In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is both emotionally and physically demanding; hence, it is essential to prepare before IVF treatment. This article intends to help you prepare yourself for your IVF journey and increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy. During your IVF cycle, you may have certain emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and uncertainty which are common. Here, we will provide you with some tips that will help you to prepare for IVF treatment.
IVF Preparation Checklist
If you do not know much about IVF and its process, then you need a roadmap. The IVF preparation checklist includes some important things to be considered while preparing for IVF. The following are the considerations to be taken in the preparation for IVF treatment:
- A thorough physical examination of you and your partner
- Hormonal assessment
- Questions regarding your medical history
These are the considerations to be taken before the Preparation for IVF treatment. Based on the test results, your IVF treatment may begin within a month, and during this time, you need to prepare your body for IVF. The following is the Checklist to prepare for IVF.
Checklist to Prepare Your Body for IVF:
- Stop smoking, not even nicotine pills and patches
- Do not consume alcohol
- Eat healthy diet
- Take vitamins prescribed by your doctor
- Get enough sleep (Yoga/meditation will help to get enough sleep)
- Reduce stress and avoid unnecessary mental load
- Practice breathing exercise
Preparing Your Mind and Body for IVF
For couples willing to conceive, IVF offers a lot of hope but still, it causes stress to the people who go through it. Hence, it is important to prepare the mind & body before and during the IVF cycle. There are some tips given in the above section to prepare the body, and yoga is the best of them specifically for reducing stress levels. Yoga includes meditation and breathing techniques that help get rid of negative thoughts that often stress the couple going through IVF. The following are some tips that will help you get ready mentally and physically for IVF treatment:
#1. Build a support system
You should have a support system outside your marriage as it helps to relieve stress and keep a positive vibe around you. This support network can have family members, friends, relatives, and other acquaintances that can support you during your IVF journey. Even the doctor plays a significant role during your IVF by providing emotional support and proper guidance.
#2. Educating yourself on the IVF process
Most people become tensed during their IVF journey because they do not have proper knowledge about IVF. Understanding the IVF process can help you to prevent unnecessary mental and physical stress. Studying the process will help you know what to expect, how your body will respond to the medications, things to avoid during your cycle, something you can do to increase your chances of conceiving, etc. Without the proper knowledge, people often get skeptical about the treatment, and it causes fear and anxiety, which is not healthy for the treatment.
#3. Exercise
During the IVF process, women should hold back on heavy exercises, especially during the week of egg retrieval. Though, yoga and meditations can be done with professional assistance.
#4. Sperm preparation for IVF
Usually, the sperm is prepared for use before egg retrieval, and then it is frozen for use once the egg retrieval is done. Some advanced techniques are used if the sperm is not obtained through normal ejaculation, such as Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) or micro epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA). Before egg retrieval, the male partner should abstain from intercourse for two days. If the sperm is being taken from a donor or frozen specimen, it will be thawed and prepared in the lab the morning of retrieval.
Preparing for IVF Egg Retrieval
Egg retrieval is done under mild anesthesia and like other surgeries performed under anaesthesia, you need to be fasting from the night before the procedure for your egg retrieval. You also need to get rid of make-up, perfume, or contact lenses and get into comfortable clothing or the hospital gown provided by the staff. Moreover, you will be provided with some instructions by your doctor to take home with you.
IVF Egg retrieval? you need to refrain from eating or drinking from morning of the procedure before your egg retrieval.[/caption]
You would not be allowed to drive yourself, so you need to come with someone to take you home. Usually, the partner is convenient to travel with because he might be asked to contribute a sperm sample. You can bring some of your family members or relative if you are using frozen donor sperm.
Conclusion
IVF is a delicate process; hence, the couple should make some preparation for IVF treatment. We hope this article helped you to understand what preparations to make before IVF. If you are about to get IVF treatment, we wish you good luck, and we hope you get blessed with a healthy baby.
