Preparing for Fertility Treatment: A Guide for Women

Your journey to parenthood is filled with joy, fear of the unknown, anxiety, hope, and many such emotions. It’s particularly true for parents who have conceived after years of trying or those who opted for assisted reproductive technology, such as IUI or IVF, for conception. A press release by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine shows that the number of live births through IVF has significantly increased over the years. 

The technology, which was once criticized for its strange approach, has now become a preferred choice of many aspiring parents. If you, too, are considering IVF, our guide on “how to prepare for IVF treatment” will give you a good start. This post will help you learn the step-by-step tips on preparing for fertility treatment. You will also discover the best clinic in Lahore, Islamabad, and other parts of Pakistan for your IVF journey. Let’s get started.

Step-by-Step Physical Preparation

IVF consists of many steps, the success of which isn’t something you can control. However, your lifestyle, eating habits, and other factors can make a difference. Here’s what you can do to prepare your body for this big step.

Balanced Diet and Supplements

A healthy, nutritious diet full of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, calcium, iron, and other minerals can improve your chances of conceiving naturally, as well as through ART. You should start a Mediterranean diet before IVF.

Include lots of leafy greens, whole grains, nuts & seeds, lean protein, and fruits in every meal or have multiple portions of these daily. If your nutrient needs aren’t met by the diet alone, supplements can be used (if your healthcare provider clears you for it). Folic acid, Vitamin D, and CoQ10 are some crucial prenatal vitamins to add to your diet.

Quit Smoking, Alcohol, and Caffeine

There’s no specific amount of alcohol that’s considered safe for consumption during pregnancy. It’s best to avoid it altogether, as alcohol can cross the placenta and reach the fetus, exposing them to the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. 

Smoking can disrupt your hormonal balance and egg quality, the two most crucial factors for a successful implantation. Caffeine, especially above 200mg per day, has been linked to increased risk of miscarriage and unsuccessful implantation. So, either limit it to 1-2 cups of coffee or avoid it completely. 

Practice Safe Exercises

Walking, yoga, swimming, and other moderate exercises can help you with weight and stress management. It may also improve insulin sensitivity, all of which can contribute to a higher success rate of IVF. Exercise for 20-30 minutes a day for 4-5 days a week. Avoid heavy lifting, strength training, and other high-intensity workout sessions.

Tracking Ovulation

Tracking ovulation is an important part of preparing the body for IVF. It helps your fertility specialists time the crucial steps of IVF, such as ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer. Here’s how you can track ovulation:

Calculate Using Your Menstrual Cycle: A normal menstrual cycle is 28 days long, in which ovulation occurs around the 14th day. If your menstrual cycle is of normal length, you will likely ovulate in the mid-cycle. 

Use an Ovulation Predictor Kit: You can get an ovulation predictor kit from a pharmacy in Pakistan. A surge in the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) levels in the kit is a sign that you are about to ovulate in the next 24-36 hours.

Monitor Your Cervical Mucus: Your vaginal discharge changes to stretchy and egg-white-consistency when you are ovulating.

Medical & Clinical Readiness

Another step in IVF preparation for women in Pakistan is medical readiness. Your fertility specialist will run tests to check your physical health. This shows whether your womb is in a condition to nurture a new life. Here’s how it’s done.

Pre-treatment Tests

Hormonal tests can detect LH, FSH, and AMH levels. These give your doctor a clear picture of your ovarian reserve, ovarian function, ovulation cycle, and other metrics. An ultrasound may be used to detect fibroids, polyps, endometriosis, or uterine anomalies. 

It also assesses your uterine lining and whether it can support implantation. Your partner will go through a semen analysis, which shows their sperm count and quality. Both of you may also be tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Rubella, and Syphilis. At Australian Concept, all these tests are available within the clinic’s premises. This makes diagnosis and treatment convenient for patients.

Understanding Injections

A major part of your fertility treatment checklist is hormonal medication. Most are delivered in injectable forms subcutaneously. These injectables are administered after tracking where you are in your menstrual cycle. Fertility treatment starts with ovulation induction, where you are supposed to take an injection containing FSH and LH hormones every day for 8-14 days. 

