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Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
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Can Weight Spoil Your IVF Success? Facts To Know!

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Dr. Mangala DeviIVF Specialist • 27 Years Exp.MBBS, MS(OBG), Certified IVF Specialist
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IVF is an advanced medical procedure by which couples, who by the natural method cannot conceive, can have a baby. IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is the technique by which the eggs of the female partner and the sperm of the male partner are fertilized in a test tube in the laboratory and after that, they are implanted in the female uterus. There are several reasons why couples fail to conceive naturally, medical reasons being the most common. Lifestyle too plays a very important role in having a blissful, natural pregnancy. Too much stress, anxiety which in turn leads to being overweight, curbs the natural procedure of In-Vitro Fertilization

Can weight really spoil your IVF success?

  • For those women, opting for IVF, it can be difficult to go through the procedure and benefit from it in case they are over a certain weight. The process in itself is lengthy including daily tests, medicines and other medical procedures which may be confusing for the patient but weighing more than one should naturally add on to the stress and complications of the process.
  • Obesity is one definite factor that reduces the chance of success through IVF. According to doctors, obese patients have problems in producing good quality eggs that can be put to use for the fertilization and often face miscarriages after the implantation. Doctors prefer a BMI or a Body Mass Index of less than 30 but pregnancy rates through IVF have shown to drop if the Body Mass Index is greater than 35 or 40.
  • For obese patients, problems arise in administering anesthesia and the retrieval process and also, eclampsia and gestational diabetes, which are more likely in obese patients. So body weight definitely determines the pregnancy rate in a woman and also determines if the mother will go through a complication-free pregnancy or not.
  • Women who are considering IVF should put a check on their weight otherwise it might hinder their chances of getting pregnant. But, it is important to note that there is a certain way to get rid of those extra kilos. Crash diets may be the easiest option available for people but it is unhealthy in the long run for a to-be mother.
  • Low-calorie diets negatively affect the IVF process. One should remember that everybody is different and everybody has their own needs. It is best left to the doctors to understand the needs of the body.
  • Doctors are the best judge regarding how much body weight of an individual may help to conceive through IVF. In case one is overweight, consult the doctor to find the healthiest way to lose it.