Preparing for an IVF Cycle
The weeks before an IVF cycle are the part you control most. The drugs, the egg collection and the laboratory are in your clinic's hands. Getting your body, your home and your diary ready is in yours, and it makes a real difference to how the cycle goes and how you feel during it.
Eggs and sperm both take around three months to mature, so the habits that help them start well before the first injection. Nothing here guarantees a result, and nothing you did or did not do in the past caused your fertility problem. These are simply the steps that give a cycle the best possible start.
On this page
The three months before
Folic acid. Take 400 micrograms a day from at least a month before treatment, and carry on through the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Some people need a higher dose, including those with a BMI over 30, diabetes, or certain medicines, so ask your doctor which applies to you.
Vitamin D. Many clinics recommend a daily supplement, especially if you get little sun.
Nicotine. Stop smoking and vaping, both of you. Smoking lowers the chance of IVF working and is linked to poorer sperm, and it is the single biggest change most smokers can make.
Alcohol. Cut it down or stop. Most clinics advise none at all during the cycle and the two-week wait.
Weight. If your BMI is well above or below the healthy range, your clinic may suggest working towards it first, because it affects how you respond to the drugs and the chance of pregnancy. See BMI and lifestyle for the limits funders use.
Caffeine. Keep it moderate, around two cups of coffee a day or less.
Beyond these, most fertility supplements lack good evidence. If you want to take one, show it to your clinic first.
The partner's part
Sperm take around ten to twelve weeks to develop, so what a male partner does in the three months before a cycle shows up in the sample on the day. Stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol, avoiding very hot baths and saunas, and keeping a healthy weight all help.
Anabolic steroids and testosterone can stop sperm production altogether. If he takes either, he should tell the clinic straight away, well before the cycle.
The clinic will usually ask for two to five days without ejaculation before the sample on egg collection day. If producing a sample on the day might be difficult, ask about freezing one in advance as a backup. See semen analysis for what the clinic looks for.
Medicines and health checks
Give your clinic a full list of everything you take, including over-the-counter medicines, herbal remedies and supplements. Some, such as certain anti-inflammatory painkillers, may need pausing around egg collection and transfer.
Most clinics also want to know you are immune to rubella, that you are up to date with cervical screening, and that both partners have had infection screening for HIV and hepatitis. If any of this is out of date, sort it early, because it can delay the start of a cycle.
If you have a long-term condition, such as thyroid disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, make sure it is well controlled before you start, and tell the specialist who looks after it that you are planning a pregnancy.
Getting ready for the injections
Most people are nervous about injecting themselves and find it far easier than they expected within a day or two. The needles are fine and short, and most stimulation drugs come in pens that click to set the dose.
Your clinic will show you how. Ask for the training session to be close to your start date, and ask if you can do the first injection there with a nurse beside you. Many clinics also have videos for each drug.
At home, you need a fridge shelf for any drugs that must be kept cold, a sharps bin, and a regular time each evening when you can inject without rushing. The timing of the final trigger injection is exact, often late at night, so set two alarms for it.
The day your drugs arrive
Unpack them with the clinic's schedule beside you and check every box against it. Finding a missing pen in daylight, days before you need it, is much easier than finding it at nine at night.
Work and time off
During stimulation you will have several early morning scans and blood tests over about ten to fourteen days, usually at short notice. Egg collection needs a day off, and many people take the next day too. The transfer itself takes a few minutes, but plenty of people prefer a quiet day afterwards.
You do not have to tell your employer why. In the UK, you are protected from pregnancy discrimination at work from the day of embryo transfer, and many employers now have fertility policies, so check yours.
Looking after yourself
A cycle is physically demanding and emotionally intense. The hormones can make you tired, bloated and teary, and the waiting between results is hard on everyone.
Plan some gentle things for the weeks of the cycle: walks, time with people who make you feel better, and a few evenings with nothing in the diary. Most clinics offer a counsellor who specialises in fertility, and talking to one before you start, not only when things are hard, helps many people. Decide early who you will tell about the cycle, so you are not answering questions you would rather not on the day of a result.
Frequently asked questions
How long before IVF should I start preparing?
About three months, since eggs and sperm take around that long to mature. Folic acid should start at least a month before. See the three months before.
Should my partner change anything before IVF?
Yes, stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol and avoiding heat all help sperm. See the partner's part.
Do the IVF injections hurt?
Most people find them much easier than expected. The needles are fine and the pens are simple to use. See getting ready for the injections.
Can I exercise during an IVF cycle?
Gentle exercise is usually fine. Most clinics advise avoiding high-impact exercise once the ovaries are enlarged during stimulation and after egg collection.