Tips for a Successful IVF Cycle

When I had my 1st IVF cycle, I spent the preceding months focusing more on worrying, panicking, and playing it by the ear. I did not prepare myself physically or mentally. And that was a major undoing! By the time I was cycling the 2nd time, I was wiser and realised that, just like anything in life, adequate preparation was needed for success. So, I did my homework, incorporated these changes into my life, and got a much better outcome.

Here are some of the things I did differently:

1) Detox

Two months to the start of my cycle, I went on a 3-day green juice diet. It was surprisingly not as hard as I thought it would be, and by the end of the 3rd day, I felt so much lighter and ready to take on the world.

Basically, a good round of detox prior to the start of your cycle will help your chances, as your body will be cleansed of the nasty stuff that could impede your chances. A good analogy is a water bottle. If you find a good source of pure, clean water, it’s a good idea to wash the bottle properly before putting the pure water in.

2) Nutrition

It is imperative to start a healthy diet regime at least 3 months before your cycle. This is necessary not only to ensure your body is in good condition for the journey ahead, but also to help improve egg and sperm quality. After my 3-day detox, I commenced a fully overhauled diet, devoid of white foods like bread and rice, and richer in lean meat, eggs, and fruits. I paid a great deal of emphasis to protein rich foods, as I had heard they greatly improved egg quality.

3) Vitamins

In addition to a good diet, it is important to supplement it with the necessary vitamins, such as omega-3, folic acid, and other essential vitamins. I was on a daily cocktail of Pregnacare Conception, Royal Jelly, and Omega-3, and I believe these greatly helped as well.

4) Exercise

My husband and I enrolled in a gym near the house, and 3 times a week we would go there straight from work. The first week was rough, as I had never been to a gym prior to this, but I soon got a hang of it and started looking forward to these gym sessions.

Basically, exercising helps to ensure your body is in prime condition, and also to get your BMI to an appropriate number. The endorphins you release will also help with stress management. HOWEVER, it is imperative to ensure that you don’t go too aggressive with your exercise, especially when you have started the cycle.

5) Eliminate Smoking & Alcohol

This was a no-brainer for me, as I don’t do either, but for those who do, this is one of the first rules to obey. Smoking and (excessive) alcohol are vices even when you are not trying to conceive. When you are on an IVF cycle, they are the last things you need! They both adversely affect womb lining and sperm quality.

6) Sex

Yep….very important. Sex is very important to help reduce stress levels, and also to keep you and your partner bonded…both of which are very important to this process.

7) Communication

This will help you and your partner feel bonded in the process, especially the men as they are mere observers for the better part of an IVF cycle. For my 1st cycle, I didn’t really carry my husband along, and in the end he was at a loss about to really support me. With cycle 2, he had a better understanding of what we were doing and we felt like more of a team!

So….these worked for me. What has worked for you?

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Photo Credits

1. http://www.detox.net
2. http://musclemindmotivation.com
3. http://readynutrition.com
4. http://www.diabetesforecast.org
5. https://yourbesttop10.com
6. http://www.museandcompass.com
7. http://reussir-en-couple.com