Welcome to Fertility Focus, your go-to podcast for valuable insights and actionable steps to improve your fertility. I'm Maria, a personal trainer specialising in fertility. Whether you're preparing for IVF, managing your BMI, or embarking on your trying to conceive journey, this show is for you. This week I am delving into the key factors that can make a significant difference in your IVF outcome.
Welcome to Fertility Focus, your go-to podcast for valuable insights and actionable steps to improve your fertility. I'm Maria, a personal trainer specialising in fertility. Whether you're preparing for IVF, managing your BMI, or embarking on your trying to conceive journey, this show is for you. This week I am delving into the key factors that can make a significant difference in your IVF outcome.
Remember, IVF is not a one-off event but a complex, life-changing process. By adopting lifestyle changes, seeking professional guidance, understanding the IVF process, customising your treatment plan, and seeking emotional support, you can increase your chances of a successful outcome.
To access a community of like-minded individuals and receive regular workouts designed specifically for fertility, follow me on Instagram at fitness_fertility. For in-depth discussions and interviews with fertility experts, subscribe to the Fitness Fertility Podcast. And as a special offer, sign up today for our 2-week free trial to experience personalised guidance and support on your fertility journey.
For more information go to Personal Trainer | Fitness Fertility
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DISCLAIMER: DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.
Welcome to Fertility Focus! This weekly minisode is designed to help you improve your fertility. Every Tuesday, I will focus on actionable steps to help you take control of your own TTC (trying to conceive) journey.
I'm Maria, a personal trainer specialising in fertility. Whether you are preparing for IVF, managing your BMI, or ready to dedicate everything to your own conception journey, tune in each week to hear more.
In this week's show, I am talking about one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to IVF: a mistake that can have a huge impact on your IVF outcome. The mistake people make is treating IVF as a one-off event, but it isn't. IVF is a process—a complicated, life-changing, emotional, occasionally traumatic process—and it needs to be treated as such. If you treat IVF as a one-off event, you will be hugely unprepared for everything that is about to happen to you, and this can only be a bad thing. So, here are my five stages that you need to work through to be ready for IVF.
Lifestyle Changes: Make lifestyle adjustments to optimise your reproductive health as soon as you can. IVF is hard. It is not a miracle that automatically produces a baby. But the good news is, there are things you can do to increase your chances of a live birth. Reflect on the following things and make changes where needed:
a. Maintain a healthy weight: Achieving a healthy body weight can improve fertility outcomes. If you are underweight or overweight, work on reaching a healthy weight range before starting IVF. For the NHS, you will likely have to reach a BMI below 30. So, if your BMI is quite far away from this, you are likely going to have to lower your BMI before you can begin.
b. Eat a balanced diet: Focus on a nutrient-rich diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Consider consulting a nutritionist for personalized dietary recommendations. For ideas on who to talk to, go back and listen to Julia Young and Katy Bradbury over on our main show, The Fitness Fertility Podcast.
c. Engage in regular exercise: Participate in moderate exercise regularly, as it can help improve overall health and well-being. However, avoid excessive exercise that may negatively impact fertility.
d. Limit alcohol and caffeine: Reduce alcohol intake and limit caffeine consumption, as excessive amounts of these substances may affect fertility.
e. Avoid smoking, vaping, and recreational drug use as they can harm fertility and affect the success of IVF.
Consult with a Fertility Specialist sooner rather than later: Schedule a consultation with a fertility specialist or reproductive endocrinologist as soon as possible. Unfortunately, age is a real issue, and the success rates from IVF start to drop off after the woman is 35. So, do not wait. Do whatever you need to do, but make that appointment happen.
Spend time understanding and getting to know the IVF Process: Educate yourself about the IVF process, including the various steps involved, medications used, and potential side effects. This knowledge will help you better navigate the treatment, make informed decisions, and importantly, self-advocate. You can't ask questions if you have no idea what the doctors are talking about. Knowledge is power, so be prepared.
Make sure you fully understand your medication and Treatment Plan: Work closely with your fertility specialist to develop an individualised medication protocol and treatment plan. This will involve carefully monitoring your menstrual cycle, administering fertility medications, and scheduling appointments for ultrasound scans and blood tests. Remember that you are not a number; it is crucial that your plan is tailored to your needs, such as endometriosis, PCOS, unexplained infertility, your age, or perhaps a chronic illness that you suffer from. IVF should not be an "off-the-peg" situation. Your treatment plan should be bespoke to you.
Emotional Support: IVF can be emotionally challenging, both leading up to and during the actual process of injections, egg collection, and transfer. Reach out for emotional support from your partner, friends, family members, or the TTC community. There are also support groups and therapists that can help you cope with the stress and emotional ups and downs associated with fertility treatments.
Outro
If you really want to ensure you work out regularly with people who truly understand what you are going through, then follow me on Instagram at fitness_fertility, where you will find my community of thousands of women who are also trying to conceive.
And if you can't wait to work out, head over to Personal Trainer | Fitness Fertility and sign up for my awesome free workouts.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Fitness Fertility Podcast and tune in every Friday to hear interviews with fertility experts and in-depth discussions on all aspects of fitness and fertility.
And one more thing, please share the show because you never know who is struggling and may need that little bit of extra help.