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How to prepare your body for IVF

Samantha Wild
Clinical Lead for Women's Health and Bupa GP
14 October 2024
Next review due October 2027

If you’re having in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, preparing your body before the procedure can make a difference. Success of IVF can depend on many things, some that you can’t control. But making sure you’re healthy is one thing you can do. In this article, I explain how to prepare your body for IVF.

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What is IVF?

In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a type of fertility treatment. The IVF process involves taking hormones to make your ovaries produce eggs. Your eggs are then collected and mixed with sperm (from your partner or a donor) outside your body, to create embryos. Embryos are then placed in your womb, which hopefully will lead to pregnancy.

How can I prepare my body for IVF?

There are lots of lifestyle factors that can contribute to IVF success. Below are some ways to prepare your body for IVF.

Diet

Following a healthy balanced diet is important when planning a pregnancy. This includes if you are having IVF. There is some evidence to suggest that following a Mediterranean diet can improve IVF outcomes. This kind of diet:

  • is high in plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, pulses and seeds
  • has unsaturated sources of fat such as olive oil and nuts
  • has some dairy and lean proteins like chicken, eggs and fish
  • has low amounts of red meat

Try to drink less caffeinated drinks such tea, coffee, and energy drinks. There’s varying evidence on whether caffeine affects IVF success. It’s possible that caffeine will make your IVF less successful. It’s best to limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg (two cups) day, or avoid caffeine altogether.

If you become pregnant try to keep to this amount or less during pregnancy to reduce the risk of pregnancy loss and low birthweight.

Supplements

You might benefit from taking certain supplements. Vitamin D and folic acid are advised if you’re planning to get pregnant. It's important to start taking folic acid when you decide to try for a baby. You’ll usually need to take 400 micrograms (400 µg) a day for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This reduces the risk of your baby having a neural tube defect (NTD), such as spina bifida.

It’s not clear if vitamin D can improve IVF outcomes. But you should still take Vitamin D as not getting enough can affect your baby’s growth. Other supplements such as antioxidants, multivitamins and omega-3 might be helpful. Talk to a GP, pharmacist or fertility specialist before taking any supplements.

Cutting down or stopping alcohol and smoking

IVF is less likely to be successful if you or your partner drink more than one unit of alcohol a day. So if you do drink alcohol, try not to go over one unit a day. Smoking also lowers your chance of success so try to cut down or stop. If you need support in stopping smoking or reducing your alcohol intake, talk to a GP. They may be able to refer you for specialist help.

Physical activity

If you’re not very active, it’s a good idea to start exercising before and during IVF. This can give you better outcomes in IVF, and may help to reduce your stress levels. Staying active during pregnancy is also good for you and your baby.

Keeping a healthy weight

IVF is more effective if you have a body mass index (BMI) between 19 and 30. You can use our BMI calculator to calculate your BMI. A healthy diet and regular exercise can you help you have a healthy weight.

Avoiding stress

As well as looking after your diet and physical health, your mental health matters as well. Stress can affect IVF outcomes. Fertility treatment can be an emotional process. The clinic where you’ll be having treatment can offer you counselling before you have treatment.

There are also other ways to reduce stress such as yoga, mindfulness and breathing exercises that you might find help you relax. Exercise can also be a good way to relieve stress.

How successful is IVF?

IVF success can depend on many things, including factors you can’t control such as your age. But, there are lifestyle changes you can make to give yourself the best chance. So, try to make sure you eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, lose weight if you need to, and avoid alcohol and smoking.

Your GP or fertility specialist will also be able to advise you on how you can prepare yourself, so do ask them any questions you may have.


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Samantha Wild
Dr Samantha Wild
Clinical Lead for Women's Health and Bupa GP

 

Co-author

Rasheda Begum, Health Content Editor at Bupa UK

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