Undoubtedly, pregnancy is one of the most joyous experiences for most couples. While some couples achieve pregnancy through natural processes, a few others go through certain struggles. If you have not been able to become pregnant, you need not feel unworthy or bad about opting for in vitro fertilization (IVF), a proven assisted reproductive technique. If you reside in the capital city of Tamil Nadu, you can consult with the topgynecologist specialist in Chennaito learn more about the IVF procedure.
IVF has been a boon to one out of six couples in urban India who struggle with infertility issues. In India, the success rate of IVF is greater than 50 percent. Furthermore, the duration of one complete cycle of IVF is about three weeks, and it involves collecting mature eggs from your ovaries and fertilizing them with your husband’s sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized egg or embryo is transferred to your uterus.
As the initial weeks of pregnancy are extremely crucial, you must go for regular check-ups to ensure the success of the IVF procedure. In this blog post, we will discuss a few tips to ensure a healthy IVF pregnancy. Let’s start.
How to Ensure a Healthy IVF Pregnancy?
The IVF procedure is very expensive and taxing. So, it is a lot more helpful if you achieve success in the first cycle itself. Some of the helpful tips in this regard include:
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
It may sound very crude, but it is a fact. Your body weight has a bearing on the probability of conceiving through the IVF procedure. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that you maintain a healthy BMI before and during the course of the IVF treatment in order to enjoy a healthy IVF pregnancy.
Being overweight or underweight can reduce your chances of IVF success by 2 to 4 per cent. Furthermore, being overweight or obese can hinder the monitoring of ovarian function throughout the procedure, disrupting not only the timing but also the successful retrieval of the egg.
Working with an Experienced IVF Specialist and a Reputable Hospital
IVF treatment success is not dependent only on your well-being. It is dependent on the hospital or clinic where you are getting treated and the expertise of the IVF specialist treating you.
Consulting and working with a reputed IVF specialist in a well-equipped hospital or clinic greatly increases the chances of your conception. Besides, it is important to identify empathetic and supportive fertility specialists who will take you through the IVF treatment journey.
Ideally, you should do some research and check out the success rates of a few IVF specialists and clinics separately before choosing the right ones for your IVF pregnancy.
Managing Anxiety And Stress
It is a fact that undergoing IVF treatment is not an easy task at all. It involves going through anxious moments. This can cause a lot of stress and adversely affect the success of your IVF treatment. Experts are of the opinion that even basal stress levels can impact not only IVF success but also when you are trying to conceive naturally.
Therefore, it is important to be prepared to manage stress during your IVF journey. You could ask for the help of your partner, or you may sign up for yoga classes, surround yourself with positivity, or practice mindfulness.
Quitting Smoking
There is no doubt about the fact that smoking is a very unhealthy habit and it affects your overall well-being. So, it is best that you quit smoking, especially when you are going through a sensitive IVF procedure, as it can significantly reduce the chances of success.
Studies have shown that smoking has the potential to adversely affect the quality of both eggs and sperm. Ideally, you and your spouse should quit smoking at least 3 to 6 months before the start of your IVF journey.
Today, both online and offline programmes that can help you quit smoking in a structured and healthy way are available. Make use of one of these programmes if you feel the need for help.
Prioritizing Supplementation
Under normal circ*mstances, your doctor and nutritionist would have recommended that you meet your daily requirements of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients from dietary sources.
However, when it comes to using the IVF technique for your pregnancy, your doctor will prescribe supplements like CoQ10 and DHEA to improve your egg quality and streamline the process of egg retrieval. The fertility specialist you are consulting might also suggest that you take a high-quality multivitamin tablet as well to support your IVF journey.
Besides that, you need to take vitamin D supplements in consultation with your IVF specialist. You can check with your doctor as regards the dosage.
As mentioned before, IVF is not only a prolonged procedure but also a challenging one. After transferring the fertilized embryo, you need to wait for two weeks to know whether you are pregnant. During this period, you might experience some amount of anxiety. Sometimes, the first attempt may not be successful for various reasons. You should not get disheartened as you can always try once again.
Additional Tips
- Some of the chemicals you must avoid when pursuing an IVF pregnancy include formaldehyde, triclosan, and parabens, among others, to ensure successful outcomes.
- When it comes to exercising during IVF, it is best to limit yourself to light exercise throughout your IVF journey. You must discuss the safe options with your doctor before you hit the gym.
- Some medications might interfere with the fertility drugs that have been prescribed for you. They include allergy pills, OTC supplements, acetaminophen, etc.
- If you have experienced recurrent pregnancy losses or you are over 35 years of age, preconception genetic screening will help you to choose a healthy embryo. If you have a history of genetic disorders in your family, you can opt for these tests.
- During pregnancy, your immune system will be weak. You can easily catch infections. It is, therefore, important that you safeguard yourself against infections by eating homemade food, not going out too frequently, and avoiding crowded places.
- It is best to avoid intercourse during the first three months of pregnancy. This is because this activity can hinder the embryo’s implantation in the uterus.
The IVF procedure poses a little bit of a challenge initially, but it is worth taking the trouble. If you have decided to undergo the treatment, you need to be mindful of the factors associated with it. You also need to prioritize your health and focus on preparing your body for a healthy and successful conception. All the relevant information for you is available in this guide.
Sugam Hospital
Sugam Hospital is an ISO 9001/2000 certified healthcare facility in Chennai with ultramodern facilities for providing state-of-the-art treatment for patients suffering from various conditions. Hailed as the best maternity care hospital in North Chennai, Sugam boasts of having one of the top diagnostic labs in Chennaithat is functional 24/7.
Additionally, Sugam is by far the best pediatric hospital in Chennaibecause of its well-equipped neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) facility that offers the right environment for babies to recover. The level 3 NICU at Sugam is equipped with the latest life support and life-saving technology.
