3 not-so-obvious habits to ditch in the lead up to, and between IVF cycles
If you’re gearing up for IVF, you most likely have covered all the big and obvious ones - cutting out alcohol, 8 hours of beauty sleep a night, a quality multi vitamin. Here’s 3 habits to ditch you may not have thought about yet.
Decrease your sugar intake sweetheart
High sugar diets suck for your egg quality. A 2014 primate study mimicked the IVF process to investigate the impact of sugar on fertility. Researchers found that dietary sugar has a negative impact on egg maturation and pre-implantation embryo development. The impacts were not just limited to the embryonic development, but researchers also concluded that high sugar diets can initiate a changes in the embryo that is carried into early foetal development.
2. Stop taking a passive role and own your IVF cycle
No one cares about your dream of having a baby as much as you. Take an active role. Own your IVF cycle.
About to start IVF?
If you’re interviewing for the right IVF specialist and a support team, it’s important to bear in mind, you are not a passive bystander (and yes, YOU are interviewing THEM). If you’re solo, you’re the decision maker. If you’re doing this with a partner, you are the team calling the shots.
In between cycles?
At any point, you are entitled to:
ask questions
get second opinions
request copies of your tests for other practitioners
google your treatments and ask follow up questions
look into medical journals and ask follow up questions
change doctors
ask a doctor if they are basing their decision on research, clinical experience or something else
change clinics
listen to your gut instinct
3. It’s a two person (or more) job: Guys - let’s stop with the post sperm-sample bender
Your responsibility in the IVF cycle doesn’t end once you’ve given your sperm sample for fertilisation. It takes around 88 day so produce sperm cells and of course, anything that happens in that time has potential to impact the health of the sperm.
After a solid preconception period the temptation to relax on some of the less fun aspects of preconception care is understandable, and while it’s important to be in the present, it’s also important to be aware of making the right decisions for the future.
In Australia and New Zealand, 20 percent of cycles are cancelled before embryo transfer and only about one third of cycles result in a successful pregnancy. There is a chance you’ll be needed to step up again in the not-too-distant future, and it’s best to be ready.
IVF is hard and I genuinely wish you all the success in the world.
You can read more about prepping for IVF here.