Beginning your IVF journey can be both exciting and terrifying. You’re thrilled at the prospect of finally having a baby, but may be worried about everything from whether the injections will be painful and how the hormones will affect you, to the financial strain of paying for treatment and whether IVF will be successful. It’s natural to have some worries going into the IVF process, but you’ll feel better if you’ve done everything you can to prepare ahead of time. Make your IVF journey a little easier with these three tips.
1. Strengthen Your Body
It’s important that your body is as healthy as possible to increase your chances of success. What you eat, how much you exercise, how well you sleep, and the substances your body is exposed to all have the potential to impact the success of IVF treatment.
It’s important to remember that both partners should make healthy choices when preparing for IVF. That way, you’re most likely to have healthy sperm, ovulate properly, and be better prepared for both IVF and pregnancy.
You should do your best to get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy diet, and get a moderate amount of exercise. More is not necessarily better when it comes to exercising, and overdoing it can affect both sperm production and ovulation. Your ovaries will begin to enlarge once you start injections, so talk to your doctor about your ideal amount of exercise.
You should also take prenatal vitamins and other supplements, as recommended by your doctor, and aim to eliminate exposure to substances that could harm your health, your eggs/sperm, or your baby. These include alcohol, tobacco, drugs, caffeine, and chemicals.
2. Prioritize Your Mental and Emotional Health
By the time you start IVF, you may already be under great stress from being unable to conceive naturally or from suffering pregnancy loss. If your insurance doesn’t cover your treatment, you’re probably dealing with financial strain on top of this.
Add in the shots, discomfort, effects of changing hormones and frequent trips to the clinic, and you may feel that IVF has overtaken every aspect of your life. The process can be intense, tiring, and challenging, and it’s important to prioritize your mental and emotional health.
Make space for healthy ways of coping and helping yourself feel rejuvenated. Meditation, yoga, spending time with friends, or enjoying your favorite hobbies may be helpful, and don’t forget to devote time to your relationship! Try scheduling a fun date night each week, and carving out a few minutes each day to check in with each other. Make these habits a routine now so that you’re well prepared if IVF becomes mentally or emotionally taxing. And always seek help from a qualified mental health professional if you feel overwhelmed.
3. Create an IVF Toolbox
It’s important to know that IVF is typically a very safe procedure, and most side effects are mild to moderate. Still, anticipating problems ahead of time helps you prepare to address anything that might occur. We recommend creating an IVF toolbox to help you cope with any uncomfortable symptoms.
What should you put in your IVF toolbox? Focus on things that help you feel better, bring you joy, or relieve common side effects, such as those listed below:
- A journal to write about your feelings and experiences
- A variety of (healthy) snacks
- Water, electrolyte drinks, and coconut water
- Gift cards to salons, spas, or restaurants
- Books
- Breathable clothing
- Pillows and blankets
- Heating pad and/or ice packs
- Tylenol or ibuprofen
- Anti-nausea medicine, such as Pepto-Bismol
- Stool softener
- Antacids
You may also want to prepare a “resource” toolbox to help you cope with treatment. This may include trusted friends you can turn to, a support group that understands the IVF experience, or apps like Headspace and FertiCalm to help quiet your mind before and during your IVF cycle.
The more you do to prepare for your IVF cycle, the better you’ll feel. Make an effort to strengthen your body, prioritize your mental and emotional health, and create a fertility toolbox to have on hand when you begin your IVF cycle. Remember, your team at RISE Fertility will be with you every step of the way.
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