Making an IVF preparation checklist gives women an idea of the things they could be doing to increase IVF success. In the world today we see more and more couples who struggle to naturally conceive. There are many factors that may play a part in this however there are some aspects of IVF preparation that can be explored more to support a successful outcome.
IVF Preparation Checklist Tips
I asked my beautiful friend, Tonia for her IVF preparation checklist tips so her experience could inspire you too.
Tonia shares her IVF journey with us..
“After being told undergoing IVF was the only way to conceive, I quickly set about learning all I could about the process and how to maximise our chances of success. I have always been a healthy and active person, but the thought of the cost of IVF and the overall low odds per cycle, I definitely wanted to put both me and my husband’s health as a top priority.
To begin with, we just did simple things, like ate well and avoided alcohol. At this stage I didn’t think too much about taking things much further. But the first light bulb moment came when I read the pre-admission hospital notes for the egg pick-up. It advised not to use any fragranced soaps/ body washes in the shower prior to the egg pick-up! This is due to the potential impact to eggs/sperm from fragrances! Obviously once these gametes are outside our body they are much more susceptible to such things as fragrances. I was quite alarmed by these pre-admission notes, as generally medical professionals tend to downplay the role of such things and the impacts to our health, however here they were saying keep them away from your eggs and sperm! This of course led me down the rabbit hole of artificial fragrances and their potential impacts to our health, in addition to the other potentially harmful additives in the products I used daily! I wasn’t a huge user of many cosmetics but there were definitely things that could be removed.
Our first cycle was a success but unfortunately the pregnancy was ectopic so we were back to the drawing board. When then had two more unsuccessful cycles. This was devastating of course after our initial quick success, so we were willing to throw it all at our fourth cycle.
I focussed the next few months on further eliminating all artificial fragrances from use, and switched all my beauty products to those not containing harmful chemicals (sourced from various websites that do a great job of only selling products without harmful chemicals). I tried to be as natural as absolutely possible! I also had my husband and I on a strict regime of various supplements to improve overall health and also egg and sperm health. These items included melatonin, ubiquinol (co-enzyme Q10), vitamin c, folic acid (folate), fish oil, zinc, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, selenium and aloe vera.
After our fourth attempt we finally received the happiest news that we had been successful and that we were pregnant! It took many weeks to believe it but once we heard the heartbeat, we knew we had a little baby on the way.
I strongly believe that all the steps we took on our IVF Preparation Checklist to ensure we were as healthy as possible helped us create our little one. There is a lot of luck in IVF there is no doubt about it (you just have to keep rolling that dice!), but I think it also pays to ensure our bodies are as healthy as they can be to ensure the best chances of success.”
I asked Tonia a couple more questions and this was her responses:
What to eat the night before egg retrieval?
I think regarding what to eat the night before, there are ‘old wives tales’ of things like eating pineapple core (yes I tried it!) and things like that, but I dont think there is any scientific evidence to suggest any specific foods help. Maybe just warm nourishing foods to support the body.
How to prepare for embryo transfer?
Regarding preparing for embryo transfer I think just try and keep calm/relaxed and positive mindset.
Did you ever try acupuncture for IVF
I did try IVF acupuncture and found it very relaxing and helpful for my mental health but the times I did the acupuncture I wasn’t successful in the IVF and then the last time I didn’t do the acupuncture we were successful with the IVF!!… So i think it is just one of those things that can help being calm/relaxed but it wont guarantee any successes.
Some extra insight:
“It might be time to overhaul your signature scent. Synthetic fragrances used in beauty products, including perfume, contain chemicals that may disrupt hormone levels, affect fertility and build up in breast milk when you do get pregnant, according to Alexandra Scanton, director of science and research at Women’s Voices for the Earth, an organization dedicated to combating toxic chemicals in everyday products.” – parent.com
New epigenetic research conducted by scientists at the University of Massachusetts suggests that a father’s environment can affect the health of his baby via epigenetic marks in his sperm. Specifically, male exposure to phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors found in plastics, personal care products like shaving cream, and in the environment that surrounds us, were found to have an impact on a couples’ success when having children.
I really hope the information shared with you here will inspire you or someone you know to remove exposure to synthetic chemicals like fragrances and foods that don’t serve you.
Tackling the removal of fragrance can be overwhelming; start small. Try slowly swapping out your favorite products one at a time. If you need help in this area we have resources and recipe books that show you how easy it is to detox your home and create a safe haven for you and your partner.
