Embryo transfer is a crucial moment in your fertility journey. In many ways, it’s the moment of truth – will this IVF cycle be the one where you get pregnant?
What if the embryo doesn’t implant? What can I do to increase my chances of success? Subsequently, it’s a time when you’ll feel very excited and probably quite anxious. After all, you’ll want to ensure you have the best chance of getting pregnant.
Getting fixated on your health, diet, and well-being is easy in this emotionally charged time. Although it’s important to look after yourself, it’s also important to be able to separate the facts from the fiction. Here, we discuss the myths and reality of an “after” embryo transfer diet.
After Embryo Transfer Diet: Myths Busted
If you Google “after embryo transfer diet,” you’ll likely come across many tall stories. For instance, you’re likely to hear that pineapple promotes implantation – not true. Other wild ideas include bananas, tofu, raspberry leaves, and other superfoods. Although many of these foods are rich in vitamins, it’s important to remember that your fertility specialist would tell you if there was reliable research supporting any of these theories. In fact, fixating on certain foods can be counterproductive. Eating too much of a specific food can distract you from what you should be doing: eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Encouraging Implantation: The Facts
One of the best pieces of advice regarding an after embryo transfer diet is… drum roll please… to eat as if you’re already pregnant. This includes eating a healthy, balanced diet, including plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Ideally, you should avoid foods high in ‘free sugars,’ such as confectionary, and sugar in honey and syrups. Equally, you should opt for healthy, omega-3-rich fats like fish oils, avocado, and nuts over saturated fat. Finally, you should consume less than 5 grams of salt daily and, of course, avoid alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
What else can you do
You can do a few other things to help implantation alongside adopting an after embryo transfer diet. These include:
It might seem impossible at such an exciting and nerve-wracking time, but the best thing you can do is relax. More than anything, it is important not to put yourself under unnecessary stress. Instead, get plenty of rest and practice some self-care.
Avoid strenuous exercise. Avoid strenuous exercise during the two weeks leading up to your pregnancy test. This includes running, cycling, and heavy weights. However, the idea that exercise can ‘knock’ an embryo is a myth – in fact, raising your internal temperature can cause problems. Instead, try gentle movements like leisurely walks or yoga. However, some doctors suggest avoiding swimming, as submerging in water can cause infection.
Avoid hot temperatures. We touch on this above, but raising your internal temperature can compromise implantation. Therefore, you should avoid hot baths, Jacuzzis, steam rooms, or saunas.
Good luck and baby dust!
By TTC Warrior Jennifer Jay Palumbo
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