3 things worth looking at when IVF isn’t going to plan

When a cycle doesn’t work, there often isn’t a clear reason. It is very unlikely to be one thing you ate, drank or did. So this isn’t a list of things you got wrong. It’s three areas that are worth a look, what the research says about each, and one small step for each.

1. Your everyday eating pattern

It’s easy to chase single “fertility foods”. The research points somewhere simpler: your overall pattern. In a study of 244 women having their first IVF cycle, those who ate the most Mediterranean-style diet had a live birth rate of 49%, compared with 27% in those who ate the least. The link was seen only in women under 35. It’s a link, not proof.

No single food makes or breaks a cycle. A pattern built on vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, fish and olive oil is worth your effort. To start gently:

  • add one extra serve of vegetables a day
  • swap one meat meal a week for fish or legumes
  • cook with extra virgin olive oil.

2. The habits with the clearest advice

Some things have clear national advice, and they apply to both partners.

  • Alcohol: Australian guidelines say the safest choice when trying to conceive is not to drink.
  • Caffeine: keep it to 200mg a day or less, about two cups of coffee.
  • Smoking and vaping: stopping improves fertility for both partners. Quitline 13 7848 can help.

Two studies of women having IVF found no link between low to moderate alcohol intake and live birth. That isn’t enough to call it safe, so the national advice still stands. The odd drink or coffee is very unlikely to be why a cycle didn’t work.

Bring your partner into it. Sperm take two to three months to develop, and the same advice applies.

3. How you’re coping

This is the one that gets missed the most. Months or years of trying is hard on your sleep, your mood and your appetite.

Researchers pooled 14 studies that followed 3,583 women through fertility treatment. Emotional distress before treatment was not associated with whether treatment worked. Feeling stressed, anxious or flat did not cause this, and it won’t ruin your next cycle. You still deserve to feel better, for your own sake.

  • Eat regular meals, even simple ones.
  • Protect your sleep with a regular bedtime.
  • Tell one person how you’re really going, and ask your clinic about its counselling service.

Questions worth asking your fertility specialist

  • What did we learn from this cycle?
  • Is there anything you would change next time?
  • Is there anything in my health, or my partner’s, that we should check?

None of these three is a hidden reason your cycle didn’t work. They are the parts of this you can look after while your medical team looks after the rest. The full guide is below, and it’s free to read and download.

Research cited: Karayiannis et al., Human Reproduction, 2018. Boivin et al., BMJ, 2011. Lyngsø et al., Human Reproduction, 2019. Abadia et al., Human Reproduction, 2017. NHMRC alcohol guidelines. Your Fertility. This page is general education. It doesn’t replace advice from your GP or fertility specialist, and nutrition cannot guarantee pregnancy.