Success Rate for IVF
In this fast-paced environment, most of us take our health matters for granted. But the reality is that minor stress can affect your body and dis-balance the hormones. And if you are planning to conceive or to go for IVF, then go through the below mentioned health habits which can improve your fertility in many ways. The way towards a healthy pregnancy relies on the production of good quality eggs and good quality sperm. There are many evidences to prove that certain food and changes in lifestyle can directly make an impact on your fertility. These changes can help you to overcome infertility by improving the condition of your Hormones, Uterus, Egg Quality and Sperm Quality, If you follow these 3 Steps they will not only assist in conception, lower chances of miscarriage, but also once pregnant will help in the overall development of the baby.
These steps as recommended by Dr. Shweta Goswami are:
Step 1. Diet
Step 2. Relaxing body, mind and spirit
Step 3. Antioxidants
Step 1: Keep a watch on what you eat – According to Dr. Shweta Goswami, no particular IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) diet must be followed during the course of the procedure. However, there is enough research to prove that the intake of certain nutrients will positively affect the rate of fertility and also aid the women to conceive quicker by In Vitro Fertilization. Good food to consume during IVF treatment
1. Lots of water– Most people fail to realize that their body is dehydrated. Our Doctor suggests patients drink at least 10 full glasses of pure water daily.
2. Protein-Rich food must be added as a part of IVF diet. They are needed by the body to produce the hormones and eggs that are needed for conception. They also help to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation. You can obtain more proteins from eggs, flax seeds, fish and lean meats, nuts, beans, soybeans and legumes.
- Food items rich in multivitamins especially zinc like nuts, whole grains, lean meat, and beans. One should consume a well balanced and healthy diet, that must consist of fresh fruits, nuts, Vegetables, organic food and seeds.
Food to avoid with IVF treatment
A. Cheese, coffee. Alcohol
B. Fish, Prawns, Crabs
C. Refined sugar
D. Artificial sweetener
E. Raw eggs
Step 2: Relaxing Body, mind and spirit
Taking time to clear your mind of its non-stop thoughts can help to reduce stress and induce a peaceful state of mind. Women who are under constant stress produce prolactin, and other hormones, which can interfere with or even block regular ovulation. Another fertility bonus to meditation is the start of a new habit which helps you to gain control over your thoughts, which is the first step in manifesting your pregnancy,
How to meditate: Sit comfortably, take some deep breaths and clear your mind. When a thought enters your head, just label it as a thought and avoid fighting it, just be. Then get back to focusing on the breath. That thought to shall pass, as does every thought and emotion. Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time, so if you are focused on the breath, your thoughts will stop.
What type of meditation should I do for fertility? There is a type of meditation called Japa. Japa is the practice of repeating a mantra during your meditation. A mantra is a word that you say over and over during meditation. Meditation is an effective stress reduction tool that can be done by anyone, any time in most any place.
Breathing for a healthy reproductive system: Take a deep breath in right now… hold to count of four and exhale to the count of four. Take another deep breath in… Hold 1 2 3 4 and exhale 1 2 3 4. And take one last deep breath in… Hold 1 2 3 4 and exhale 1 2 3 4. Now we can properly talk about breathing. The breath is one of the most important nutrients of the body. Yes, oxygen is a nutrient needed to sustain life. We can go days without food and water, but we can not go for minutes without oxygen. So how is this important to fertility you might ask? The answer is, “Very Important”. Deep, purposeful breathing enriches the blood with oxygen, releases toxins, and helps to let go of all the tension we are holding inside.
How to breathe “properly”: When you breathe in to let the breath go all the way down to your uterus and visualise the oxygen revitalising your uterus, ovaries and vagina. You may even imagine the breath as a colour, such as peach or blue. When you exhale you can imagine all that no longer serves you leaving your body.
Step 3: Antioxidants
Antioxidants are one of the most important components to having healthy fertility, that every woman and man needs to focus upon. Before we get started, there are two terms that you will need to become familiar with:
1. Antioxidants Antioxidants are a family of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help to protect the body from the damage caused by free radicals.
2. Free Radicals Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cell structures. In normal everyday life free radicals are produced from the activity in our bodies (for example free radicals are made during energy production), but chemicals in our surrounding environment can also create free radicals. It is said that each cell in our body is attacked about 10,000 times a day by free radicals, accelerating the ageing process. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals; stop further damage from happening and protect the cell’s health. If you are not doing something to help protect your cells, this damage can add up.
Why Antioxidants are important and necessary for a healthy fertility: As per Dr Shweta Goswami, everything in the body is made of cells that need to be protected from free radicals; simple as that. Not only are the ovum (egg) and sperm made up of cells which can be affected by free radical damage, so are the reproductive organs and glands that produce reproductive hormones. If these cells are less than optimal, the organs, ovum, sperm, etc. will not be functioning at their best. Another thing to remember; when DNA is attacked, it can also be altered by free radicals. The DNA of both partners is the future blueprint for a child. Damaged DNA is known to cause miscarriages or birth defects/developmental problems for the future child. Studies have also shown a connection between oxidative stress caused by free radicals and male infertility. So, it is very important for both parents to be taking biologically active antioxidants. Natural sources of antioxidants are green tea, green coffee, apple, orange, strawberries, raspberries, avocado, nuts, spinach, green leafy vegetables etc. So it extremely Important to incorporate these food items into our daily diet on our path to fertility & the road to IVF success. All The Best !!!
