How to Prepare for IVF

Key Points:

• There are lifestyle changes you’ll need to make as you prepare for the IVF process.
• The IVF process typically consists of 5 steps.
• Surrogacy can be an alternative family-building option that uses IVF to fulfill your dreams of becoming parents.

IVF preparation isn’t time-consuming or complicated. You can easily prepare for the in-office procedure by making a few lifestyle changes.

Speak with a specialist today

Check out our guide below for more information about IVF, infertility, and family building through surrogacy.

How to Prepare for IVF [What You Can Do]

Before we start talking about all the ways you can prepare for in vitro fertilization (IVF), we want to quickly note that we understand that experiencing any type of infertility is hard. You should not blame yourself for what you’re going through. Never hesitate to reach out to an infertility counselor or support group to make sure you get what you need during this difficult time.

Simple IVF Lifestyle Changes

If you want to talk to your doctor about using IVF to conceive, you can make a few easy lifestyle changes today to prepare for your upcoming doctor appointments.

These simple tweaks can improve your chance of getting pregnant:  

• Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet
• Talking to your doctor about starting prenatal vitamins
• Keeping a healthy weight
• Stopping drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking any recreational drugs
• Trying to eliminate or reduce caffeine from your diet
• Reducing any stress

What is IVF?

IVF is when a doctor fertilizes an egg with sperm outside the body in a lab. This can increase the chance of pregnancy.

If you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, you’re likely working with a doctor who knows your situation.

Generally, doctors don’t start with IVF because it’s often expensive and invasive. However, if you fit any of the following criteria, your physician may begin with IVF:

• Are a woman over 40
• Have certain health conditions
• Experienced fallopian tube damage or blockage
• Have ovulation disorders, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, previous tubal ligation, or impaired sperm production
• Are experiencing unexplained infertility

The IVF Process

You can expect the following to happen during an IVF cycle.

Step 1: Take Fertility Medications

Your doctor will prescribe injectable medications to help your or your partner’s body produce more eggs to increase the chance of fertilization.

Step 2: Egg Retrieval

Your doctor will retrieve your or your partner’s eggs from the ovaries during an outpatient procedure.

Step 3: Embryo Creation

After you or your partner provides a semen sample, your doctor will combine the sperm and the eggs.

Step 4: Embryo Transfer

Once embryos form, your doctor will place them back into the woman’s uterus, where conception hopefully happens.

Step 5: Test for a Pregnancy

After the embryo transfer, a doctor will test for pregnancy. If you or your partner is pregnant, you’ll start seeing an OBGYN. If a doctor doesn’t detect pregnancy, you can choose to undergo another round of IVF or consider other family-building options.

Considering Surrogacy

If you and your partner have tried IVF without conceiving, you may consider trying surrogacy.

Make Sure You’re Ready for Surrogacy

Discovering that IVF isn’t an option for you is not easy. You may even feel anger, sadness, or guilt about the situation.

You and your partner should decide how you individually feel to determine how to move forward together. After taking time to grieve, some people choose to move forward with surrogacy.

One of the beneficial aspects of working with a surrogacy agency is that surrogacy professionals know what you’re going through. These professionals can also suggest infertility support groups to help you during this time.

Surrogacy Basics

Surrogacy is when a surrogate and intended parents bring a baby into the world. You’ll typically work with a:

• Surrogacy agency
• Surrogacy professional
• Fertility clinic

All modern surrogacies are gestational and use IVF. This means the surrogate mother is not related to the baby she carries. Depending on the type of infertility you’re experiencing and your partnership, you may decide to use gamete donors.

Surrogacy Agency Benefits

Although you could pursue independent surrogacy, working with a surrogacy agency can be helpful. Surrogacy agencies will provide you with:

• A surrogacy professional who will help you throughout your journey
• Assistance to ensure your surrogacy is legal and safe
• Surrogate matching services
• And more

Start Your Parenthood Journey Today

IVF is a wonderful way to conceive. You can contact us today if you’re ready to pursue other family-building options like surrogacy.