1. Body changes – It's not uncommon for women to gain a little weight during IVF treatments. Hormone injections can affect your weight and also your hunger levels (read # 4).
Does IVF increase weight? Slight weight gain during IVF treatment (5–10 pounds) is considered absolutely normal. Contrary to popular belief, an increase in body weight is most often caused by hormonal changes and water retention during ovarian stimulation (not IVF itself).
The high estrogen levels during the superovulation phase of the IVF cycle can lead to fluid retention and cause weight gain for some women. But it is only temporary and once the superovulation stops, the hormones get excreted into the urine.
Gaining weight during IVF is common, but not every woman experiences this. Bloating does explain some of this weight gain, but fortunately, this settles with time. Changes in activity levels are the likely reason that some women gain weight. Stress and mood changes can be a trigger for over-eating during IVF treatment.
Some studies suggest that the hormones used during IVF can cause an increase in fat accumulation, particularly in the abdominal area. Hormonal changes can also lead to an increase in fluid retention, which can cause temporary weight gain.
Recent studies have discovered that weight does not significantly affect the success of IVF treatment. According to the research, there is no adequate evidence to prescribe preconception weight loss to obese women with unexplained infertility.
IVF can be mentally, physically and emotionally painful. In many cases, one of the biggest complaints is bloating and pain some women face during the ovarian stimulation process, where hormones are injected to produce multiple eggs for retrieval.
Does Gonal-f (follitropin alfa) cause weight gain? While weight gain is not a typical side effect of Gonal-f (follitropin alfa), stomach bloating can be. For some people, this stomach bloating can make pants or other clothes feel tighter, as if you've gained weight.
Studies show that women in their 20s and 30s have the most success when getting pregnant through IVF and other reproductive technologies. According to the CDC, the average percentages of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles that lead to a live birth are: 31% in women younger than 35 years of age.
Most common side effects include redness of the skin over the injection site, headache and nausea. Adverse reactions include allergic reaction. Long term effects include bone loss in long-term users, not significant for the short courses used for IVF.
The full and bloated feeling usually lasts a few days to a week after retrieval and then everything will go back to normal. There can be some temporary weight gain with stimulation.
During or after the egg retrieval step of IVF, you may experience mild to moderate pelvic and/or abdominal pain. Some women describe the pain as being similar to cramping. Usually, this pain is mild enough to be treated with over-the-counter pain medication and resolves within a day or two of the procedure.
“I advise patients to avoid exercise during the IVF cycle before eggs are retrieved and following embryo transfer for at least ten weeks. Exercising the large muscles in the arms and legs can draw blood away from the ovaries and uterus.
The failure to implant embryos into the uterus lining is one of the major reasons for failure of IVF. The doctors are yet to find out the exact reasons for the unsuccessful attempt. The misfiring of the attempt can happen due to two reasons; either due to the problem of the embryo or because of the uterus.
As far as physical outcomes, a recent study looking at over 158,000 children saw minimal-to-no difference in growth, weight, and fat percentage over time.
The possibility of the IVF resembling its mother is thin as a donor egg doesn't share any of its genes with its intended mother. Nonetheless, if the sperm used is that of her partner, the baby may look like its father. This is simply because both share the same genetics.
“For most couples – and certainly those where the woman is younger than 40 and those of any age using donor eggs – two-thirds will achieve a live birth after five or six treatment cycles. This will take, on average, two years and is similar to rates that couples conceiving naturally take in one year.”
The 10-14 day waiting period between transfer and receiving the pregnancy test results is often described as the most difficult part of the cycle. Having had daily contact with your medical support staff during monitoring and retrieval, you suddenly are on your own after transfer and just have to wait.
The most potentially painful part of undergoing IVF is the procedure to implant the fertilized eggs back into the uterus. Done a few days after egg retrieval, this feels like a smear test; not pleasant by any means, but nothing to be scared of.
Treatment options may include: Diuretics — medicines that help you get rid of extra fluid. Dialysis — a treatment that filters your blood through a machine. Paracentesis — a procedure that uses a small tube to drain fluid from your abdomen.
Tips for Exercising During IVF
Ditch any strenuous hobbies or exercises. For some, this may be a hard pill to swallow. But as mentioned above, now is the time to take it easy. Strenuous exercises or any serious falls or injuries to your abdomen can compromise your health, so it's important you avoid them.
Since the IVF process uses fertility drugs to alter a woman's hormones and help control her cycle, there are bound to be side effects from treatment. These side effects are normal and resolve on their own over the course of a few days as hormone levels return to normal.