Browse some of the most frequently asked questions answered by our fertility specialists below. If you’d like to submit your own question, click here.
Questions Answered by our Experts
I am in my early 40s and have failed to conceive naturally. What are my chances of conceiving through IVF?
The chances of conceiving in your forties through IVF are around 13-14%. For women aged between 43-44 this percentages drops to 5% to less than 1% over 45.
I have started treatment for IVF and my surgery is in two weeks, can I carry on exercising before and after?
Avoid overexerting your body as you go through the IVF process. Gentle exercise three or four days per week a few weeks before you begin treatment will promote health whilst having little or no impact on your chances of pregnancy with IVF. To be safe, it’s recommended that you don’t exercise during treatment and just take it easy.
What can/can’t I do after FET? Are there any foods to avoid/eat, are there any activities that should be avoided/encouraged?
Once the embryos have been transferred into the uterus, they are safe and cannot “fall out”, despite many people believing they can. Bed rest after FET hasn’t shown to improve pregnancy rates, and neither has eating/avoiding certain foods, so you’ll be able to keep up your normal daily routine.
What can I expect after my IVF transfer – will I need lots of time off work?
You can go back to work after an embryo transfer. It’s up to you if you’d like to rest for a few days or carry on your normal daily routine. It won’t impact the outcome of your treatment in any way.
Does it help to have sex before egg collection?
You need to abstain from sex for 2-3 days (not more than 5) prior to the day of egg collection. You should use barrier contraception during ovarian stimulation until a week after collection.
Which day of your cycle do you start the fertility drugs? Or does it vary from person to person?
It does depend on which drugs you are talking about. For example clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation (egg release) is usually taken on days 2 to 6 of a menstrual cycle. For IVF, injectable drugs are used and there are different protocols to select depending on the patient