thread: Diet & Exercise when starting IVF

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Aug 2011
    Neerim, Victoria
    155

    Diet & Exercise when starting IVF

    Hi All,

    Does anyone know if it'd be OK for me to start a diet & excerise regieme now we plan to start IVF in approx 1 month?
    I have approx 30KG to loose and would love to start work on this now, but am not sure whether or not it'll put a strain on my system while it's already straining with the emotional side of doing IVF..

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    7,197

    I haven't done IVF and I hope someone who has pops in for you but I would imagine if you do have significant weight to lose, it would be beneficial both for the IVF process as well as pregnancy itself - it doesn't have to be super strenuous - even just walking for 30 mins every day and eating healthy foods will make a difference! Good luck with it all! xox

  3. #3
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    Aug 2011
    Neerim, Victoria
    155

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Unfortunately, a little exercise daily is quiet difficult for me

    We travel 100km each way too and from work. When I get up in the morning (which is always a HUGE struggle) I have a shower and leave - don't even get time for breakfast, so breakfast is eaten at work when I get there. When we get home it's dark, it's also cold (being snow country). The nighttime habbits tend to be eating dinner, feeding the animals and bed.

    Weekends are often spent doing nothing but catching up on the housework and stuff that we have been unable to do during the week.

    I eat well though and have just celebrated 11 weeks of being a non-smoker (Thanks to my tonsils! LOL). My doctors recently did a complete blood work up on my and said all my vitamin levels were spot of perfect (except for Vitamin D) and they are always shocked at my cholesterol levels due to my weight - I have the cholesterol levels of a stick figure!

    My biggest battle with the weight is my thyroid. Not sure how to say exactly how underactive my thyroid is, but my best-friends mum had to have 2/3s of her 100% normally functioning thyroid removed....and we're both on the same medication level....so I'm guessing it's pretty much dead on the activity scale. Blood tests now and showing that my level should be normal though with the medication. I have managed to loose 14kg since being on the medication, but now I'm just hovering between 117 - 120kg....so the blood needs to get pumping somehow to drop the rest off.

    Most of my weight is in my butt and thighs....so I have debated on going to the pool on my way home from work and doing some gentle laps, but my hubby travels with me and he's no keen on this idea. He would prefer it if we strapped our pushbikes on the back of the car and went for a ride somewhere on the way home.

  4. #4
    BellyBelly Member

    Jun 2010
    597

    Sounds tricky! Have you already discussed your thyroid issue with your fs? It may make a difference to your treatment.
    I would always try to stay as healthy as possible leading up to and during a cycle. In terms of diet, basic 'healthy eating' is all you really need. The cycle that finally worked (9 attempts for us!) We both went as healthy as possible for 3 months leading up to the collection (it takes about that long for the sperm to develop) So no alcohol for either of us (DH hated that one ), no coffee, soy, or takeaways. Lots of fresh stuff, full fat dairy, lots of pineapple. We also tried to up the exercise, but that was a bit harder to maintain!
    Good luck!

  5. #5
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    Aug 2011
    Neerim, Victoria
    155

    Yes I've told my FS about the thyroid. They have taken additional blood tests and told me it shouldn't effect the process to much, I'll just need additional blood tests throughout IVF treatment and (hopefully) the resulting pregnancy as they may need to adjust my dosages throughout.

    Other than that they told me to start taking Folic acid...preferrably for 2 months before we start treatment. I've been on that now since April.

  6. #6
    BellyBelly Member

    Jun 2010
    597

    That's good - hope everything goes really well for you

  7. #7

    Oct 2008
    2,880

    If you can't work on the exercise so much, then it won't hurt at all to have a look at your diet and make improvements.

    There's an awesome book called The Fertility Diet which I followed in the lead up to our IVF cycle. I'd totally recommend it.

    Good luck!

  8. #8
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    Aug 2011
    Neerim, Victoria
    155

    Thanks for the tip! I'll see if I can locate that book somewhere....maybe it might be time to use that 10% off voucher I got from Angus & Robinson! LOL