These hormones stimulate your ovaries to produce follicles. Your doctor will track their growth using ultrasounds and prescribe a trigger shot, which matures these eggs, making them viable for retrieval. Your doctor will then schedule egg retrieval, a minimally invasive procedure that aspirates mature eggs from your ovaries. 

Mental & Emotional Preparation

The next big step is mental preparation for IVF. Although IVF offers the highest success rate of fertility, the procedure itself is complex. Every step brings anxiety, fear, sadness, guilt, and feelings of hopelessness. You might try everything—from diet to exercising and an active lifestyle—but you can still not control the results.

Staying calm and optimistic throughout IVF is essential, as research shows a link between preconception stress and infertility. The question is, how exactly do you manage the overwhelming emotions?

Understand the Procedure

Knowing each step of IVF will help you have a clear idea of what’s about to happen and what’s required from your end. It also saves you from unexpected surprises. You should be aware of the medication required during IVF, the steps involved, the process of egg retrieval, and the fertilization process.

Be Realistic

Study the facts, like the success rate of IVF in Pakistan, to get a clear perspective of your chances at conceiving through IVF. It’s good to be hopeful, but don’t set unrealistic expectations that might hurt later.

Have a Strong Support System

It’s understandable that you may want to be discreet about IVF, at least until you get a positive result. However, if you don’t speak about your feelings, you might feel isolated and depressed. Talk to a partner, a friend, or someone close to you. You can also become part of online communities where people openly discuss their IVF journeys. This will help build your confidence.

Practice Meditation

Techniques like meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, and creative work can help distract you from fertility treatment and reduce stress.

Organizational Tips

Starting IVF isn’t as simple as walking into the fertility center and getting injections for ovarian stimulation. It requires a calendar, proper organizing, ovulation tracking, appointments, tests, and other things. Here are some organizational tips that can help you prepare for IVF.

Scheduling Appointments and Tests

Timing is the most critical part of IVF. Fertility medication, egg retrieval, embryo transfer, and other steps are timed according to your menstrual cycle. For certain procedures, like egg retrieval, you may need to visit the clinic within 36 hours of the trigger shot. 

You can’t miss any appointment, as missing a dose or an important procedure can negatively affect the treatment’s success rate. So, to ensure you attend all appointments on time, set a reminder. You can also set a last-minute reminder, i.e., an hour before your appointment, to ensure you don’t miss it.

Take Time Off Work

Apply for 1-2 days’ leave around the time your egg retrieval is scheduled. You may also need to take a break from work on your ultrasound and bloodwork days. Talk to your HR manager about your condition or simply use your medical leave. Rest is important after embryo transfer. If you are self-employed, reduce your workload. This is the best time to focus on your health and remain stress-free. 

Preparing a Treatment Calendar

You can use a sticky note calendar to write your detailed treatment plan, important dates, medicines you need to take at specific times, prenatal vitamins, exercise routines, and other crucial information.

FAQs 

When should I start preparing for fertility treatment?

Preparation for fertility treatment starts as early as 3 months before the IVF cycle, or even before that, if you need to make significant lifestyle adjustments.

What foods help improve fertility?

Leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fruits, whole grains, lentils, and other foods rich in vitamins, protein, healthy fats, calcium, iron, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids can improve your fertility.

Is stress really a factor in fertility?

Yes, it impacts your hormones, which in turn, can affect your fertility.

Can I travel during my IVF cycle?

You should avoid traveling around the time you are taking ovulation medication, as you may have to stay close to your fertility clinic for ultrasounds and other procedures. After embryo transfer, it’s safe to travel unless your doctor says otherwise.

Should my husband/partner prepare too?

Yes, they should be involved in preparation. Diet, exercise, and mental preparation are equally important for male and female partners. 

Why Choose Australian Concept for Fertility Preparation & Treatment

Australian Concept Infertility Medical Center is an ISO-certified, top-rated fertility clinic in Pakistan. Known for creating personalized treatment plans for each patient, our team does its best to make IVF and other fertility treatment solutions work in your favor. We also have advanced technology used to test the fetus for genetic disorders, preserving embryos for future use, and conducting ICSI (manual injection of sperm into the egg). Our team offers the best fertility health tips before treatment to help prepare your mind and body for the big transition. We have a center in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Rahim Yar Khan, and other cities in Pakistan. You can conveniently visit us or book an appointment for an online consultation. Call or text us for more details.  0309 – 3332229