, or you have already begun the process. Anyway, the most important thing that you should realize now is that you are not alone in this. 1 in 8 women is struggling with infertility problems. They are also choosing one of the available treatment options including IVF.

However, not everybody can attain the desired results, but only a few. Why is that the case? There is an array of things that you should be doing before or while entering the treatment that may increase the success rate of the procedure. In this article, we are going to discuss some tips for IVF success. Read on.

In Vitro Fertilization

In Vitro Fertilization is a fertility treatment option that has around a 30-40% success rate. During this procedure, eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and are made fertilized by the sperm outside the body. The fertilized egg is then carefully placed into the uterus with the help of a catheter.

IVF is recommended by doctors especially when there is an abnormality in the fallopian tubes. In some cases, a woman’s fallopian tube gets either damaged or broken. This blocks the way of both the sperm and egg in reaching their destination. But, with the help of this treatment, the embryo is placed directly into the uterus for implantation.

The procedure also involves the stimulation of your ovaries to release eggs, however, once the embryo is placed in the uterus, the rest of the things are supposed to happen on its own. It means that you cannot completely depend on the treatment, but you will also have to make sure that your uterus is capable of implantation and it is strong enough to hold the baby throughout the pregnancy period.

What To Do To Make IVF Successful?

If you’re looking for ways to increase the chances of conception after IVF, here are a few tips for IVF success that you can follow:

1. Proper Intake of Medicines

Before the retrieval of eggs, doctors usually recommend ovulation induction medicines that aid in the production of multiple eggs instead of just 1. If you don’t take these pills, your doctors may have to use the only egg available, which may or may not be good. So make sure to take them as per recommended by your doctor. The other commonly recommended medications are CoQ10 and DHEA. Both these medicines work to improve the quantity and quality of the egg.

2. Try to Reduce Your Stress

The medications given before the procedures can take your emotions a toll which may lead to cause stress. This may sometime wrongly interfere with the success state of both natural and assisted conception rates. Several studies have found that stress-relieving techniques like acupuncture have benefitted pregnant women in maintaining their mental health.

3. Incorporate a Well-Balanced Diet

No medicine or treatment would be of use when your body is not healthy. In order to get a healthy body, you will have to include foods rich in zinc, iron, folic acid, healthy fats, and protein.

4. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is not only necessary when you are undergoing fertility treatment. You should always try to maintain it no matter what. However, when you are looking to conceive via IVF, it becomes mandatory to maintain a healthy weight. This means, you should neither be obese nor should be underweight.

If you’re overweight, it becomes difficult to monitor the ovaries before the egg retrieval. If you become underweight, you are more likely to lack the energy to carry out processes like IVF. So, try to maintain a healthy weight by modifying your eating habits and incorporating regular and moderate exercises.

5. Stop Alcohol Consumption

You never know the impact of alcohol until it ruins everything inside your body. It slowly kills each of your internal organs making you nearly infertile. So, start by limiting the amount of alcohol intake and slowly stop the entire consumption.

6. Quit Smoking

Smoking is another dangerous habit that a person can ever have. It can decrease the chances of conception as it drastically affects the quality of both the egg and sperm. Quitting smoking isn’t easy, so it won’t happen overnight.Therefore, you better consider this step as preparation for IVF. Professional support is also advised as it will make your job easy.

7. Limit the Consumption of Coffee

Many people think it’s good to drink a lot of coffee since it has several medicinal benefits. Rather, you should limit the amount of coffee you ingest per day because too much can cause infertility and other health problems.

Moreover, when you drink a cup of coffee during the treatment period, it is less likely to end up positive. Because coffee reduces the chances of conception.

8. Abstain From Intercourse

Although sexual intercourse is completely fine 24 hours after the procedure, it is not advised, particularly for the male partner, 3 or 4 days before the treatment. Nearly 3-4 days sperm is collected. If you engage in intercourse, or any other sexually stimulating activities, it might consume the quality of sperm. So, intercourse is not ideal a few days before the IVF treatment.

9. Optimize Sperm Health

It’s not just women who need to take care of their health when it comes to IVF. Men who donate their sperm should also make sure their sperm is healthy. For this, the male partner should also incorporate a well-balanced diet, quit smoking and stop alcohol consumption. The doctor may also recommend medications if the sperm quality or quantity isn’t great. An IVF procedure starts with a semen analysis to determine the abnormality.

10. Sleep Properly

Proper sleep is necessary for the smooth functioning of the body. A study discovered that women who slept around 7-8 hours a day were more likely to conceive when compared to women who slept for less than 7 hours. Your body repairs itself when you are asleep and it also contributes to a healthy pregnancy.

If you do not have an appropriate sleeping pattern, your doctor might recommend Melatonin inducing supplements that will increase the chance of implantation.

11. Consult An Excellent Doctor

When choosing the doctor, look for an experienced professional who has seen many more complicated cases in their career so that you feel like they will be able to take care of the situation even if it gets worse. This particular doctor will be with you throughout your journey, so make sure you pick someone who feels comfortable and listens to you.

The easy way to choose the doctor is to ask your friends and relatives who have already consulted them. That way, you will be able to know which doctor is the best and which does not suit your mental health.

12. Be Optimistic

You cannot expect a positive result from the very first cycle. So, you have to be patient throughout the journey and you should expect that things do not always happen your way. Maybe you will have to try it out a couple of times before being pregnant. So, be optimistic and keep reminding yourself that it will work one day.

If your first IVF cycle ended up in failure, your doctor will change certain medications accordingly to increase the chances of conception next time. So, you have to stick with the process without being discouraged. However, when it seems like an IVF is not going to work for you, and further treatment will only put your health in question, then you better let go. You are certainly not alone in this.

Conclusion

Procreating is necessary for the formation of a family, as well as a society as a whole. Couples who are unable to conceive often look for ways by which they can finally enjoy parenthood. Although infertility treatment begins with mild medications, doctors end up suggesting embryo transfer treatment such as IVF. The procedure is not only time-consuming, but it is also costly, and distressing. You’ll have to take special note of certain restrictions when you decide to go for this. You will suddenly have to do many things to make IVF successful such as taking medicines, incorporating a healthy diet, quitting smoking and drinking, limiting the consumption of coffee, and others.

You can do this because you’re making compromises for parenthood. Also, try to keep a positive mindset throughout your journey.

IVF Success Guide: Key Steps To Maximize Your Fertility Journey.