How to Prepare for an Embryo Transfer

Congratulations on making it this far in an IVF cycle! You went through your egg retrieval (or retrievals), and you now have your previous embryo to transfer. So what should you be focusing on now to ensure the best success for your upcoming embryo transfer?

ACUPUNCTURE:

Getting acupuncture treatments leading up to your transfer is one of the most important things you can do to improve your chances of pregnancy. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis confirms that acupuncture leading up to transfer improves pregnancy results, even as little as four treatments. If your fertility clinic offers it, I typically recommend patients receive on-site acupuncture on the day of their embryo transfer. If this isn’t possible, getting acupuncture treatment leading up to and within 48 hours after their transfer is also great. Using certain points from the Paulus Protocol, live birth rates in the acupuncture group were significantly higher at 56% compared to 35% in the group that did not receive acupuncture. Those in the 35-37 and 38-40 age groups benefit the most from getting acupuncture on transfer day. Not to mention it also helps with IVF related anxiety! Aim for 4-6 treatments leading up to your transfer to help reduce stress, reduce inflammtaion, improve uterine receptivity, and encourage healthy blood flow to the uterine lining.

DIET:

One of the most common things I get asked about is what to eat or not eat while preparing for an embryo transfer. I generally recommend a plant-filled, whole foods, anti-inflammatory diet in general for hormone balance and fertility. There is no one food to eat (despite what you may have heard about pineapple core) that will boost your chances of pregnancy. It’s important to just eat well overall. Stay away from the foods that you know your body doesn’t like. Does dairy make you crampy? Do fried foods make you bloated? That’s telling you it’s creating inflammation which can be harmful to an implanting embryo. Keeping your blood sugar stable is also important. So make sure you are eating your regular meals, not intermittent fasting too much (i.e. more than 14 hours), eat plenty of fiber, and aim for 20-30g of protein with each meal. And please, stay away from McDonalds french fries after your embryo transfer. I know it’s a “good luck charm” but there is nothing the inflammatory oils and genetically modified potatoes will do for you. 

EXERCISE:

First and foremost, whatever your doctor has told you regarding exercise you need to listen to. If you have not been given specific instructions, feel free to do any exercise that your body is already used to. Try to avoid intense exercise and aim for 3-4x per week of 30ish minutes of moderate cardio or strength training. After your transfer, keep it light but please continue to move. Unless your doctor has recommended you do so, I do not ever recommend bed rest post transfer. It is important to keep your blood flowing, and regular every-day movements will help with that. So go for walks and continue your light exercise. If you are having a fresh transfer and you just had your retrieval, your ovaries will still be swollen and you should not be exercising at all. 

SUPPLEMENTS:

Always ask your doctor and follow their instructions about which supplements you should be taking, especially in combination with other medications. I typically recommend my fertility patients to be taking a prenatal vitamin with adequate levels of folate, vitamin d, and omega 3 fatty acids.

REST:

Make sure you are getting enough sleep leading up to your transfer. Aim to go to bed before 11pm and get at least 7 (but ideally 8) hours of sleep for optimal hormone balance. With the anticipation leading up to your transfer you may have to incorporate a more relaxing night time routine. Light some candles, take a warm bath or shower, journal, meditate, listen to guided imagery etc.

MENTAL HEALTH:

Embryo transfers are stressful. You worked so hard to get to this point and it can be a lot of pressure. It is so incredibly important to prioritize self care during this time. It’s time to be very selfish with your time and energy to make sure you are nourishing yourself enough and making space for a baby in your life. I love recommending meditation to my fertility patients. Studies show even 10 minutes per day can have profound physiological benefits. I also love the fertility related guided imagery meditations by Anji, Circle and Bloom, and Belleruth Naperstek. There are also some great free guided imagery meditations on YouTube.  A 2011 study posted in Fertility and Sterility showed that laughter after an embryo transfer increases conception by 16%. So after your transfer watch a funny movie, a comedy stand up, or anything that makes you laugh! 

RECEPTIVITY PREP:

Does your fertility clinic offer an ERA (endometrial receptivity analysis)? An ERA is a biopsy of the uterine lining done during a mock transfer cycle and tests for uterine receptivity. This can give you the exact timing that your lining needs (ie how many hours of progesterone beforehand) in order to be the most receptive for an embryo. This is a good option for patients that only have one or two embryos or have had failed transfers before. You may also ask your doctor if they offer microbiome testing like the EMMA and ALICE test which can test for subclinical uterine infections and the health of the uterine/vaginal microbiome to see what can be optimized for the transfer. I’ve had a small number of patients discover they have subclinical endometritis and need to go through a round of antibiotics before they are able to transfer. Want to support your microbiome anyway? Ask your doctor if you can try probiotic suppositories for a cycle or two before your transfer (and including the transfer cycle) to optimize your microbiome and improve pregnancy rates.

There are some do’s and dont’s for transfer that your fertility center will explain to you, so make sure you follow them. For example, take your medications exactly as instructed, avoid putting heat directly on your lower belly or low back after the transfer, avoid swimming or baths after your transfer for a certain amount of time, and no sex or orgasms until fetal heartbeat is found on ultrasound. These may vary depending on the fertility clinic.

If you are looking for support leading up to your embryo transfer, don’t hesitate to reach out.

In healing,

Allison Locke, R.TCM.P FABORM OBAAM IHP